MILLER BEATS THE Otago Classic led by American

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33077, 18 November 1972, Page 48

MILLER BEATS THE Otago Classic led by American

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN.

The American drawcard, J. Miller, scored a fine four-under-par 68 for an aggregate of 138 and a twostroke lead after the second round of the Otago Charity Golf Classic at the St Clair course yesterday.

His round was particularly creditable because of the gusty winds which made scoring difficult for the 105 professionals and 28 amateurs.

This showed in the scores, only 10 players breaking par compared with 23 in the more favourable conditions for the first round on Thursday.

Miller began with two regulation 4s, but carded a birdie at the 486-yard, par-5 third hole. He made the green with two fine shots and two-putted from 30 feet for a 4. He remained one under until the 368-yard, par-4 sixth when he drove the green with the assistance of a tail wind, and two-putted for a birdie.

Miller dropped a shot at the eighth hole when a three-foot putt lipped the cup, but he retaliated quickly with a birdie 4 at the ninth to turn in 34.

The American played con-

sistent golf from then on, starting the back nine with four consecutive pars. Miller went three under with a birdie 4 on the fourteenth when he sank a 25-foot putt. He followed this with three good pars and gave the gallery surrounding the eighteenth green some excitement when he lagged a 35-foot putt which eventually dropped into the cup, giving him a birdie 3 and a four-under-par 68. There was a four-way tie for second place with I. Stanley (Australia), G. V. Marsh (Australia), T. Kendall (New Zealand), and the young Otago amateur, C. Alldred—all on 140.

Alldred’s performance deserved the most credit because all the other amateurs in the field were adversely affected by the boisterous wind. A 19-year-old medical student, Alldred has just completed his final examination, and has had little golf, although he has maintained constant road work.

He follows Gary Player’s advice and firmly believes that physical fitness is the key to successful tournament golf. Consistency In yesterday’s round Alldred displayed what was probably the most consistent golf of the tournament so far. He was out in 36 and came back in 36 for a par 72. He began badly by dropping a shot on the first hole, but regained his form of Thursday with seven consecutive pars. On the 511yard, par-5 ninth he regained that shot with a birdie 4.

Alldred’s homeward nine w r as just as steady, for although he three-putted the thirteenth for a one-over, he regained this shot when he sank an eight-foot putt for a birdie 2 at the sixteenth.

Of the golfers on 140, perhaps the unluckiest of the day was the 1970 classic runner-up, Marsh. His golf to the greens was faultless, and he constantly outdrove both R. J. Charles and Hsieh Min-nan, with whom he was drawn. But his putts just would not drop. Four tied Four professionals are tied on 141. They are Charles, J. Heard (United States), J. M. Lister (New Zealand),, and the joint World Cup winner, Hsieh Min-nan (Taiwan). Charles looked his usual self and appeared to have everything under control. His round included four birdies, but he dropped shots at the eighth when his approach fell 20 yards short of the green, and again at the twelfth hole, to card a two-under-par 70.

Heard also shot a 70, but his round contained three birdies and only one oneover. Heard’s presence in

this tournament will no doubt yet be felt, and the manner in which he played the eighteenth hole for a birdie 3 might well set the stage for a dynamic charge in the final two rounds. Chances lost A. Palmer (New Zealand), who scored a six-over-par 78 yesterday, after his 70 on Thursday, and the Australian, P. Clutton, who slumped from a fine 69 on Thursday to 82 yesterday, have lost themselves any chance of being among the top moneywinners. In the amateur division Alldred on 140, leads the field by eight strokes from P. Adams (St Clair) and D. Fraser (Otago). The New Zealand representative, G. E. Clarke, is three shots further back on 151. Cut-off The professional cut-off for today’s round was set at 158, and the amateur cut-off was made at 153—an indication of the increasing strength of amateur golf throughout Otago. Seventy-six professionals and 12 amateurs will contest the third round today.