Saunders leads on home course

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33418, 27 December 1973, Page 3

Saunders leads on home course

The Canterbury Freyberg Rose Bowl player, G. C. Saunders, obviously appreciated his home course and led the field in the annual Christmas golf tournament at Shirley at the half-way stage yesterday.

Saunders held a one-stroke lead over the promising Russley player, J. M. Angus, with another Canterbury representative, P. Hartstone, a stroke further back. I Allowing for the dry conditions, and the barren lies 5 that most golfers often found themselves with, the scoring jwas disappointing. Ten of the ! field of 35 managed to break 80 in the morning round and jthe same number repeated i that performance in the afterInoon. i Saunders scored his best round, a par 72. in the morning, and it might have been better apart from problems in the bunkers. He landed in six bunkers, and, although he recovered well from some, it cost him vital shots. In spite of these difficulties, the managed five birdies and ,1 was the only player to equal par. Saunders felt the strain in the second round and hit I some loose shots. But he was |at grips with his driving, putted assuredly, and prej dieted that another two rounds of 148 today would be la winning score. ; Angus began as. if he was I going to set the course alight. (However, he slipped from j one-under after five holes to ! one-over at the turn. His 'lsecond nine holes typified the iconsistent nature of his golf, i He dropped a shot at the ;i twelfth but recovered it with ha birdie at 18, and a solid I round of 76 — his only bad ! mistake was two-over at the ! thirteenth — in the afternoon, ; enabled him to be in strong ; contention today. I Hartstone would have i i joined Angus, but he missed l|a small putt on the final II green. He improved considerably in the afternoon and ;i recorded birdies on the sixth, ii ninth, and

Had he capitalised more on the par fives on the outward half, Hartstone could have shared the lead with Saunders. It would seem that the three leaders should have the contest among them today, although, the Otago visitor, R. D. Kearns, has remained in contention, and W. I. Tucker, at present in fourth position, is capable of producing two good rounds that would move him closer to the pace-setters. Leading scorers: — 148— G C. Saunders, 72. 76. 149— J. M. Angus, 73 76. 150— P Hartstone, 78 72. 151— W. I. Tucker. 78, 73. 153—R D. Kearns, 76. 77. 157— Gi Urlwin. 78, 79. 158— J. R. Parkes. 79. 79; S. W. Street, 80. 78. 159— N. M. Pitches, 83 76, 160— M. Howell, 79. 81; M. G Brown. 80, 80.