Golf title to Poskitt

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33230, 21 May 1973, Page 3

Golf title to Poskitt

After two extra holes in driving rain, which left the Rangiora golf course resembling a paddy field, F. J. Poskitt (Waimairi Beach) yesterday won his second Canterbury title of the month. Poskitt already has a share in the Canterbury men’s foursomes titles, and he added to it the under-21 championship,; but only after surviving; strenuous challenges from i two Canterbury senior repre-' sentatives, G. C. Saunders and; D. R. Griffith, and the under-’ 17 champion of two years; ago, M. R. Pitman. These four had to go out:, again after they were tied at|; 151 after morning and after-!! noon rounds. However, the ' under-17 victor, I. T Car- J iruthers (Templeton), had ah

much easier path. He was a; comfortable seven strokes; clear of M. J. Smith. Pitman, after the bad luck' of landing in a fairway divot, I was through the green and' short at the second hole. He! looked likely to follow Saunders out of contention when his putt for a five missed, but Pitman checked with Griffith that the latter had, indeed, made his five. Griffith replied that the ball ;had moved as he was addressling it for his second, so that I he, too, had a six. The pressure lifted from Poskitt, he; [put his first putt 18in past, land was safe with the return. BAD DRIVE | Poskitt could have won the I title , on the first extra hole. i After skying his drive, he had :a three-foot putt and pulled it. 'Saunders, in the meantime, had, ; seen his tee-shot fade behind a tree and his second deflected off I a tree and out of bounds. Pitman had a very good morn-! mg round of 73. and looked a I

winner half way through his second round. He turned one under—which included an eagle at the second—but dropped seven strokes coming home. Saunders putted badly on the very good greens in the morning—he needed 20 in his first nine score of 40—and missed two greens to compound his troubles. But the excellent driving of Saunders kept his game together, and he had a very solid 74 in the afternoon when the weather was at its worst. Griffith had the most consistent rounds of the leading players. Leading scores:— Under 11 151— F. J. Poskitt, 72, 79: M. R. Pitman, 73. 78; D. R. Griffith, 75. 76; G. C. Saunders, 77 . 74. 152— R. Bell. 79. 73. 155— L. D. McMillan. 78, 77. 156— B. J. Hill, 78, 78. 158— J. W. Prebble, 79, 79; C. Barry, 78, 80; L. P. Martin, 81, 77. 159— G. Ward. 72. 87. Under 17 155 —I. T. Carruthers, 76, 79. 162— M. J. Smith. 82 , 80. 163— S. W. Street, 80. 83; P. Hamblett, 81, 82. 170— S. Chambers, 86 . 84. 171— J. R. Parlane. 86, 85. 174—M. Street, 89. 85 176—S. Davis, 85. 91 178—1. Clarke, 96, 82.