Woman Pro. Opposes Charles In Masters

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31866, 19 December 1968, Page 19

Woman Pro. Opposes Charles In Masters

(New Zealand Press Association) TAURANGA. Crowd control officials for the Spalding Masters golf tournament have already pinpointed their major task for the first round on January 2—handling the many spectators expected to follow the left-hander, R. J. Charles, the visiting American woman professional, Miss Marilynn Smith, and the former New Zealand representative and champion, S. G. Jones.

When they hit off in the middle of the field, j these three players, i with their contrasting j styles of play, are ex- ■ pected to take the largest gallery. They should steal the limelight from all other entrants, who include E. W. Dunk (Australia), the 1967 tournament winner, and R. J. Shaw (Australia), the reigning New Zealand P.G.A. champion. Playing off the men’s tees, Miss Smith, one of the United States leading moneywinners in women’s professional golf, is breaking new ground playing in the tournament, which has been a male

i preserve in the past, and i might well make many of the i 53 professionals and 18 I amateurs look to their laurels. She will be playing in only : the one tournament while in j New Zealand during her sponsored coaching visit, but i will probably officially open the New Zealand P.G.A. title ’meeting at Mount Maunganui before leaving Tauranga jto start her coaching duties. At the last tournament the ; New Zealand professional, J. M. Lister, and the Dutchman, M. Roesink, gave the Tauranga course record a hammering before Roesink claimed the honour with a 63. Now officials are wondering just what Charles might do to it.

With three tournament victories behind him, and in course record-breaking form on difficult courses, such as Paraparaumu, Charles might well find the less demanding Tauranga links to his liking. Some of his toughest competition is expected to come from Dunk, who could use this event as a build-up for his bid for the P.G.A. title which he was most keen to win last year. Dunk and R. Stanton (Australia), who was third at the last tournament, will partner Miss Smith in the second | round, while Charles has been drawn to play with the proi mising young professional, D. J Clark (Rotorua) and the host club professional, J. Paterson. The amateur field has been kept to 18, and apart from Jones, includes E. J. McDougall, iwho finished second, only two strokes behind Dunk last year, and R. C. Murray, another New Zealand representative. Hole-In-One Prize Any amateur who holes in one on the 197 yd fourteenth will benefit some charity by 81000. The sponsors originally offered a trophy worth $lOO for any amateur scoring the perfect shot on this hole, but found it was not permissible, the maximum without endangering amateur status being S6O. As a result they have changed the award accordingly and added that if any amateur is successful they will contribute 81000 to any charity he wishes to name.