Taylor, Bradley lose in inter-club golf

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32893, 17 April 1972, Page 14

Taylor, Bradley lose in inter-club golf

The top two Canterbury golfers for this year’s Freyberg Rose Bowl contest in Napier, B. C. Taylor and R. H. A. Bradley, were both beaten during the third and fourth rounds of the Woodward Cup senior inter-club competition yesterday.

Taylor was beaten by a surprisingly big margin, 4 and 3, by the Christchurch No. 1, W. I. Tucker, and Bradley succumbed to the steady golf of the 19-year-old Waimairi Beach player, F. J. Poskitt.

In spite of these unexpected reverses, however, Taylor’s team, Russley A, and Bradley’s team, Waitikiri, both won their matches. With four rounds completed, Russley A is back in its familiar position at the head of the Woodward Cup points table. But it has only half a point to spare from Templeton, Waitikiri and Rangiora. LOSSES AT 16TH Amid the lofty pines at Waimairi Beach, Russely A was involved in a dramatic struggle with the front-running Templeton team yesterday afternoon. Templeton had beaten Russley B in the morning and, with three holes to play, it had prospects of adding the A side’s scalp to its belt. But the par-5 sixteenth hole was the graveyard of Templeton’s hopes. There G. L. Titmus, the No. 1, lost a one-hole advantage he had over Taylor, and then lost the seventeenth as well. A half at the final hole gave Taylor the match. A. K. Hynd (Russley) also won the sixteenth and seventeenth holes to beat R. P. Newburn; I. O. Parkinson (Templeton) faltered at the sixteenth, and at the succeeding hole, to lose to the steady D. G. Crombie; and J. V. Logie (Russley) gained a half from a defensive position at the sixteenth and went on to beat J. W. Prebble at the next hole. T. M. Stout (Russley) finished his man, L. PatUson, on the fifteenth green, but all the other matches went either to the seventeenth or eighteenth. COSTLY THREE PUTTS The former Southlanders, M. W. Strange. (Russley), lost the seventeenth to be square with A. J. McMaster, but the Templeton player three-putted from off the back of the last green to lose the match. Templeton, with prospects of at least halving with Russley A. finished with only two wins. R I. Donaldson was three up with three to play against E. H. M. Richards (Russley), but Donaldson, in common with many of his fellow players, lost the sixteenth. He thankfully holed a 4ft putt on the next green for a half, and the match. The former Canterbury representative, R. E. Clements (Templeton) matched his youthful opponent, C. J, Smale, hole for hole in an absorbing match; but Clements prevailed when Smale cut his drive into the scrub at the eighteenth. Earlier, Russley A trailed Christchurch by half a game at the turn and was fortunate to beat its rival, 5-3. FADED At END I. D. Dobson (Christchurch) lost a two-hole advantage at the end of his game with A. K. Hynd, and S. G. Rutherford missed a short putt on the eighteenth green and had to be content with a half against Logie. M. R. Blank (Christchurch), who helped his father lay out the course 40 years ago, played par golf to beat Stout, while Richards, in a businesslike mood scored five birdies and an eagle in disposing of G. C. Saunders (Christchurch).

Most of the interest, however, lay in the Taylor-Tucker encounter, Tucker, playing attacking golf, established an early lead of two holes and was the dominant figure for the first third of the course. During this period a perplexed Taylor had only

