Perfect Frey berg start for Canterbury team

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34123, 8 April 1976, Page 32

Perfect Frey berg start for Canterbury team

(From 808 SCHUMACHER) TIMARU. For the increasing number of golf supporters from Christchurch who infiltrated the Levels course yesterday to follow the fortunes of the Canterbury Frey berg Rose Bowl team, the news was all good.

After the first two rounds. Canterbury was one of four provinces that finished with a perfect record, although it trails Hawke's Bay, Southland, and Auckland on individual games won. But although Canterbury (has made its best start to the tournament in recent i years, the wins were not achieved before the players ! had experienced agonising (moments and the followers considerable heartbum. Four of the five matches ; against Northland in the i morning went to the (eighteenth green: Canterbury gratefully accepted 31 points from the contest and it earned the same number against Mid-South Canterbury in the (second round, after fortunes fluctuated dizzily. i Tlte day contained all the tension and excitement normally associated with the Frey-i berg event. And, of course,] there were the inevitable up- : sets. Manawatu-Wanganui. so, nearly the champion last year l but beaten into third in the] last round, succumbed to the s home team. Mid-South Can-

terbury. which failed to register a point last year. I But the biggest shock was (saved to the second round ; when the highly-fancied Waikato side found a determined Bay of Plenty team more than lit could handle. Hawke’s Bay won its two matches so convincingly ■• - it dropped only 11 points from the possible 10 -— that it has become the firm favourite. Hawke’s Bay has a seemingly simple draw for the next three rounds, but on , the final day it will meet Waikato and Auckland. Southland, which has yet to win the Rose Bowl, continued the solid form that (enabled it to finish runner-up ito Auckland last year. However, its task would appear to ! get progressively harder every day. It, too, has to conitend with Auckland and Wai;kato in the final. Auckland found itself in a similar position to Canterbury for the two rounds. (Firstly Bav of Plenty, then j lowly Taranaki, threatened (to usurp the title-holder’s throne, but the Auckland players tood firm under pressure and regained control I over the final holes. • With the course in splendid condition, the weather equally so, the day was tailor-made for excellent scoring, and the players resnonded accordingly. The former Canterbury No. 1, Paul Hartstone, now filling the top position for Hawke’s Bay. was five under in stopping the national representative, Geoff Clarke (Otago), in the morning, and three under in downing another New Zealand member. Rod Barltrop (Wellington), in the second round. Clarke, in turn, took Lis i vengence out on the stocky Buller Combined No. 1, Fin Hobbs, in the afternoon. 1 Hobbs had gained his team's (only win in the first round (and it was a meritorious one l against Barltrop. ] Taking a fancy to the odd- : numbered holes, Clarke (scored birdies at 1,3, 5,7, 19, 11.

I He never dropped a shot: :it could have been a sensational round had he not ended the match at the twelfth. : Canterbury was ahead in ■ three matches, behind in two, after nine holes against Northland, but the difference was no more than two holes in all games. Bruce Taylor, at one, holed a 7m from off the green at the third and chipped in from 30m at the fifth to lead Alex Bonnington by two holes after five. Taylor was the more consistent and had numerous chances to assert his superiority, but they went begging. Geoff Saunders and John McLeod (Northland), both tall and lean, played in similar style. It was a keenlycontested battle, with Saunders, 2 down after 12, fighting back to be one ahead after 16. McLeod s courageous chip dropped at 17 to match Saunders’ birdie and he

