World Cup golf winners the toast of Taiwan

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33083, 25 November 1972, Page 4

World Cup golf winners the toast of Taiwan

Lu Liang-buan and * Hsieh Min-nan have i been regarded as s national heroes in Tai- I wan since they teamed I together to provide I their country with its I first World Cup golf I victory at the Royal I Melbourne club earlier ! this month. In achieving their triumph, | Lu and Hsieh beat a top- | class international field by ’ two strokes at the end of j 54 holes. Their total of 438 I exceeded par by 12 strokes, I but they sealed their sue- I cess in spectacular fashion. I They finally broke away I from their closest persuers, I Japan, at the longest hole I on the course—the seven- I teenth, a par-5 of 526 I metres. Both holed putts to I record birdies, the effer- I vescent “Mr Lu” from 40ft, to inspire his partner to be | equally as accurate from I 15ft. i The roars from the gal- I lery that succeeded each of I these putts signalled the decisive margin that Tai-; I wan had opened up over Japan: a lead of three I strokes with only one hole' I to play. | Both played steadily from I the tee at the eighteenth and hit well-controlled second shots. On the home green Hsieh took three putts for a bogey and then hurled his ball into the excited crowd. His five had given him a battling 78, seven over par, | but in the windy, difficult conditions it was good enough for him to win the coveted international trophy for individual honours by two strokes from Japan’s Takaaki Kono. Hsieh’s individual total of 70, 69 and 78 for 217 was four over par and his victory was his second major individual success in international golf. As an amateur he was the lowest scorer in the Eisenhower Cup in Rome several years ago. Lu made no mistake with his two-footer and his ball followed Hsieh’s into the gallery.

The two men embraced each other and did a little victory dance in front of the 5000 spectators. Lu and Hsieh laid the foundation for their victory on the opening two days when Hsieh fired excellent rounds of 70 and 69 and Lu backed him solidly with 74 and 72. In the final round the Taiwanese pair jumped away to' a brilliant start with birdies at the first three holes, but then the shocking weather conditions caught up with them and

they compiled 13 bogeys and a double bogey in 12 holes. Victory was slipping away from them as Kono and Takashi Murakami (Japan) steadily cut into the six-shot lead Lu and Hsieh had held after 44 holes. From the forty-fifth, Hsieh went from a personal twounder par to a five-over, with a string of bogeys and double bogeys that were not arrested until he holed his birdie putt at the fiftythird.

The Japanese were only two behind after 47 holes and just one shot away after the fifty-second. The two birdies, however, were the cushion Hsieh and Lu needed to take them to victory. South Africa moved into third place behind the two Asian pairs when G. Player and his little known partner, T. Britz, had returns of 76 and 75, respectively. Player and Britz finished with 444, six shots behind Taiwan and four behind Japan. They passed the faltering Australian and United States teams, which tied in fourth place on 445. Australia’s pair, B. Crampton and E. W. Dunk were in a challenging position on the fifteenth green, where Crampton said to Dunk: “I think we can win it.” But then Crampton recorded a triple bogey at the par-three, 192 metres sixteenth and Australia’s chances disappeared. One of the keenest spectators at the victory of the Taiwan pair was their Ambassador to Australia, Dr Sampson C. Shen. Dr Shen had flown from Canberra and walked the last 18 holes of the match. Lu and Hsieh received several phone calls of congratulations frbm Taiwan after the series.

One was from the president of the Taiwan Golf Association in Taipei, where members have been following cabled reports. The tournament had been cut back to 54 holes after play was washed out by heavy rain on the morning of the second day.

Forty-five points of rain fell by 10 a.m. Later, the president of the International Golf Association, Mr J. A. Linen, said that he had probably acted hastily in cancelling play as the sun was shining brightly two hours later. Mr Linen added that he had made the decision after conferring with the course manager and the tournament match committee.