one par on his card, but a birdie at the seventh heralded the start of a solid run of seven pars. DRAGGED HIS DRIVE The end came suddenly, and in an unexpected fashion. Tucker won both the thirteenth and fourteenth with birdies, and Taylor, three down with four to play, dragged his tee shot at the fifteenth into his bag—and the game was over. Tucker was one under par at this stage, and he achieved a similar figure in beating J. R. Broadhurst (Russley B) in the afternoon. Meanwhile, at Templeton, Bradley was tasting defeat at Poskltt’s hands. The Waitikiri No. 1 was three up after only six holes, but Poskitt, a young man with an unruffled temperament, reached the front by winning four of the six holes between the seventh and the twelfth. The match was back to square after the fifteenth, but Poskitt snatched the lead by holing a birdie putt from 10ft at the sixteenth green. Bradley missed from 6ft and when he chipped and two-putted at the next hole Poskitt was triumphant. STRONG CHALLENGE Waitikiri had Its problems before it overcame Waimairi Beach’s stubborn challenge. After several close tussles, Waitikiri won with a game to spare but one of its casualties was the highly successful J. P. Devine, who was soundly beaten by D. Pickering. The young Canterbury representative, D. R. Griffiths, was one Waitikiri player to excel. His strong, accurate tee shots placed him in control all the way, and he was one under par in recording an impressive win. Waitikiri also found Avondale a tough nut to crack. Four of the matches were halved, and Griffith won the eighteenth from G. E. Nahkies with a par. The 6-2 result to Waitikiri was not an accurate reflection of the game’s fortunes. Rangiora, in common with Waitikiri, had two wins at Templeton. D. L. Beggs, profiting from a tip by Bradley to hold his hands lower, revealed good form to beat L. D. McMillan (Avondale), but had to be content with a half against a determined Poskitt M. W. Small (Rangiora) was a capable No. 2, winning both his fames, but his fellow player, B. . Clegg, was aghast at losing to an old rival, D. J. Gaudln (Avondale) by a hole after being four up at the turn. Points after four rounds are:— Russley A 3J, Templeton, Waitikiri, Rangiora 3, Russley B li, Waimairi Beach 1, Christchurch, Avondale J. Results were:— Rangiora 4, Waimairi Beach 2 D. L. Beggs halved with F. J. Poskitt; M. W. Small beat G. Mclntosh, 4 and 3; B. L. Clegg halved with J. Williams; J. Barnes lost to W. Pltcaithly, 3 and 1; J. L. Allin beat D. Pickering, 1 up; J. D. Lawson beat J. Lineham, 2 up; W. Gilmour beat L. Connor, 1 up; F. B. Leech beat B. Smith, 2 and 1. Waitikiri 4, Avondale 2 R. H. A. Bradley beat L. D. McMillan, 4 and 3; D. R. Griffith beat G. E. Nahkies, 1 up; J. Paerata halved with D. J. Gaudln; J. W. Jackson halved with J, Mitchell; J. P. Devine halved with F. W. Roberts; J. W. Johnston beat C. H. Johnson, 5 and 4; P. D. Mott halved with B. Alexander; G. Salt beat P. E. Neal, 2 and 1. Russley A 5, Christchurch 1 B. C. Taylor lost to W. I. Tucker, 4 and 3; J. F. Logie halved with S. G. Rutherford; E. H. M. Richards beat G. C. Saunders, 3 and 2; T. M. Stout lost to M. R. Blank, 3 and 2; A. K. Hynd halved with I. D. Dob son; M. W. Strange beat D. H. Cummack, 7 and 5; D. G. Crombie beat J. D. Bull, 3 and 2. Templeton 4), Russley B 31 G. L. Titmus beat J. R. Broadhurst, 2 and 1; J. W. Prebble lost to L. 8. McKinley, 1 down; R. I. Donaldson beat G. N. Martin, 6 and 4; L. PatUson

beat L. P. Martin, 1 up; R. P. Newburn beat B. J. Cotton, 2 and 1; A. J. McMaster halved with W. K. Hitchon; R. E. Clements lost to J. M. Angus, 3 and 1; I. O. Parkinson lost to B. W. Johnson, 5 and 4. Rangiora 5, Avondale 3 Beggs beat McMillan, 3 and 2; Small beat Nahkies, 2 and 1; Clegg lost to Gaudin, 1 down; Barnes beat Mitchell, 5 and 4; Allin halved with Roberts; Law son beat B. Trangmar, 6 and 5; Gilmour lost to Alexander, 2 and 1; Leech halved with Neal. Waitikiri 41, Waimairi Beach 31 Bradley lost to Poskitt, 2 and 1; Griffith beat Mclntosh, 4 and 3; Paerata lost to Williams, 4 and 3; Jackson beat Pltcaithly, 1 up; Devine lost to Pickering, 6 and 5; Johnston beat Lineham, 3 and 2; Mott beat Connor, 2 and 1; Salt halved with Smith. Russley B 4, Christchurch 4 Broadhurst lost to Tucker, 5 and 4; McKinley beat Rutherford, 5 and 4; G. N. Martin lost to Saunders, 3 and 2; L. P. Martin lost to Blank, 4 and 3; Cotton lost to Dobson, 3 and 2; Hitchon beat Cummack, 1 up; Angus beat Hamilton, 5 and 4; Johnson beat Bull, 2 and 1. Russley A i, Templeton 2 Taylor beat Titmus, 1 up; Logie beat Prebble, 2 and 1; Richards lost to Donaldson, 2 and 1; Stout beat Pattison, 4 and 3; Hynd beat Newburn, 2 and 1; Strange beat McMaster, 1 up; Smale lost to Clements, 1 down; Crombie beat Parkinson, 2 and 1.