Open access with win

Press, 13 July 1976, Page 36

Open access with win

A Timaru tnan, Harold Coxhead, took special pleasure in John Lister’s victory yesterday in the Quad Cities Open. Mr Coxhead was the livewire behind the Highfield Schoolboys’ Golf Club, where the very young Lister received his early golfing tuition, and was one of a group of businessmen who sponsored Lister on his first professional tour. “This win will make a big difference to John’s career,” said Mr Coxhead. “It will give him open access to tournaments, without having to qualify, and make it so much easier for next year. “In my opinion, John has done a terrific job sticking to the American circuit. We were not keen for him to keep going there, but John was determined he would one day win a tournament. And the pleasing feature was his low scores.”

The victory is the most important by Lister since he turned professional 10 years ago. Throughout the 19705, he has had a consistent record of success on the British, Far East, Australian and New Zealand circuits, and has made the Garden City Classic, in Christchurch, almost his exclusive property.

Runner-up in the event as long ago as 1969, Lister has now won the Russley tournament in four successive years. Lister had had modest success on the American P.G.A. circuit this year — surviving the cut-off in only four of 11 tournaments and collecting a total of only about $5OOO in the Heritage Classic and the New Orleans Open. The Danny Thomas Classic brought a change of fortune, however, and Lister shared second place and took nearly $17,000 in prize money.