UNLUCKY WOON

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33033, 28 September 1972, Page 30

UNLUCKY WOON

Four-stroke penalty

As R. C. Murray marched to his victory at Waitikiri yesterday, there was tragedy] tor D. L. Woon, one of New Zealand’s greatest golfers, who fell aside through the cruellest of mischance. Woon was an honoured guest at Waitikiri, having been invited to play because of his former membership of the club, and his magnificent record in New Zealand golf. Everyone was delighted when he scored a fine 74 in the first round; everyone hoped he would qualify. And his qualification seemed almost a certainty, when he had dropped only three shots on the most difficult part of the course. But preparing for his second shot at the eighth, he discovered there were 15 clubs in his bag. The rules allow only 14. On the practice fairway earlier, a club belonging to another player had been put into his bag in error. Woon himself was not responsible, but the rules are inflexible. He had to add a penalty of four strokes to his 79 for the round and finished on 157. With 153, he would have been in. easily. Women's discus.—A. Menis (Rumania) set a world record in the women’s discus when she threw 67.32 metres (220 ft 101 in), at an athletics meeting at Constanta. Rumania. The old record of 66.76 metres (219 ft OJin) was hrld by F Melnik (Soviet Union).