Wolstenholme retains lead

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32787, 11 December 1971, Page 46

Wolstenholme retains lead

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. The Australian-domiciled English golfer, G. B. Wolstenholme, “played rubbish” yesterday, but he still leads the Caltex tournament field by three strokes after two rounds at Paraparaumu.

Wolstenholme. in fine but windy conditions, carded a 69 for a 36-hole total of 133.

In second place, on 136, and with his second 68, was R. J. Charles. He was followed by two Australians. P. W. Thomson and F. Phillips, on 138. Wolstenholme, after his sensational first round of 64, started promisingly yesterday with a fine birdie on the difficult third hole. FIRST LOSS

Another birdie followed on the sixth but from there on he struggled to get par figures, finally dropping his first stroke of the tournament on the thirteenth and needing a birdie to finish on 69. "I played rubbish,” he said afterwards.

Charles, according to one of his playing partners, J. Newton, “hit the ball like a dog” on the first few holes. But there was nothing canine about his putting. “He’s incredible,” Newton said. “When you’re hitting the ball badly you've got to hole putts—and he does.”

ONE FROM 30FT The left-hander had only 12 putts on the first nine greens and thus salvaged eight pars and an eagle. On the par-five seventh, Charles hit a 4-iron 30ft past the hole and holed in the putt for a three. His driving and iron play improved and he had three birdies on the back nine, but loose approach shots on the eleventh and seventeenth cost him strokes and a chance to draw nearer to Wolstenholme. The difference Charles’s putting, made is probably best illustrated by a comparison with his other playing partner, M. Bembridge, of England. Bembridge needed only 37 shots to hit the 18 greens while Charles took 42, but the Englishman had 36 putts. For a while it seemed that

Thomson might challenge Wolstenholme, but after reaching the turn 2-under, he wavered, and his birdie on the last hole, a formality for most of the field, gave him a 70.

Phillips, on the other hand, played the second nine superbly for his 68. He had an eagle at the twelfth, a birdie at the thirteenth, and finished with another birdie to play this longer nine in 32. Finished better

The New Zealanders, W. J. Godfrey and J. M. Lister, also played the back nine better than they did the first nine. Godfrey, after squandering shots, steadied to finish with a 72, and was a stroke behind Thomson and Phillips. Lister, who had a 75 on Thursday, carded a 68 yesterday, including three birdies in the last eight holes. The player with the most distressing story to tell was the Australian, T. Linskey. He had played well until the eighteenth where he sent three balls out of bounds and had an 11 for the hole.

“After the first one I just got stubborn," he said.