Golfers slip to 12th

Press, 18 October 1976, Page 34

Golfers slip to 12th

By

DAVID BARBER,

NZPA

staff correspondent

Penina With a painful final-round collapse. New Zealand ended in twelfth place in the world amateur team golf championship, which was won by a joint Great Britain and Ireland team at Portugal’s Penina Course yesterday. It was the second time the British have won the Eisenhower Trophy; they finished with a four round total of 892, two strokes ahead of Japan, with Australia (897) third.

The New Zealanders had a disastrous final day, having to include a 10 over par 83 in the three best scores of their four-man team. New Zealand ended with a total of 923, and its twelfth placing in the list of 38 national teams taking part was its second worst in the 10 Eisenhower Trophy tournaments to date. All four failed to hit the sort of form they have had In New Zealand in the last year, and ran into huge difficulties with the testing 6349metre Penina course, every fairway lined with trees and huge greens double the size they are used to at home.

The best of the bunch was Otago’s Geoff Clark, a 30-year-old schoolteacher, u -.o has had a great year in New Zealand. His four round ‘otal of 302 — made up of two 745, 78 and yesterday’s 76 — was bettered by only 11 of the 152 international competitors. The New Zealand number one, Ted McDougall (Tokoroa), at 39 playing in his seventh Eisenhower, finished with 307, and equal twentyninth placing in the unofficial individual list. Like Clarke, he had two one-over par rounds of 74, but spoiled his record with a second round 80 and a 79 featuring five bogies and a six on a short par three yesterday.

The two newcomers to international golf, Peter Burney (26) of Manukau, and 22-year-old Alex Bonnington (Wellsford) failed to maintain their first round form, when both carded a very respectable 76. Both crashed badly yesterday, recording eight on par four holes, with Bumey shooting 84 and Bonnington 83.

The British and Irish four took the title in a thrilling last-minute finish, with lan

Hutcheon coming home in two-under 71 to head the individual list on 293 strokes with Taiwan’s Tze-ming Chen, who had the tournament’s best round of 69 on ” rsday.

It was a little galling for the New Zealanders to see Australia finish third. The New Zealanders beat the Australians in the Sloan Morpeth Trophy event before leaving home and again in a match play tournament in Los Angeles en route. The Australian success was largely due to Phil Wood, who scored 294 in his four rounds. The Americans, who won the last four of the biennial championships, could do no better than fifth this time.