Shearer too consistent for Airlines Classic field

Press, 22 November 1976, Page 30

Shearer too consistent for Airlines Classic field

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

1 f organisers of golf tournaments hope to promote a close and exciting event, they may have to declare a limit bag on birdies. In the Airlines Classic which ended at Russley yesterday, Bob Shearer, of Australia, had far too many for the others and what had looked likely to be a fascinating fourth round became a battle for second place.

But if it was not a close tussle, it was still exciting- ] because of Shearer’s skill and panache, the warmth of the weather and the colour of the crowd. Shearer, 21 under for the 'tournament, won by nine strokes from Bill Brask, of the United States, and John Lister, of New Zealand. Only his moderate 72 on Thursday cost Shearer a very fine chance of beating the 269 scored by Jerry Heard of fond memory. Shearer had set himself up with his fabulous 64 on Friday, and on Saturday only the popular young New Zealander, Barry Vivian, was able to keep him in his sights. But yesterday Shearer, with a six-under 67, left the others in his wake as he proceeded with calm certainty to that wonderful moment when a winner walks through the cheering crowd around the last green. There was some great scoring on Saturday — 38

players broke par — and i Shearer held off Vivian’s i challenge with very good 'and methodical golf. He was j too under going out, birdied i 1 i and eagled 13. His own anxious moment was at 16, . where he took an iron from ! the tee, found the trees, and ! had to chip out left-handed with the back of a wedge. But fine fighter he is, he holed a 3m putt for his par. Vivian, still playing ex- ! ceptionallv accurate golf, also had a 68 to stay two i behind Shearer, and Simon Owen, a very exciting young ! golfer, followed his 64 of the second round with a great 67. When they lined up for the final round, Shearer was on 204, Vivian 206, Marty Krantz (68 on Saturday), me ; quiet man Bill Brask, Owen, jMike Morley and Kel Nagle ' were four shots further back [with Ted Ball, Frank ConI allin and Rodger Davis on >2ll. I Nagle made an early

charge — birdies at 2,3, 4, but could not sustain his run. Ball, resplendent in a vertically striped cardigan — his “test pattern” he called it — also made a move, faltered, recovered, but finished only two under. From further back, Bob Charles, beginning to putt again with the certainty of his best years, had a fine 69. This was after a mishap at the short seventh where he had a 5. But he had birdies at 9, 10, 12, 13 and was dreadfully unlucky not to have another at 11.

With him was Guy Wol’’ stenholme, whose mind might well have been on his new son, but who managed birdies at 10, 11, 13 — a purple passage from this pair.

Lister must love Russley as much as Russley loves him. He came from nowhere to share second place, with a typically spectacular performance. He was four under going out, although he had a good many shots wildly off course. His putting was incredible, for he holed many really long ones. He picked up one more birdie to finish with 68. Brask never threatened to make a charge, but he played with quiet efficiency to extend his extremely good record in New Zealand tournaments. Conallin started with three birdies, but could improve no further.

Morley faded quite badly over the last nine holes and Krantz had a strange round of 72. full of minor miracles and mishaps; the mishaps included snapping the shaft of a 4-iron when playing from an unsavoury lie among the trees at 131

Owen, paired with Shearer, worked very hard on his game. He is a tremendous hitter. At the eleventh, 311 metres or 343 yards. Shearer hit a magnificent drive, fully 300 yards. Owen left him 20 yards behind. Owen chased the birdies, but the putts would not drop, and now and then he played a poor shot. A chip at 15 which had his ball racing across and off the green led to a two-over 5; but Owen did well to finish tenth eaual, after the disaster of the first day 79. Vivian also fought hard, getting the greens regularly but being unable to start the putts tumbling in. He had his first at 8, and another at 9 left him one under, but then things began to go awry. He dropped shots at each of the next three holes, through bad shots: a birdie at 13 helped, and when he came to the last green he had a long birdie putt —15 m — to share second place with Brask and Lister. He made a brave effort, but went something under a metre past the hole. And then he missed the little return — and it cost him almost 81000.

Shearer was utterly in command throughout the afternoon. He must have felt, supremely confident when he holed a 3m putt at 1, then another of similar length at 2, for birdies. Then at the

short third his iron, off line to the left, found a kindly slope on the green and his ball ran up to little more than half a metre from the hole. But his putt lipped out.

He had no cause for concern. He kept on hitting lovely long drives, usually straight, finding the greens, and putting for his birdies; 18 birdie putts. Many missed by minute margins, but it did not matter. He had the field at his mercy.

