Strong matchplay field

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33671, 22 October 1974, Page 34

Strong matchplay field

Even without two members of the Canterbury Freyberg Rose Bowl team, a strong assembly of talented golfers is entered for the Canterbury amateur match-play championship at Labour Dav week-end.

Because Waimairi Beach has not yet recovered from the wet winter months. the championship will be j played at Coringa— a [long course which will | fully extend the pro-; vince's best players.

The top Canterbury Frey-, berg players. B. C. Taylor : and D. N. Turner, will not be j worried by the length, and ■they have a solid background I of form. Turner. the provincial stroke and match-play Cham- 1 pion last year, has lost his stroke title to G. C. Saunders, but he is a formidable 1 rival in match-play. Last week the former Australian and Auckland repre-; sentative reached the semifinals of the national amateur championship at Manakau, Auckland, before losing to the eventual winner, R. M. Barltrop (Miramar), 2 and 1. Taylor, winner of the event in 1971 and the next year, i returned to golf after a [break of three months in the 'Templeton open a fortnight jago. It was a successful reappearance, and his form with long irons should put him in good stead at Coringa. FINE WIN The Canterbury Freyberg No. 4, J. W. A. Whitaker, had a resounding win in the final of the Christchurch club championship. His fighting spirit entitles him to respect. The 1967 champion, D. R. Hope, now on a handicap of four, will be seeking a second win, as will T. M. Stout, who won the championship in 1970. D. R. Griffith, twice a Canterbury Freyberg representative, stood no chance with Turner in the final last year, but the 21-year-old Waitikiri player, in spite of his lack of golf recently, cannot be discarded. Although his forte seems to be in stroke play, D. L. Beggs, the top qualifier last year, performed with distinction at the national championship. M. D. Stokes, the only Woodward Cup player to win all seven matches, J. A. Orr, a semi-finalist last year, and J. T. Boys, who won the Harewood open and club championship, must also rate highly. YOUNGSTERS The younger brigade will make a strong challenge, led by the New Zealand under-18

[representative, S W. Street, and supported by M. G. Brown and B J. Hill. b”’' l of whom played for the Can terbury combined team against Victoria last month The promising J. M. Angus and the former Freyberg plavers, G. L. litmus and K H. A. Bradley, further complicate the issue. Sixteen players will quality ■ for the match-play championi ship after two rounds of ‘stroke competition.