Godfrey Takes His Second $800 Prize

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31555, 18 December 1967, Page 30

Godfrey Takes His Second $800 Prize

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. W. J. Godfrey, the 26-year-old Auckland golfer, won the Metalcraft $4OOO golf tournament at Miramar on Saturday in a blaze of glory.

Godfrey had to score a birdie on the last hole to win the tournament —as he did the previous week in the B.P. event at Titirangi—and a superb 2-iron sealed it. The crowd encircling the last green roared its approval as the ball rifled toward the green and rolled to within five feet of the hole to leave Godfrey with two putts for his birdie four. With rounds of 75, 70, 69, 68 for 282, Godfrey headed off F. Phillips, 283 (76, 71, 64, 72) and R. J. Charles, 284 (76, 73, 66, 69). SECOND BEST

Picking up his second cheque for $BOO in two weeks Godfrey moved to second money-winner on the New Zealand circuit, with $2377.50. Charles won $3040. It is the first time two New Zealanders have headed the table.

It was a vastly changed

Godfrey who received the congratulations of many supporters after the Metalcraft win compared with the Godfrey who was congratulated at Titirangi the previous week. Then, Godfrey was almost in a daze. He had won on the course where he learned his golf and it was the first time he had finished ahead of P. W. Thomson, K. G. A. Nagle and Charles among others. MENTAL APPROACH On Saturday, he was calm and poised, acknowledged the win as though it was just another day’s golf even as though it was not unexpected —and commented that he always thought he could win. The difference the success at Titirangi had made to Godfrey’s mental approach was already evident. Phillips had the tournament within his grasp after a record-breaking third round of 64. He had four birdies and two eagles in his round and moved to a two-stroke lead on the field.

But the edge to his play which Phillips had in the third round became a little blunted in the fourth. He came to the last hole needing a birdie four but a pulled drive, a bad second and an iron too far from the pin for a birdie putt ruined his chances.

UNCHALLENGED THIRD

Charles was one who would have cause to reflect on his first two rounds, of 76 and 73. In the third round he cruised round the course in a comfortable 66 and he ended with a 69, his iron play showing a much improved sharpness and his putting never letting him down. He was, in the finish, only two strokes behind Godfrey and his third position was unchallenged. Thomson, too, eould have won the tournament but his form fell away dramatically when he took a five at the par-three fourteenth and then dropped another stroke on the par-five fifteenth. He ended four strokes behind Godfrey in fourth place, his game deteriorating as the final two rounds progressed. M. Bembridge was the first to excite at the eighteenth green in the final round. The little English golfer slammed two tremendous woods to the side of the green and proceeded to hole his 20ft chip for an eagle three and a final 65—the best score in the last round. It moved Bembridge into fifth equal position. HOLED WEDGE SHOT G. B. Wolstenholme, plagued by putting troubles throughout the New Zealand tour, gave the gallery round the eighteenth its second thrill when he holed out with a wedge from 60 yards for an eagle. The steady play of Mrs J. Whitehead won the women’s section by 18 strokes from Miss G. Taylor. The course proved too long for the women who had to play off the championship tees and use the men’s par of 71.

There were a number of holes—par fours—which the women could not reach in two. Mrs Whitehead was always steady and she was the only woman competitor to break 80. She did it twice.