Charles fails in late bid to stop Kel Nagle

Press, 29 November 1976, Page 32

Charles fails in late bid to stop Kel Nagle

PA Dunedin Despite a one-over-par 73 in the final round at St Clair yesterday, the veteran Australian, Kel Nagle, won the seventh Otago Charity Golf Classic with a four round aggregate of 274, after his winning margin was reduced to four strokes by a spirited charge by Bob Charles, of New Zealand, in the final round.

Nagle had led by nine strokes from Bill Brask (U.S.) and two New Zealanders Charles and Simon Owen. He looked set to win the tournament by a large margin and set a new tournament record. However, k was not to be and Nagle could not repeat the form he demonstrated with his putter during Saturday’s round. It was Nagle’s first tournament win in New Zealand since the P.G.A. last year. His win at St Clair yesterday gave him a $5OOO cheque. “This had been a pretty good year for me financially.” he said. “I didn’t win any tournaments early in the season but I was always well placed. The best money that I have made this year was a $11,250 cheque at the recent Colgate tournament. “I couldn’t quite get going today. Sometimes it is a bad thing to get too many in front,” he added. Nagle bogeyed the second hole and failed to make a b ! -die at the short par five third hole. He dropped a further stroke to par on the seventh when he failed to get two putts up to the hole. He went out in two over par 38. giving Charles the opportunity to reduce his lead. Nagle dropped further strokes at the twelfth and the thirteenth. In both cases he two-putted from within in feet. "I won the tournament with my chip at the fourteenth,” Nagle said. “It certainly took a little of the pressure off." His chip on that hole left him a short putt for his birdie. He put the result beyond doubt when he holed a 7ft putt for his second birdie of the round on the sixteenth green. Nagle showed the large gallery which surrounded the last green that he was a worthy winner. He approached to within three feet of the cup and made no mistake about the birdie putt to clinch a popular victory. "I got a little fired up on the front nine and made him work for it,” Bob Charles said after the round. After dropping a strife at

the second hole, when he missed a short putt, Charles began his charge with a birdie four at the third. He peppered the pin with his irons at the fourth and the fifth and sank two sft putts for birdies. He two-putted from six feet at number six but still scored par and continued displaying accuracy with hu irons when he pitched to within four feet at the eighth and ninth holes for an outward nine of 32. ■ “My jee-shot on the tenth was the turning point of my round,” Charles said. “The two oar fives on the

back nine were both on for easy birdies with that wind,” Charles added. “I lost my chance at both of those holes.”

oacK nine were ooui on tor easy birdies with that wind,” Charles added. “I lost my chance at both of those holes.” He could not regain his earlier form with his irons and struggled to make pars on some holes. He came home in 36— nine straight pars—to take the second place cheque of $3OOO. The American B. Brask, began strongly with a birdie three but sprayed his teeshot at the third and eventually made six. He birdied the two par fives on the homeward nine but fourputted the last green, threeputting from only three feet.

This gave him a par round and an aggregate of 282. He shared fourth placing with the wily New South Wales professional. Noel Ratcliffe. Ratcliffe took, some time to settle in the final round yesterday and after dropping a stroke to par at the sixth he scored birdies at numbers seven and nine to be in with a good chance. He birdied the tenth and seventeenth holes but these were offset by bogeys at the sixteenth and seventeenth holes. He also three-putted the last green and both he and Brask allowed Bob Clark (U.S.) to take the third place. Clark lost lasi year’s Classic to Hal Underwood in a sudden-death play-off. Yesterday he began badly, bogeying the first from a greehside bunker. He retaliated with a 25ft putt at the third for an eagle. He birded the ninth but his birdie putt at the tenth lipped the cup and stayed out. He sank a 15ft putt on the twelfth for another birdie but failed to hit the fifteenth green and dropped a shot. Clark took the third place cheque of $2250 and Ratcliffe’s and Brask’s indiscretions on the last green cost each of them almost $3OO. Peter Thompson (Aus-

tralia) shot a 68 to share the best round for the day with Charles. This round improved Thompson’s placing and he finished on 283 with Simon Owen, who showed promise several times during the tournament. Geoff Clarke won the amateur section for the successive fourth year. He returned to form yesterday but dropped five strokes to par in the last three holes to reduce his winning margin to one. Included in this was a triple-bogey on the last hole. His winning aggregate of 300 only just staved off a strong finish by his St Clair club-mate, Ron Johnston, who birdied the last hole. Final scores, with mcney.— 274—K. Nagle (Aust.) ; 66. 69, 66. 73 ($5000). 278—R. Charles (N.Z.), 72, 69, 69. 68 ($3000). 281— B. Clark (U.S.), 69. 73 69, 70 ($2250). 282— N. Ratcliffe (Aust.), 69, 67 . 75. 71; W. Brask (U.S.), 70, 67. 73. 72 ($1538 each).. 283— P. Thompson (Aust.), 71, 73. 71, 68; S. Owen (N.Z.), 69, 71, 70, 73 ($844.50 each). 284— J. Clifford (Aust.), 76. 69, 69. 70; M Bembridge (U.K.). 70, 72. 70, 72 ($568.50 each). 235-S. Cox (U.K.), 67, 72. 76, 70; R. Davis (Aust.). 74, 74. 67, 70 ($477.50 each). 287— E. Dunk (Aust.), 70, 71, 74 72; S. Ginn (Aust.), 68, 76, 74, 75; V. Somers (Aust.). 72 74, 68 ($357 each). 288— D. Clarke (N.Z.), 72, 73, 75 68; P Croker (Aust.), 70, 75; 70, 73; D. Good (Aust.). 68, 73. 71, 76 ($269.33 each). 289— E. BaU (Aust.). 74, 72, 74, 69; D. McClelland (U.K.), 74, 71, 71. 73; D. Smith (U.S.). 74, 74, 68. 73; W. Godfrey (N.Z.). 73, 71, 73. 72 ($266 each). 290— R. Coombes (N.Z.), 74, 73, 72. 71; S. Snead (U.S.). 72, 71, 74, 73; J. Lister (N.Z.), 73. 75. 72, 70; J. Evans (Aust.), 73, 72. 74, 71; R. Metherell (Aust.). 72. 72, 74, 72 ($237.20 each). 291— S. Slater (N.Z.), 70, 73, 74, 74; P. Firmstone (Aust.), 74, 74, 72. 71; J. Benda (U.S.), 74. 73, 69 75; G. Bullock (U.S.) 75 71, 70, 75 ($2Ol each). 292— W. Winchester (U.S.), 73, 70. 71, 78; G. Smart (N.Z.), 70, 73, 73, 76; A. Russell (U.S.), 73, 73. 76. 70; M. Yusa (Japan) 72, 72. 73. 75 ($171.50 each). 293— B. Vivian (N.Z.). 71, 72. 73, 77; H. Underwood (U.S.). 76. 72, 71. 74; T. Woolbank (Aust.), 72, 77, 72. 72 ($149.66 each). 294— T. Kendall (N.Z.). 72 71, 78 73; T. Lum (U.S.). 7i. 72, 74, 75; G. Serhan (Aust.), 72 69, 74. 79 ($130.33 each). 295— D. Galloway (Aust.), 74, 73. 74. 74. 296— S. Reese (N.Z.), 76. 69. 72, 79; P. McCleary (U.S.), 75, 68, 77. 76. 297— S. Ratcliffe (Aust.), 76, 71, 73. 77; H Ishl (Japan). 77. 74, 72. 74.