Tricky Greens Upset Open Golf Contenders

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31727, 10 July 1968, Page 15

Tricky Greens Upset Open Golf Contenders

(N.Z. Prtu CARNOUSTIE. Most of the leading contenders found the tricky greens hard to master when the first full-scale practice was held at Carnoustie yesterday for the British Open golf championship, which will start on Wednesday.

The strong winds, which sweep across the links and make it one of the toughest on the British circuit did not blow yesterday, but only the title - holder, R. de Vicerizo, and the South African, G. Player, fired sub-par rounds.

De Vlcenzo had an astonishing six-under-par 66 and showed for the second successive day that he is in brilliant form to defend his title.

Player, the winner in 1959, had a 68, and said his game was in “great shape”. P. W. Thomson is making a determined preparation to win the title for the seventh time. He played his fifth practice round yesterday but did not mark a card. However, Thomson knows the course well and is happy with his game.

K. D. G. Nagle, F. Phillips and R. J. Charles played as a threesome and did not keep cards. Phillips, maintaining his good qualifying-round form, said he hit the ball well.

B. Devlin, who partnered the Americans, A. Palmer and B. Yancey, and the British hope, A. Jacklin, was in patchy form. He went out in 33 (three under) but slumped with a 40, four over the card, on the inward nine. Two members of Australia’s younger brigade, R. Vines and T. Woolbank, found the course narrow and tough. “This is the toughest I’ve

played on,” said Vines, who returned a 74. He went out again later and played a 75. The 7252-yard course is the longest to be used for the British Open championship. The most dominant hazard will be the Barry burn—a winding creek which cuts across four holes, the first, tenth, seventeenth and eighteenth. The par is 72 (36-36); out, 3624 yards, in 2628 yards. Its finish has been described as “the toughest of any British links”, ending with a 525-yard hole which is most demanding, particularly for a player seeking a birdie four to tie or win.

The yardage and par for the 18 holes are:

1. 406, 4 10. 446, 4 2. 468, 4 11. 370, 4 3. 343, 4 12. 473, 4 4. 429, 4 13. 168, 3 5. 389, 4 14. 485, 5 6. 565, 5 15. 460 , 4 7. 386, 4 16. 243, 3 8. 163, 3 17. 458, 4 9. 475, 4 18. 525, 5