(squared the match at the last; (when the Canterbury No. 2] missed his par putt from 2m. j The Canterbury- tail wag-| ged strongly. Dennis Beggs,] (driving superbly, withstood a (rally in the middle part from; (Rick Barker. The popular Mid-South Canterbury No. 1. Ross Murray, treated his throng of supporters to a fine display whenj (overcoming Taylor. The two] accomplished amateurs nor-] mally r have close matches ] (but Taylor was never in a( position to exert any pres-; 'sure on his international op ponent. 1 Today Canterbury faces a' (stem test. It meets Waikato,; i which, no doubt will be. want-j I ing a good win to redeem I ■itself after the loss against] (Bay of Plenty. For both pro-: Ivinces, the match vitally] i important. FIRST ROUND Canterbury 3J Northland 1$ 1 B. C. Taylor lost to A. Bori-i (nington. 1 down; G. C. Saunders' ;and J. McLeod, all square; D. L.j 1 Beggs beat R. Barker. 2 up; S.i S. Robinson beat N. O. Davies. 3 and 2; C. J. Hoole beat R ' Garton, 1 up. ; Waikato 41, Taranaki 1 ] E. J. McDougall beat R. Rei, 4 'and 3; S. Reese and T. Mooney, fail square; G. C. Stevenson beat P. J. Young, 3 and 2; C. E. Taylor beat C. Wilson, 1 up; M. T. Davidsdn beat B. Gyde, 1 up. Mid-South Canterbury 3, Manawatu-Wanganui 2 R. C. Murray beat J. Mackay, 3 and 2; C. Alexander lost to N. Gaskin 2 and 1; R. P. Bell beat M. Barltrop, 3 and 2; G. D. Brown lost to S. Morpeth, 3 and 1; E. D. Maguigan beat K. Martin, 2 and 1. Hawke's Bay 41, Otago J P. Hartstone beat G. E. Clarke, 2 and 1; P. K. Creighton beat R. Johnston. 4 and 3; P. A. Maude, beat J. D. Sanders. 1 up; B. J. Jamieson beat P. N. Conlon, 5 and 4; K. A. Southerden and KJ McDonald, al] square. Southland 4, Gisborne 1 M. Fisher lost to P. R. Adams.] 3 and 2; P. Rouse beat J. 11. Lapsley. 1 up; R. Bignell lost to K. R. Downie, 2 and 1; N. Adcroft lost to J. D, Creedy. 3 and 1; R. Atkins lost to N. J. Hunt, 3 and 1. Wellington 4, Bulfer-Westland-Marlborough-Nelson 1 R. M Barltrop lost to F. Hobbs, 1 down; C. H. Aldred beat I. Donaldson. 6 and. 4; A. Proctor heat G. Hildyard, 4 aruf

■3: 1. S. MacDonald beat G. Glri van, 4 and 2; P. C. Rankin beat |W. Murtha. 6 and 4. {Auckland Bay of Plenty TJ « P. Burney lost to M. Nicholson, ! 1 down; T. Pulman beat N. Johnson, 1 up; R. White beat J. Ward, 14 and 3; K. Hankin and B. Leach, all square; J Oliver beat E. iCarswell, 1 up. SECOND ROUND ! Canterbury 31, Mid-South Canterbury 1| ; B C. Taylor lost to R. C. ; Murray, & and 4; G. C. Saunders beat C. Alexander, 3 and 2; D. |L. Beggs and R. P. Bell, all I square; S. S. Robinson beat G. D. Brown, 4 and 3; C. J. Hoole ; beat. E. D. Maguigan, 1 up. Otago 3, Buller-Westland-Marlborough-Nelson 2 j G. E. Clarke beat F. Hobbs, <7 and 6; R. Johnston lost to 1. Donaldson, 2 up; J. B. Sanders jbeat G. Hildyard, 4 and 3; P. N. Conlon lost to G. Girvin, 1 I up; K. McDonald beat W. j Murtha. 2 and 1. Gisborne 1, Manawatu-Wanganui B. Fisher beat J. Mac Kay, 2 ■ and 1; P. Rouse lost to N. i Gaskill, I up; R. Bignell lost to iM. Barltrop, 6 and 5; N. Adcroft lost t.p S. Morpeth. 7 and 6; R. j Atkins lost to K. Martin, 5 and i Southland Northland ! P R. Adams beat A. Bonning- ; ton. 3 and 2; J. H. Lapsley beat 'J. McLeod, 3 and. 2; K. R. i Downie beat R. Barker, 3 and '2; J. D. Creedy and N. O. Davies, all square; N. J. Hunt lost to R. Garton, 3 and 2. Waikato 2, Bay of Plenty 3 E. J. McDougal lost to M. Nicholson, 2 and 1.; S. F. Reese beat N. Johnson, 2 and 1; G. C. Stevenson beat J. Ward, 6 and 5; C. E. Taylor lost to B. Leach, 2 up; M. T. Davidson lost to E. Carswell. 2 and 1. Wellington 1, Hawke's Bay 4 R. M. Barltrop lost to P. Hartstone, 3 and 2; C. Alldred lost to P. K. Creighton, 3 and 2; A. Proctor lost to P. A. Maude, 3 and 2: I. S. MacDonald beat B. J. Jamieson, 4 and 2; P. C. Rankin lost to K A. Southerden, :1 up. j Auckland 4, Taranaki 1 J P Burney beat R. Rei, 4 and 3; T. Pulman beat T. Mooney, • 4 and 2; R. White lost to P. J. ; Young, 1 down; K. Hankin beat* C. Wilson, 2 and 1; J. Oliver beat B. Gyde, 2 and 1. Points after two rounds:— Hawke’s Bay 2 (85). Auckland 2 (7\), Southland 2 (71), Canterbury’- 2 (7); Waikato 1 (6J), Manawatu-Wanganui 1 (6), Wellington 1 (5), Mid-South Canterbury 1 Bay of Plenty 1 (4|), Otago 1 (3i), Buller-Westland-Marlborough-Nelson 0 (3), Northland 0 (3), Gisborne 0 (2), i Taranaki 0 (W-