HODSON ON FIRST VISIT TO N.Z. ‘Unknown’ Sydney player leader in Open golf

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32774, 26 November 1971, Page 22

HODSON ON FIRST VISIT TO N.Z. ‘Unknown’ Sydney player leader in Open golf

(New Zealand Press Association! DUNEDIN. Bruce Hodson, a 22-year-old Bankstown (Sydney) professional, making his first visit to New Zealand, leads the field in the Centennial Open golf championship with a 4-under-par 67 in the first round at Balmacewen yesterday.

Hodson, who is unknown to golf followers in this country, did not survive the cut-off in the Garden City tournament last week, but he finished fourth in the Australian P.G.A. championship a month ago.

Youngest of a family of three brothers, he served his apprenticeship before embarking on the tournament circuit three years and a half ago. He had six birdies and two one-overs yesterday. Perhaps his best shot was a 7-iron to within 3ft of the pin on the twelfth —although he then missed the putt. In second place, with a 68, was the Rotorua professional, J. E. Carter. With birdies on the first and third holes, he was three under for the first nine, and played steadily thereafter. Carter dropped strokes at the fourteenth and fifteenth, but scored two more birdies on the eleventh and the seventeenth. Easier half The Australian, J. Newton, also found the first nine the easier of the two halves, and it was here that he picked up his two strokes to finish on 69

A. J. Palmer, the Oamaru professional, was one of the earlier starters in the moming. After a birdie at the

second, he dropped two, on the sixth and ninth, to finish the outward half one over. But he was one of the few players to shine on the homeward journey, having three successive birdies. Despite a gusty wind which caused trouble at several holes, scoring was generally good. There was a light rain after lunch, but most of the day’s play was in warm sunshine. Putting was not easy. The greens were slightly soft and most offered a tough test. R. J. Charles was one who had some difficulty with his putting, needing three from 12ft at the fourth and missing a three-footer at the sixteenth after a fine chip. He ended a competent, unspectacular round on 70. Another tradesmanlike round came from P. W. Thomson. He looked to be in trouble only once, when his drive across the corner at the eighth just clipped the last branch of a manuka and fell in the rough, with three trees between him and the pin. He elected to go for a narrow gap and was lucky not to get into further trouble when his club-head dragged in the grass.

A five there put him behind the card, but he made up for it with an eagle two at the seventeenth. His down-wind drive finished past the pin, and he holed the return putt. It was the only eagle of the day.

J. M. Lister’s par 71 would have looked better had he not hooked into the ditch at one hole. After failing to get out with his next shot, he lifted out into the rough alongside the seventeenth fairway, then sent an excellent iron over the trees for a good recovery. Another leading candidate, G. V. Marsh (Australia), came to grief in the Glen. He teed his drive high, hooked it, and watched the strong northerly bend the ball back out of bounds. Even so he finished two under on 69 and looked a very strong competitor.

Some familiar names finished on 70—G. B. Wolstenholme, K. D. G. Nagle, F. Phillips, and M. Bembridge, as well as Charles. They are handily placed because Balmacewen, as expected, is showing distinct favour to the accurate golfers. One who found this to his cost was the Australian professional, A. A. Murray, who started off with a couple of birdies, but began straying off line. At the third, he chipped out from trees and recovered magnificently to the green from the rough to keep his par. But it was difficult to maintain this standard of recovery, and he eventually slipped to a 72. Another Australian, P. Connell, had an even more fiery beginning, with birdies on the first four holes, but he dropped strokes after this, was three over for the homeward nine, and also had a 72.

The best amateur was B. Webster (Otaki), who finished with two birdies for a very creditable 69.