Three vie for P.G.A. title

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34041, 3 January 1976, Page 28

Three vie for P.G.A. title

(New Zealand Pres* Assoesatior. • TACRANGA. The jubilee tournament of the New Zealand dofessional Golfers' Association has developed into a iree-way contest.

The three contenders tire David Good (Tasmania). Billy Brask (United States) and John taster (New Zealand). The great achievement of the day was Good’s equalling of the tournament and course record. Equally amazing, in reference to" Brash’s brilliant round of 61 (also equalling the course record) on the i first day, was that Good was | able to" take the lead from I Brask by one stroke. j Brask" did not play as he did on the first day — he missed the green at both the fourth and fifth holes, dropping strokes at both. i At other times, he found I parts of the fairway besides [ up-the-middle on which to [ play. At the sixteenth, after driving into a tree, he crossed the fairway before attacking the green and scrambling a par. LUCK CHANGED Brask’s play, however, was not poor. Rather, his luck had changed, and putts which disappeared magically ■ on the first day, showed a[ contrary nature yesterday. Good became the new] magician. He had not the' same atrocious conditions to.; play under as on Thursday, as the weather was warm, ■ and other than a few spots,! the predicted rain and thunder did not arrive. But his play was out-: standing, at times brilliant. | His halves were 4,3, 4,2, 3.' 5,4, 3,2 for 30, as against a\ par of 35; and 4,4, 2,4, 2,[ 4,3, 5, 3 for 31, as against a! par of 35 coming home. The round included 10’ birdies. Only at the sev-l eighteenth, where he aimed!

; left but put his ball in an impossible position on the right, .did Good drop a stroke. Were it not for this, he could have attained a score in the 50s. LISTER THERE Good, while being promijnent several times in varv[ling events of the Nev. ZeaI’and circuit over recent years, has never won a tournament He appeared destined to win the Christchurch classic two year.-, ‘ ago, when he had a big lead. 1 but lost, eventually, to Lis--1 ter. who is a cousin of his wife. Marianne. ' Lister played the second round well enough to be in at the kill at the finish. Hl [ had a five-under-par 65. did i not drop a stroke. and I looked good enough to have [scored even better. ■ Bob Charles, tn the other [hand, seemed to be scraping I a little to keep up. However. be .scored a one-under 69. and as he is only eight I strokes behind the leader, a goqd round could put him back in contention. BETTER THAN PAR Onlv 12 golfers have tour- ; nament scores better than ■ par. Others include Stewart I Ginn (Australia) who, as I I shown by his four-under-parl ’ -36, which put him in fourth ’ place, is never a player to • be taken lightly, and Simon i Owen (New Zealand) who|

played very consistent!). .( not with venom, for hi> 6S Some did not fare so we 1 ! Walter Godfrey, th. \< w Zealander whose “di-tort! of the pelvis" pained him - > much on Thursday th;.: he could not pick the ball from the hole, was forced to give up the struggle at the sixth hole LEADING SCORERS Atter 36 holes, leading scorers tn the championship are: —D. (rood. 67. BL 128—W Brask. 61, 68. 131—J Lister. 66. 65 135— S. Ginn. 69. 66 136— K J. Charles. 67. 6C. B Jones. 69, 67; S Owen. 68. 68 137— M. Tapper. 72. 65 138— H. Kennedy. 7U, 68. R Osborne. 70. 68. 139— M Bohen. 68. 71 I 140— A. Snape. 66. 74; T > .ac foefc. 71: K D G X 141— p. Hambictt. 71. 70. D Clark. 70, 71; G. Wolstenholme. 70. 71; W. Davies, 72. 69 142 T. I each. 7' • ■ B. < 72. 70: R Coombes. 63. 74 ’E J. McDougall. 70. 72; X Cooper. 70. 72; L Carter. 70. 72 I Malloy. 68. 74: C MeGregOl. 70. 72 •Denotes amateur.