De Vicenzo Loses Play-off Chance

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31655, 16 April 1968, Page 24

De Vicenzo Loses Play-off Chance

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) AUGUSTA (Georgia). u' de V* cenzo (Argentina) could have been SUSSOOO richer but for a slip of his pencil in the hectic and unprecedented closing minutes of the United States Masters’ golf championship.

Playing on bis forty-fifth birthday, de Vicenzo mistakenly signed his scorecard listing a four on the par-four seventeenth hole, instead of the birdie three lie had shot. The error gave him an official score of 278. He had really shot a 277 over the 6980-yard par-72 Augusta National Club course. The mistake also denied him a chance to meet R. Goalby in a championship play-off Goalby was declared the winner, having shot a 277 during the four days of the tournament. De Vicenzo won 515,000 for his second place finish; Goalby pocketed the first prize of $20,000. B. Devlin (Australia) finished fourth behind B. Yancey (United States). Devlin was three strokes behind the winner. Explaining how de Vicenzo had made the error, Mr J. Winter, a United States Golf Association official. said' “Something very unfortunate happened today .. . something completely different from anything that ever happened be-

fore in this tournament. “Unfortunately, Robert put down a four on his card and, under the rules of golf, the four must stand. “Being the wonderful sportsman he is, he accepted it very graciously,” Mr Winter added. De Vicenzo received a tremendous ovation from the crowd as he walked from the eighteenth green. “In this moment, I don’t know what I have to say,” the big Argentinian said. “In my head are two things ... no, three things . . . the No. 1 hole and this wonderful gallery that followed me all day and the No. 18 hole. “1 have played golf for many, many years and just about all over the world. 1 have signed many cards and none of them wrong. All I can say is, what a stupid I am to be wrong in this wonderful tournament.” Theo, somewhat dejected, he added: “Maybe I am too old, I guess, to come back and win another time.” Goalby, who appeared downhearted in spite of his win, remarked: “The only thing 1 really regret is the way in

which 1 won it—through Roberto’s misfortune. I would much rather have won it in a play-off.” De Vicenzo played the front nine of the final round in a fiye-under-par 31 strokes. On his score-card he had played the back nine in a two-under-par 34 which would have given him a 65 except for his error which added a stroke. Goalby played the front nine in 33 strokes, and the back nine in 34. Final scores and winnings: R. Goalby (United States), SUS2O,OOO, 70. 70. 71. 66—277; R. de Vicenzo (Argentina). $15,000. 69. 73, 70. 66—278: B. Yancey (United States), $lO,OOO, 71, 71, 72. 65—279; B. Devlin (Australia). $7500, 70. 72. 69, 69—280; F. Beard (United States). $5500. 75, 65. 71, 70—281: J. Nicklaus (United States), $5500, 69, 71. 74. 67 —281; T. Aaron (United States), $3460, 69, 72, 72, 69—282; G. Player (South Africa), $3460. 72. 67, 71, 72—282; R. Floyd (United States). $3460, 71, 71, 69, 71—282; J. Pittman (United States), $3460, 70, 73, 70, 69—282; R. J. Charles (New Zealand), $2200, 75, 71, 70. 70—286; T. Jacklin (England). $1760, 69, 73, 74. 72—288; H. Henning (South Africa), $1760, 72, 71, 71, 74 288; G. Knudson (Canada), $l4OO, 75, 71, 72, 71—289; K. Nagle (Australia), $l4OO, 76, 71. 72. 71— 290.