N.Z. honours ahead for Canty golfers

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32604, 12 May 1971, Page 14

N.Z. honours ahead for Canty golfers

(By

R. T. BRITTENDEN)

TN the last decade, the only Canterbury golfers who have represented New Zealand have been R. J. Charles and R. C. Murray; and both of them began their representative golf elsewhere. But this drought might soon be broken, for Canterbury has strong candidates for the New Zealand team which, in October will compete at Middlemore in Auckland in the Commonwealth tournament, and for the New Zealand junior team which will go to Australia in the early spring. With a succession of good performances at home and his displays in the recent Freyberg Rose Bowl tournament, Canterbury’s new captain, B. C. Taylor, has staked a strong claim to a New Zealand place. A team of six is to be chosen for the Commonwealth tournament, which is conducted under match play conditions, with singles and foursomes. Murray is a certainty; his golf has seldom been quite so good. E. McDougall, G. Clarke and R. L. Barltrop must also be near-certainties. For the remaining two places, the principal candidates are Taylor, P. M. Burney of Auckland, P. A. Shadlock of Auckland, S. G. Jones of Hawke’s Bay and J. D. Durry of Wellington. The New Zealand selectors (Messrs V. C. Hollis, J. A. Scoular and J. G. Slade) will choose the New Zealand team after the New Zealand amateur championship at the Hutt from September 20 to 25. Before that, they will watch the North Island championship at Whangarei and the South Island title meeting at Timaru on June 5,6, and 7.

So there is still ample opportunity for the leading candidates to sort themselves out On present form, Taylor must have a very good chance, especially as he is a particularly strong match player. He is a vigorous hitter—at Auckland, his final drive in the tense match with Murray was in excess of 300 yards—he has a splendid temperament, and from tee to green stroke-making ability to match the best This year’s Freyberg tournament was only his second, and he found himself in the top position, playing the best amateurs in

the country. His record was an exceedingly good one. He began the tournament with a loss to the accomplished Clarke, 2 and 1; but in defeat, Taylor was only a stroke over the card. He then beat B. Day, 3 and 2, and was two under when the game ended. On the second dav he disposed of R. T. Leech, 4 and 2, and Taylor was three under. In the afternoon he beat R. L. Pease 5 and 3, and again was three better than the card. Then came his match with Barltrop. Although he was only one over, Taylor lost at the seventeenth, but on the last day, with a similar score,-he beat M. R. Osman 3 and 2 and was level with the card in his final match with Murray, which was halved. So for the week, Taylor was five better than par and showed staying ability as well as skill. I Canterbury has a strong prospect in D. R. Griffith for tne junior team of six. which will be chosen after the New Zealand junior championship at Hokowhitu on May 19, 20 and 21. For this team, the age limit is 18 years on February 1 this year and Griffith, after his success in Canterbury and South Island junior events, must be given close consideration. He is an especially talented young player, the most junior chosen for Canterbury in a Freyberg event for a long time, and in his first major tournament he acquitted himself with much distinction, winning four of his games and losing three, two of them very narrowly. Griffith is learning fast, and seems destined to have a fine future in New Zealand golf. A place in the national junior team is open to him, on his present form and his undoubted potential.