Nagle Now Almost Certain Winner

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31530, 18 November 1967, Page 15

Nagle Now Almost Certain Winner

(New Zealand Press Association) HAMILTON. The Australian, K. D. G. Nagle, tightened his grip on the New Zealand Open golf championship when he increased his lead to five strokes after the third round at St Andrews yesterday.

In the high wind and driving rain, Na le added a one-under-par 70 to his overnight 134 for a 54-hole total of 204. Second is the 21-year-old Englisman, P. Townsend, while E. A. Ball (Australia), is two strokes further back, on 211.

He is followed by the consistent G. B. Wolstenholme (Britain), on 212, T. J. Woolbank (Australia), 214, and the title-holder, R. J. Charles 215.

The eight times winner of the title, P. W. Thomson, is 15 strokes behind Nagle, on 219.

The New Zealand representative, J. D. Durry, is the top amateur, with 216. One stroke behind him is S. G. Jones, while E. J. McDougall is on 218. 70min Hold-Up A heavy downpour just after mid-day caused the tournament committee to suspend play for 70 minutes. The rain cleared during this time and the water on the greens disappeared. The wind came up again late in the afternoon and light rain settled in just as the final players were playing the seventeenth. Indications are that weather conditions will be similar today. If play is abandoned, the final 18 holes will most probably be played on Sunday.

Nagle brought a roar from the drenched gallery when he sank a long putt for a birdie three at the second. However, he immediately lost this at the third. A birdie at the long sixth put him under the card again and he turned in 35.

Nagle stayed with the card until the sixteenth where he dropped a shot. He overshot the green and his chip back was short. However, a birdie on the eighteenth enabled him to complete the round one under. It was a superb effort by the 46-year-old Australian. Costly Mistakes For the second time in the tournament and out of bounds at the fourteenth cost Townsend dearly. He took a five on this par-three hole, otherwise he would have returned par

figures after going out one under the card.

At the seventeenth, Townsend’s drive finished 30 yards behind a television tower. He asked the tournament committee for a ruling because part of the tower was obstructing his view of the flag.

The committee refused his request to move his ball, but Townsend got his par four. Ball did not play as confidently yesterday as he had done in the second round. He dropped shots at the second and fourth, to be two over after five. He birdied the long sixth, but lost this with a oneover five at the eighth and turned in 38.

He played steadier in the second nine. His only blemish was a five on the sixteenth, the same hole at which Nagle dropped a shot. Wolstenholme hit every green. He three-putted the second to go one over, but regained this at the sixth. Coming home he played all holes in regulation figures. After going out in 36 and scoring birdies on the tenth and eleventh, Woolbank was two under, but mistakes at the fifteenth and sixteenth and an out of bounds on the

eighteenth cost him four shots. BEGAN BADLY Charles had four one-over holes at the beginning of his round, but then came back strongly with birdies at the sixth and ninth, to turn in 38. More birdies at the tenth and eleventh put Charles level with the card, but he dropped a shot at the next and finished with a 72.

Thomson dropped four shots in the first six holes and some of his gallery, sensing it was not to be Thomson’s day, joined the throng chasing Charles and McDougall. A birdie on the ninth helped and Thomson turned in 39.

He dropped another shot on the twelfth, had a birdie at the fifteenth and finished with a 74. It was a disappointing round, in spite of the conditions.

An Bft birdie putt on the eighteenth enabled Durry to lead the amateur section. He turned four over but played the second nine brilliantly in 33. In the face of the wind and rain, he managed birdies on the two short holes and played the rest in regulation figures.