However he holed one of 6m for 2 at the seventh, came from a bunker beautifully — as did Owen — for a birdie at 9, sajik one of 5m for his 4 at 15 and one of 9m at the sixteenth for his final triumph.

The only unhappy feature of the week-end was the refusal of the Australian professional, Paul Murray, to play with the two amateurs with whom he was drawn — Geoff Saunders and Colin Hoole. Murray was redrawn. On a happier note. Saunders played exceptionally well to take the amateur prize, with his final rounds of 71 and 72. That put him three shots clear of Bruce Taylor. Final scores, with prize money, were.— ”

(AUSU ’ 72 ’ «’ 7O 2B ?— Bras f. (U.S.), 68, 69, 73, Dister (N.Z.). 74, 68, 70, 68 (9367 a each).

69? 8 70"'T$24 C 5 O" allin (AUSt ’>’ 75 ’ CT ’ -,, 28 Z~ K - J ' Baß (Aust.), 70, 70, AT’ ZZ* R - J - Charles (N.Z.), 70, Z 2 ’ !i J ( K - Davis (Aust.), 74, 6i, 70. <1; E. Vivian (N.Z.), 70. 68, 68, 76; M. Krantz (U.S.) 74, 68. 68, 72 (81188.40). 283—S' Ginn I Aust.). 71, 71, 72, D - G - Nagie (Aust.), 70, 67, 70, <3; S. Owen (N.Z.), 79. 64, 67 73 ($630). ’

, 285—U. MeLelland (U.K.), 72. rn 72 o 73 i,„ L st , anle . v (Aust.), 70, !?• 72; G. Wolstenholme (Aust.), 68, 73, 72, 72 ($462.33). 286-P. Croker (Aust.), 74, 68, 71, /3; M. Bembridge (U.K.) 71. 70 . 72, 73 ($404.50). ~,287— A, Topham (Aust.l, 69, 71, 72, 7a; R. Warr (U.S.), 72. 71 75 69 (.$380,506 , 288—A. Russell (U.S.), 74, 73, 72, 69; D. J. Clark (N.Z.). 71, 72, 71. 74 ($363).

dark (U.S.), 73, 70, 77. 69; V. Somers (Aust.), 70. 70 72, 77; M. Morley (U.S.), 71, 67 . 73, 78 ($341.33). 290—T. Kendall (N.Z.), 74, 74. Zl’ F. Woolbank (Aust.), 70, 72, Z - * 5 > D. Berwick (Aust.), 72, 71, 7j: D. Good (Aust.), 71, 70, 72, 7,; S. Reese (N.Z.), 73, 76, 71. 70 ($301). 7

291— M. Bohen (U.S.), 75, 68, 72, 76; „ R - Metherell (Aust.), 72, 74, 72, 73: G. C. Saunders (A, Christchurch) 76 72. 71, 72; C. Gibson (U.S.) 73. 70, 76, 72; M. Tapper (Aust.), 72, 69, 72 78 ($259.50). 292 — B - Bovs (N.Z.) 78, 69, 73, 72; J. Clifford (Aust.). 72, 72, 74, 74; A. Snape (N.Z.), 71, 77, 70, 74; N. Ratcliffe (Aust.). 74, 73, 71, 74; W. Longmuir (U.K.), 75, 72, 73. 72 ($210). ’ 293— J. Benda (U.S.), 72, 73, 75, 73; P. Lindsay (U.S.), 70, 73, 76, 74; G. Moody (U.S.). 76, 67, 76, 74; J. Inman (U.S.), 76, 71, 72, 74; G. Bullock (U.S.). 74, 75, 69, 75; P. Flrmstone (Aust.). 70, 73 74, <6; J. Abendroth (U.S.), 74, 70, 74. 75 ($51,141. 294— W. Winchester (U.S.), 75, 63. 73. 78: B. C. Taylor (A, Christchurch), 76. 73. 72, 73; H. Underwood (U.S.), 73. 76, 71, 74. 295— S. Cox (U.K.), 70. 74, 74, 77; _ P - Thomson (Aust.), 73, 72. 73, 77. 296— R. Coombes (N.Z.), 75, 71, 74. 76. 297— P. Hamblett (N.Z.). 73, 72, 73. 79. 298— J. Rftid (N.Z.), 74, 71, 73, 80.

,300—D. Beggs (A, Rangiora), 73, 73, 77. 77. P. McCleary (U.S.), 72, 72, 308— C. Hooie (A, Christchurch). 75. 82, 76, 75. 309— S. Robinson (A, Christchurch). 80, 79, 73, 77.