Close win in golf

Press, 22 October 1976, Page 28

Close win in golf

New Plymouth

The top qualifier, Kim Southerden (Napier), had to come from one behind at the sixteenth hole to win his match against Ross Wilson (Miramar) in the first round of the New Zealand men’s amateur golf championships at the Ngamotu links. New Plymouth, yesterday. Southerden was given a great battle by Wilson, a former Taranaki champion. But the tall Hawke’s Bay golfer won the par four seventeenth to level the match when Wilson was in trouble in the rough and then won the eighteenth hole with a birdie four. It was no bother for Southerden to reach the final green in two shots and although his first putt was about 60-feet, he laid it up close to the hole and his

birdie was a formality. He won the match one up. The second-qualifier, Rod White (Remuera) had the easist win of the first round, taking a seven and six victory over Garry Russell (Narrows). But others among the top qualifiers did not find things so easy. First to fall was the Grange golfer, Pat Carrigan, who lost to the Hawke’s Bay representative, Billy Hill (Hastings), three and two. It was a bad day for the Grange club, for its two other qualifiers. Peter Dreighton, the former international, and J. E. Webber, were also beaten.

Stephen Street of the Harewood club, had a 5 and 3 win over A. P. Hema (Huntly), but has drawn Mike Nicholson (Tauranga) in today’s round, and could find it tough to beat the experienced North Islander.

R. I. Donaldson, of Greymouth, beat D. F. Prosser (Shandon) 3 and 2 and plays Kim Southerden today. Two former title-holders, M. Nicholson and Rod Barltrop (Miramar), both won into the second round. Nicholson was comfortably ahead of New Plymouth’s Gary Thomson while Barltrop, although still not hitting the ball well, beat Neil Gaskin (Wanganui) three and two.

lan Cull and Richard Jones (both New Plymouth) toppled opponents who were among the leading qualifiers. Cull beat Greg White (Wellington), and Jones beat Barry Hall (Remuera). White and Hall were among the qualifiers in sixth place. David McFarlane (New Plymouth), who qualified fifth, continued his good form with an easy win over B. Jacobs (Miramar), and he looks to be ready for better things yet. The Waikato Rose Bowl player, Stewart Reid (Ngahinepouri), who qualified in the back of the field, caused an upset by beating Chris Alldred Hutt), who hit a oneunder par 71 in the first qualifying round.