Australians cruise to foursomes win

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33957, 25 September 1975, Page 30

Australians cruise to foursomes win

(New Zealand Press Association)

NAPIER.

The Australians, Vai Gmeiner, aged 35, and Gayle Flynn, aged 25, scooped the pool when they won their first New Zealand golf foursomes championship title at the Waiohiki course, Napier, yesterday.

Misses Gmeiner and Flynn, both from Western Australia, won the title by four strokes from the New Zealanders Cherie West (Pukekohe), and Sue Hoag (Waitikiri).

In doing so, they had the best gross score of 157 and also the best net of 155. The 36-hole foursomes, the first day of the championships, were played in strong, gusty winds. Both Miss Gmeiner and Miss Flynn played consistent golf. “We played up the middle for most of the day," Miss Gmeiner said. ‘Tm not a big hitter and find it safe to do it that way. “But, things went well for us all day. We struck only two bunkers all day, but had three three-putt greens in both rounds. Putting off “We only had three putts when we did not get up and were left with rather long putts. Most of them were mine. My long putting at the moment is off," said Miss Gmeiner, who captained the Australian team to success in the recent Tasman Cup series. Misses Gmeiner and Flynn were joint leaders on 79 after the first round and returned a 78 in the second round to finish nine over for the championship. “We found the wind tricky, but compensated for it,” Miss Gmeiner said. Bunkers and bad green

work over the last 18 holes cost Misses West and Boag any chance of sustaining pressure on Misses Gmeiner and Flynn. Misses West and Boag dropped three shots on the first nine, one of them on the seventh when Miss Boag had to stand in the bunker to putt when her ball was sitting on the very edge of the green. Huge collapse Her putt was too hard, and they eventually threeputted the green after being on for one. They struck trouble on the 16th along the boundary fence, dropping a further shot, and they were in the bunker on the 17th. Throughout the second round they three-putted at least four greens. The defending champions, Sue Bishop (Russley) and Francis Pere (Manor Park), threw the championship away with a dramatic collapse on the first nine of the second round. After returning a first round 80, Mrs Bishop and Miss Pere dropped nine shots to finish the first nine of the second round with a 46. . Results.— 157.—V. J. Gmeiner and G. Flynn (Australia), 79, 78. 161. —C A. West (Pukekohe) and S. Boag (Waitikiri), 79, 82. 162. —R. Low (Queenspark) and W. R. Douglas (Invercargill), 79, 83. 164. —S. A. Ritchie (Geraldine) and P. Dudding (Manor Park), 81, 83 165. —M. Simpson and A. McHardy (Hastings), 82 . 83. 166 —J. Kinnaird and C. Sullivan (Coringa), 84, 82.

167. —S. R. S. Bannan and N. B. White (Titirangi), 84, 83; D. A. Whitehead and A. C. Nash (Manawatu), 85, 82; U. K. Wickham (Tauranga) and N. D. Cullen (Russley), 83, 84. 168. G. E. Maxwell (Maramarua) and H. Ryan (Putaruru), 80, 88; H. Booth and A. Seiringer (Manor Park) 84, 84; S. Gray (Wellsford) and P. CramerRoberts (Grange), 83. 85. 170. V. A. Bishop (Russley) and F. Pere (Manor Park). 80, 90; R. F. Ayre (Napier) and M. Bennett (Hastings), 87. 83. 171. —G. A. Gosse and J. Miles (Australia), 87, 84; K. Permezel (Australia) and J. N. Fisher (Opotiki), 89, 72. 172. —A. Oats (Napier) and J. Knight (North Otago), 86, 86; G. Snelling (Wellsford) and A. Butler (Sherwood Park), 84, 88. 173—J. Davidson (Waitikiri) and S Maling (St Clair), 87. 86. 186.—J. Ockenden and L. MeClurg (Waitikiri).