Golfers Share $1750 After Tournament Tie

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31845, 25 November 1968, Page 26

Golfers Share $1750 After Tournament Tie

(New Zealand Press Association) HAMILTON. G. B. Wolstenholme (Britain) and P. W. Thomson (Australia) shared the first and second-place prize money, totalling $1750. when they tied in the Sax Altman golf tournament at Lochiel on Saturday, with 72-hole aggregates of 285 (three under par).

In third position, one shot back, was K. D. G. Nagle (Australia), and the young Springfield professional, D. Clark, was fourth on 289. Nagle collected S5OO and Clark 5370.

The top amateur was C. W. Moore (Lochiel), whose fourround aggregate was 297. With nine holes to play, Wolstenholme and ’ Thomson were both three under the card for the tournament. Nagle was rapidly closing the [gap, and Clark and B. J. ICoxon (Australia) were still Jin the hunt. Bunker And Birdie Wolstenholme blasted mag- , nificently from a bunker at ! the thirteenth to score a ; much-needed birdie after ! Thomson’s 4ft putt for a ! birdie slid past the hole. The fourteenth ruined WolIstenholme’s hopes of winning his first New Zealand tournament outright. A poor second .to the green, a chip and two j putts put him back level with I Thomson. The tension mounted as [they reached the eighteenth. Wolstenholme was teeing off | knowing that in front Thomson had every chance of a birdie. But he did not know that the Australian’s approach shot bad landed in a greenside bunker. Nor did he know that only a few minutes later he would be in the same bunker. I Thomson’s recovery shot i sailed high over the pin and | stopped 20 feet away. His I putt never looked like dropI Ping. Disappointing Result Wolstenholme pulled out ; his faithful four-wood and hit hard for the green. Only at the last moment did the ball ' veer off the line and dropped ' into the bunker. He had to get down in two to win and took some time over his shot

The result was very disappointing as he was still 15ft 'from the hole. His putt was ! beautifully struck and was on ' target until the final 12in. He ; had only to tap in for his regulation five and the tie.

While this absorbing battle was going on, the effort of ; Nagle to close the gap was ; somewhat overlooked. He ; started the round four shots , off the pace, but after turning in a two-under 34. was right in the picture. He was only one behind; when he birdied the tenth, but! a dropped shot at the twelfth! cost him dearly as he easily birdied the thirteenth. Clark had to play many recovery shots and he did this; to such perfection that he! finished only one over after the four rounds. His game! has been tightened considerably in the last 12 months and he can be expected to figure] prominently on the rest of the! circuit. Leading scores were:— 285: *G. B. Wolstenholme! (Britain), 67, 73, 74, 71: *P. W. Thomson (Australia), 72, 71, 70, 72. 286: *K. D. G. Nagle (Australia), 73, 72, 72. 69. 289: *D. Clark (Springfield), 72. 70, 74 73. 290: *T. Mangan (Australia), 70, 75, 73, 72; *P. Hart (Australia), 74, 72, 72, 72; *E. A. Ball (Australia), 70, 76, 71, 73. 291: *B. Coxon (Australia), 75, 67, 73, 76: *M. Bembridge (Britain), 76, 73, 72, 70. 292 *F. X. Buckler (Lochiel), 70, 72, 76, 74; *T. Kendall (New Zealand). 70, 74. 75. 73. 293: *B. G. Bent (Australia), 71, 70, 78, 74: *J. R. Stolhand (Hawaii), 71, 72, 74, 76. 294: *T. Woolbank (Australia), 74. 72, 75. 73. 296: *B. T. Boys (New Zealand) 73, 71. 76, 76. 297: C. W. Moore (Lochiel), .74. 77, 72. 74: ‘W. J. Godfrey (New Zealand), 73, 76. 77. 71; *«T. Lister (New Zealand). 75, 76.1' 73. 73.