Play-off needed for decision in classic

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34014, 1 December 1975, Page 30

Play-off needed for decision in classic

fNew Zealand Press Association) DUNEDIN. Hal Underwood survived a dramatic sudden-death playoff against his American friend Bob Clark to win the $25„000 Otago Charity Golf Classic which ended in windy weather at St Clair yesterday.

Underwood crashed disastrously at the eighteenth to make the playloff necessary.

He began the day in first place with Bill Brask, and mastered the swirling wind to be two strokes ahead after 17 holes. But the tall, moustachioed Texan then struck trouble. "I lost concentration, I was nervous,” he said later. After making the green in two, he three-putted from 18ft to go one over on the hole and complete the round in 70. Meanwhile, Clark had struck form with a vengeance. He pitched to within 6in of the hole at the eighteenth and tapped in for a birdie — “One of the easiest birdies I’ve ever had” — to finish with a 69 and tie with Underwood on 282 for the four rounds.

The sudden-death play-off began at the 183-metre’ par three sixteenth and Clark pushed his four iron under

the trees at the back of the left of the green. But if Clark’s luck had deserted him. his sense of humour stayed.

“This would ■be a nice place to be if it was raining,” he said to the large gallery. Underwood, however, struck his tee shot just to the right edge of the green and safely made his par. Clark’s" chip from among the pine needles was well wide of the pin and the classic was all over when he failed to sink his putt. It was the first play-off in the classic since the American star, Johnnv Miller, beat Mr Lu from Taiwan three years ago. The winning score of 282, six under par, is the highest since the 1970 tournament.

I Clark, who is 28, has a decree in business management (and his play yesterday was intelligent and precise. He birdied four holes and his only real error, apart from the play-off, was when he was one over at the tenth. “Hall and 1 are real good friends,” said Clark. "We have travelled together a lot, and also roomed together. “Hal and I talked quite a bit during the round and there was certainly no animosity.” said Clark. 282: 11. Underwood (U.S.) $4650, R. Clark (U.S.) 62675. 285: 15. Jones (Aust.) S2OOO. 286: N Ratcliff- .Aust.), R J, Charles (N.Z.) $1425. 287: W. Brask (U.S.), K. G. [Nagle (Aust.t. G. Marcher (U.S. . J Lister (N.Z.), R. Taylor (Aust i. ‘ $669.20 each. I 288: 1) Good (Aust.), B. Vivian (N.Z.) $401.50 each. 289: W. Godfrey (N.Z.). F Phillips (Aust.) R Vines (Aust.) $314.33 each. 290: S. Ginn (Aust.) $285 291: A. Coope (Aust.). B. Jaeckel (U.S.). G. Parslow 'Aust?. P. Firmstone (Aust), $266.25 each. 292: R. Davis (Aust.), G. Wolstenholme (Aust.i, J. Kelly (Aust.), V. Somers (Aust.), S. Owen (N.Z.). $237.40 each. 293: G. Bullock (U.S.), R. Metherell (Aust), D. Ingram (Aust.) $213.33 each. 294: T. Linskey (Aust.). R Man. gelsdorf (Aust.), B, Gilder (U.S.i. E. Ball (Aust.) N Wood (G B. . M. Ferguson (Aust). $175 each 295: E. Dunk (Aust.). P. Croker (Aust.), S. Brewer (U.S.), P. Shadlock (N.Z.), J. Klatt (Aust . $141.40 each; G. E. Clarke (A.) (St Clair). 296: D. Clark (N.Z.), T. Johnson (U.S.), $62 each. 297: J. Marshall (U.S.), P. N. Conlon (A.) (St Clair). 298: C. Owen (N.Z.), R. McNaughton (Aust.). M. McCulloch (U.S.), H Kennedy (N.Z.) M. Bembridge (G. 8. W. Davies (N.Z.), R. Kearns (A.) (Otago). 299: R. Tuohy (Aust). 300: V. Krajewski (U.S.). 303: J. Kinsey (U.S.). 306: R. K. Atkinson (A.) (St Clair), J. Sanders (A.) (Otago).