50-year-old Roberts S.L Champion After Play-off

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31767, 26 August 1968, Page 22

50-year-old Roberts S.L Champion After Play-off

The evergreen Avondale club golfer, F. W. Roberts, reeled off two magnificent birdies in a sudden-death play-off on his home course yesterday afternoon-to win the South Island golf championship—an event for which he did not originally enter.

The 50 - year - old Roberts beat rivals less than half his age, D. R. Beggs (Rangiora) and A. J. Palmer (Oamaru), in the playoff, after they had tied with 72-hole aggregates of 287.

It was one of the finest golf championships in Canterbury for many years. The weather was beautifully fine throughout the week-end, the course was in splendid order and, after fluctuating fortunes during the four rounds and the excitement of a triple tie, the play-off reached dizzy heights of achievement

Roberts and Palmer were both bunkered at the first extra hole, while Beggs, from the middle of the fairway, played a fine pitch and run shot which left him with a 4ft birdie putt which he duly holed. BIRDIE MATCHED

Palmer came out of his bunker weakly, and a chip and putt gave him a par, and put him out of the running. But Roberts coolly extracted himself from his bunker and holed out from sft to match Beggs. At the second hole, with tension mounting, Roberts hit a splendidly controlled six-iron second over a clump of trees for his ball to land 7ft from the pin. Beggs was through the green by about 10ft but his delicate chip left his ball only fhree inches to the right of the hole.

To the surprise of the crowd, Roberts did not ask Beggs to mark his ball, but used it as a “sighter” for his birdie putt Had his ball touched that of Beggs, Roberts would have lost the contest. But as he said later, the hole looked as big as a meat plate to him, and his steady putt was successful. For the first time in the event Roberts gave vent to his emotions, and leaped in the air with delight. His wife, after dutifully discarding her shoes to walk on the green, rewarded him with a victory kiss. BOOSTED NUMBERS

Roberts did not enter the championship originally, but when only 31 players had signified their intention of playing by the time entries closed, he decided to join the field to help boost the numbers. He was in front by a stroke at the half-way stage, after over-taking the first round leader, J. Cunningham (Oamaru), but trailed Palmer by five strokes after the third round. Then Palmer fell into error, and Roberts’s third 71

of the tournament enabled him to tie for first place.

But had it not been for Palmer’s honesty, the title would have gone south. Playing the thirteenth bole in the last round, he declared his ball lost, although onlookers were adamant that a ball nestling between two trees with a clear view to the green belonged to the Oamaru player. Palmer, however, would have none of it and returned to the tee to play another ball. This selfless act was to cost him the championship, but it gained him the respect of all who saw the incident COSTLY SWITCH

As a result the final holes were charged with high tension. Beggs, one over with two to play, deliberated on whether to use a six-iron, then took out his five and put his ball through the green—an act which cost him a precious stroke.

Roberts, square after 16 boles, dropped a shot at the seventeenth and another at the eighteenth to finish with a similar score of 71. Palmer, coming in some distance be-

hind Roberts, also lost a stroke at the testing seventeenth, but a birdie two at the final hole would have given him the title. He was left with an uphill putt of 15ft, and although he struck it well, the ball flirted with the hole and stayed out. Palmer’s anguished cavortings on the green revealed the feelings he had held in check for so long. Roberts with Ms economical back swing and the accentuated movement of his hips, played Avondale as dispassionately as if he had been taking part in a dub stroke contest. His woods and irons

were steady, and his chipping and putting, which have always been his strength, never let him down. He was one of the few players in the championship who did not have at least one three-putt during the week-end; indeed, he missed only one putt from within a radius of 7ft from the hole. PUTTING TROUBLES Palmer, an awesome figure off the tees, showed skill and control with his irons but his putting was not always reliable. In the final round it was this factor which eroded bis commanding lead. His fellow Oamaru player, Cunningham, in his first big tournament, almost stole part of the limelight at the finish. A score of 69 gave him the lead on the first morning, and thereafter he was in the ruck of players following the leaders. Suddenly, at the last green in (he last round, he needed a 15ft putt to join Palmer, Boberts and Beggs in the tie for first place. But his ball lipped the hole and he had to be content with fourth place. The stocky Beggs was almost as much of a surprise packet as Boberts. After an undistinguished performance in the Rangiora open the previous week, he was not given much chance, even by his supporters. But he played an outstanding round of 68 on Saturday afternoon and, with the extra confidence this brought him, proceeded to play his shots with a crispness and authority which has been lacking in his game in recent weeks. As befitting a former Avondale player, Beggs showed a keen appreciation of the best paths to the greens. BELATED IMPROVEMENT The Canterbury representative, R. K. Atkinson, steadily improved during the tournament and in the last nine holes he had three birdies in four holes. G. D. Brown, formerly of Timaru but now of Balclutha, was a stroke behind Atkinson in sixth place after four sound but unspectacular rounds. There were some disappointments, too. G. E. Clarke (St Clair), a 1967 New Zealand representative, did not assert himself as had been expected. D. R. Hope, another Freyberg Rose Bowl player from Canterbury, did not complement his aggressive approach from tee and fairway with a similar outlook on the greens. R. M. Farrant (Waitiklri) appeared to have an excellent chance when he was only two strokes behind Roberts at the half-way stage. But he lost

touch with his irons in the third round and his putting became less convincing. 287 F. W. Roberts, 71. 71 74, 71; A. J. Palmer. 75. 68, 68, 76: D. B. Beggs. 75. 68 73, 71. 288— J. Cunningham. 69, 76, 72, 71. 291 R. K. Atkinson, 74. 74. 73. 70. 292 — G. D. Brown, 74. 73, 71, 74. 293 B. E. Newall, 72. 72. 74. 75. 294 D. Dobson. 74. 75. 74. 71. 295 M. R. Blank. 76. 73 70, 76. G. L. Titmus, 77, 68, 76, 74; G. E. Clarke, 76 . 72 74. 73; J. Barbour, 73, 77, 75. 70. 296: D. R. Hope. 72. 78, 74, 72. 297: P. W. Searle, 77. 76. 69. 75. 298—R. M. Farrant, 70. 74. 79. 75. D. J. Gaudin, 74, 75 74. 75. 300— B. L. Clegg, 74. 77, 76, 73. 301— D. F. Williamson. 76. 72. 75. 78. 302 R. E Hobbs. 77. 72, 77. 76. 303 B. D. Petherick. 75, 74, 78 76. 304 B. C. Taylor. 73, 82. 73. 76. 305 P. E. Neal. 77, 75, 80, 73.