Rose Bowl Golf Still Wide Open

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31967, 19 April 1969, Page 15

Rose Bowl Golf Still Wide Open

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON.

The stage is set for a gripping finish to the Freyberg Rose Bowl golf tournament at Hutt today as five teams have a chance of winning the coveted trophy, with two rounds to play.

Hawke’s Bay was still half-a-point ahead after the fifth round yesterday, hotly pursued by Wellington, Auckland, Otago and Waikato, the holder.

Four of these sides won comfortably yesterday, but Auckland only scraped home on the last green of the last match against mid-South Canterbury.

It was a still, murky day at Hutt—an appropriate setting for Canterbury, beaten, 3-2, by the lowly Bay of Plenty team. The Bay players had won only two individual matches in the previous four rounds. Points after five rounds are: Hawke's Bay 4), Waikato, Wellington. Otago and Auckland 4. Manawatu-Wanganui 31, Mid-South Canterbury 3, Canterbury and Southland 2, j Taranaki. Northland. Gisborne and Bay of Plenty 1, Buller-] Westland-Marlborough - Nel-I son 0.

Strong Hawke's Bay

Hawke's Bay had the flush of success about its play as It systematically ground down a solid Southland side. J. M. Doreen scored his fifth successive win of the tournament and S. G. Jones put pressure on his left-handed opponent. P. R. Adams, to pull ahead in the last few holes.

Wellington had prospects of a clean sweep against BullerWestland - Nelson - Marlborough, but its celebrated number one, J. D. Durry. made heavy weather of his match against G. R. Lummis. In the last three holes, however, Lununis. too, fell into error while Durry holed his putts calmly to gain a half.

B. C. Rafferty again made a big impression with his attacking golf and enhanced his prospects of selection for New Zealand against Australia in August. Mid-South Canterbury worthily upheld the South Island's reputation by carrying the battle to Auckland. G. P. Vesty displayed his fine match-temperament by holing a long birdie putt at the fifteenth and then holding R. D. Gillespie at bay for the last three holes to win. A. C.l

Browne, with is assured iron play, almost disturbed the sphinx-like concentration of K. R. Hankin, but the Auckland player a little more reliable on the greens, won at the last hole.

Champion Again Fails

In the main match, R. C. Murray punched out his drives and hit his irons crisply to achieve dominance over B. A. Stevens, who did not look much like the national amateur champion. Murray’s only flaw was his putting, although he holed birdie putts of 30ft at the first and 20ft at the fifteenth —where the match ended. It putting, although he holed defeat and Murray’s (three under par for the match) best effort in the five rounds. After their encouraging efforts of the first two days, the Canterbury players struggled throughout their matches yesterday and only the captain. J. F. Logie. who putted much better, emerged' with a win.

J. R. Broadhurst’s run of victories came to an end when he lost the eighteenth bole to halve with K. Thomas. Although he missed two short putts at vital stages, Broadhurst had a one-hole advantage as he stood on the eighteenth tee. But he missed the green with a wedge from thick grass and then compounded bis misfortune by three-putting.

R. M. Farrant’s loss to Patrick Watson did not signal a lapse in form by the Canterbury No. 1, but rather a remarkable display by his opponent. Watson crunched out drives of 300 yards regularly and holed at least six saving putts of an average length of eight feet to deny Farrant the chance to edge ahead.

Hope's Fighting Half

Logie hit the ball with authority except for one horrible tee shot at the fifteenth, while D. R. Hope showed fighting spirit to halve his

match after being one or two holes behind for most of the match. Hope hit some good woods and holed three pressure putts on the homeward nine.

E. H. M. Richards, however, did nut hit his tee shots as straignt as usual and missed more greens than his steady opponent, A. C. Relph, who, at 51, is the oldest man in the tournament.

While Canterbury languished, Otago stormed ahead to drub Northland. G. D. Brown showed the way by beating A. B. Day, runner-up in the last national championship. It was a tight battle for nlna holes, but Day was out of bounds at the tenth and Brown holed a 30ft eagle at the eleventh. This demoralised his left-handed opponent, and Brown sprinted away to victory, being two under par at the end. Six In Succession E. J. McDougall (Waikato) was restored to his normal good humour when he won six successive holes against E. J. Gordon (Gisborne) to gain a convincing win. Three ]of McDougall's team-mates i also won well to give Waikato the highest number of Indi'vidua! matches won. The best finish of the day was produced by J. F. Farley (Manawatu-Wanganui), who recovered from an almost impossible position to halve with R. L. G. Pease (Taranaki). Farley birdied the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth holes, and, remembering his indiscretion against Durry the previous day, hit a half-wedge safely on the eighteenth green to crown his achievement.

Wellington appears to have an easy passage through the last two rounds today, but Hawke's Bay has played so well that Waikato and Otago, its opponents, might not be as formidable as they first appeared.

Today’s draw is:—

Sixth Bound.—Southland v. Gisborne. Canterbury v. Buller Combined, Auckland v. Otago, Waikato v, Hawke’s Bay. Northland v. Manawatu-Wanganui, Bay of Plenty v. Mid-South Canterbury. Wellington v. Taranaki. Seventh Rouno. —Canterbury v. Manawatu-Wanganui, Wellington v. Bay of Plenty, Waikato v. Auckland. Hawke’s Bay v. Otago. Gisborne v. Northland, Southland v. Buller Combined, Taranaki v. Mid-South Canterbury.