Dunk wins his second N.Z. Open by four strokes

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34009, 25 November 1975, Page 34

Dunk wins his second N.Z. Open by four strokes

(New Zealand Press Association) HAMILTON. Billy Dunk (Australia) won the New Zealand golf open for the second time yesterday when he shot a final round of sixtv-six to take the title bv four shots.

Dunk's seventy-two-hole total was 272. sixteen under par. Ile had won the title in 1972 at Paraparaumu Beach.

It was a splendid effort by Dunk who had set the pace at the St Andrews course right from the start. He opened the tournament with a course record sixty-four and was never headed from then on. Dunk was not as long as several of his many challengers off the tee. but he was in great touch around the greens. Second equal to Dunk were two Americans. Bill Brask, who had won the Airlines tournament in Auckland, and Bruce Fleisher. Their tally of 276 was 12 under. Brask shot 69 and Fleisher 68.

Both looked likely to trouble Dunk early in the round, but the little Australian was too steady and came away over the second nine to take the title comfortably. Jack Newton. jun., thanks to a spectator sitting around the eighteenth green, finished 11 under. Newton, who at one stage was seven under for his round, saw his tee shot fly over the par three eighteenth green. It hit a spectator and just missed going out of bounds. Newton, however, dropped a shot at the hole when he chipped too strongly. Newton also shot a 66 — both out and home in 33 — to add to 72, 69 and 70 in the previous three rounds.

I Seven times open chamipion Kel Nagle, of Australia, was another in fine form yesterday. He fired a 68 to be 10 under for the tournament 'with a four round total of 278. With him was another: Australian. Frank Phillips, who came home with an excellent 67 yesterday. Dunk’s round featured four birdies and a one-over on the front nine and another three birdies on the home trek. If he had not already sewn it up. Dunk virtually made certain of the result with a birdie on the par 3 178 metre fourteenth. This took him to 15-under and only a very bad patch would have deprived him of the title. The fourteenth also signaled an end to Brask’s remote chance of catching Dunk. After a great attempt with a 25 foot putt, he missed a short return to three putt and end one over.

Good puttB From then on it was a matter of percentage golf for Dunk and he came home with three pars and another birdie. Brask matched Dunk on the back nine but he only equalled par going out. He appeared set for an even better score on the second nine after sinking magnificent putts for birdies on the twelfth and thirteenth greens. He also birdied the fifteenth and sixteenth with good I putts.

Fleisher was yet another to acquit himself well on the difficult second half. As with Newton, he registered a 33 to add to his 35 of the first nine.