Record-equalling 64 lifts Newton into first place

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33102, 18 December 1972, Page 28

Record-equalling 64 lifts Newton into first place

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND.

Third in the New Zealand Open, third in the Christchurch classic, and second in the Caltex, the 22-year-old Australian, J. Newton, made certain that he would win the City of Auckland golf tournament yesterday by compiling a magnificent, recordequalling 64 in the final round.

He started the last day at the Grange course three strokes behind the leaders, R. Tuohy (Australia) and G. Archer (United States). But he finished it one stroke ahead of Tuohy and two in front of Archer. For his record round, equalling the feats of K. D. G. Nagle, R. J. Charles, and, early this week, B. Burgess, Newton scored nine birdies. Four came in succession from the eleventh, and they carried him into the lead, shaking off both Archer, who was playing with him, and Tuohy. Winning burst The most shattering blow of them all to Archer was Newton’s fairway second at the 378-yard fourteenth which stopped within a foot of the pin. When Archer could not sink an eight-footer here, Newton held command. To convince the American that he was going to win, Newton chipped from off the green at the par-three fifteenth to two inches from the hole—a shot which fully deserved to go in. Archer chipped poorly and was suddenly out of die running. Pressure kept on But Tuohy was still there, with birdies at 16 and 17, and Newton was kept under pressure until the end. But he did not show any signs of wilting.

; Newton dropped strokes at , only two holes but these ' were frustrating discrepancies ’ quite out of character with • the rest of his round. I He three-putted from 10ft I at the second, and at the short eighth took two strokes to get out of a bunker. But he also fractionally missed an eagle at the first hole when his chip hit the pin. Newton sank good putts of • between six and 15ft at the ■ third, fourth, seventh and ’ ninth holes—a prelude to his • great winning burst.

Costly lapse Tuohy, whose 67 on Saturday left him as co-leader of the tournament, was remarkably consistent, getting four birdies and dropping only one stroke in his 68 yesterday. The shot that cost him his chance of forcing a play-off was his second at the thirteenth. Tuohy hooked his ball into a lateral water hazard, suffered a one-stroke penalty, and was lucky to escape with a par-five. Archer started badly when his chip ran off the first green and he dropped a stroke. Although he scored four birdies yesterday, in neither of his last two rounds did he produce the mechanical accuracy which marked his first two days play. E. W. Dunk (Australia) made his usual attack on the homeward nine, and while it was too late to endanger the leaders, his five birdies in a 67 took him into fourth place.

J. M. Lister, in trouble from the start with a twoover at the first hole, gener-

ally played poorly, Nagle put himself out of the reckoning by dropping strokes at the first and sixth, and T. C. Kendall dropped three strokes on the outward nine, including two at one hole. Although he made up for this with an eagle at the 490-yard twelfth, his chance had gone.

Tennis. — The Russian, A. Metreveli, yesterday won the South Australian men’s singles tennis final, beating the Australian C. Dibiey, 7-5, 5-7, 6-7, 7-6, 6-2. I