Composed Simon Owen wins Open by 7 shots

Press, 6 December 1976, Page 32

Composed Simon Owen wins Open by 7 shots

PA Wellington I he 25-year-old Wanganui professional, Simon Owen, cruised home to victory in the sixtieth New Zealand Open golf championship at the Heretaunga course yesterday by a huge seven stroke margin. His winning score of 284 for the four rounds was eight under for the tournament.

Only one other golfer, the! Englishman, Doug McClel-j land, broke par for the toum-i ament —he finished one under] for second place—while the; nine-times winner of the! championship, Peter Thomson, of Australia, finished all! square for third money. After his fine win the' elated Owen indicated that he might now try the United! States circuit after all. Last month he was adamant that! there were “enough hassles” in professional golf without! playing in .America, but buoyed up by his win at! Heretaunga’s demanding;

course, Owen suggested he ; might have a change of ; heart. ; “If I have another good I year in Asia and Europe 1 i might try to qualify for the United States at a players’ school,” he said. i Certainly, Owen exhibited ! many of the necessary quali- < ties this week to make an impact in the United States. < His tremendous length off the tee, and sure putting stroke 1 would make an impression I anywhere, and his temperairnent over the last two days of the Open had to be ad- ■ mired. In his final round yesterday Owen looked as though Ihe might better the Christ- i church amateur. Geoff Saunders’s new course record of|l 68. An eagle two at the pari four third, when he holed his| wedge from rough 60 yards away, and birdies at the sixth ; and seventh holes left him .three under and 10 under for the tournament. ; Up to the halfway stage his jonly blemish had been to ! three-putt the fourth for a bogey, the same hole that] cost him a double bogey on Saturday, when he hit his! second into a lagoon. Another birdie followed at the tenth to take him to 11 under, and his nearest rival overnight, Kel Nagle, 55, of Australia, had drifted from three strokes behind to nine. With no other player hounding him it was natural that Owen’s concentration 'should lapse, and bogeys at>

the eleventh, fourteenth and fifteenth holes left him finally eight under for the tournament with a last round of 72, one under. That Owen and McClelland were the only players to better par for the 72 holes reflected the difficulty of Heretaunga, particuladly as the players also had to combat swirling winds. “1 can’t tell you how thrilled 1 am.” Owen said at the prize-giving. He paid a warm tribute to his caddie, James Varnam, the New Zealand boys’ champion, who Owen referred to as a “supreme optimist” when it counted most. Surprisingly. Owen was j hardly ever ' challenged on ithe last, day as Nagle shot a |7B, New Zealand’s last Open winner in 1973, Bob Charles, carded a 76, and Brian Jones (Australia) 77. McClelland, who was third equal with Jones after the third round, could do no better than 74. The best of the final day scores was a threeI under-par 70 by a Perth club professional, Ross Metherell, • that included five birdies and •two bogeys. Owen’s departure this morning to represent New Zealand in the World Cup in : Palm Springs, California, i will carry more than the . usual significance for him. • He will be reunited with his I wife, Cathy, after an en- ; forced eight-week separation 'while she carried ’out her

duties in Europe as an air hostdss. Leading scores, with monev.— 284—S. Owen (N.Z.), 70. 69, 73, 72 ($3750). . 291— D. McClelland (England), 73, 72, 72, 74 ($3000). 292— P. Thompson (Aust.) 74, 74. 71. 73 ($2250). 293— W. Brask (U.S.A.), 72, 78, 72. 71, K. Nagle (Aust.); 72. 71, 72. 78 ($1625 each). 294— S. Ginn (Aust.), 75, 72, 73, 74; R. Charles (N.Z.), 71, 76, 71. 76; B. Jones (Aust.), 70, 74, 73, 77 ($1125 each). 296—T. Kendall (N.Z.), 77, 75, 70. 74; D. Good (Aust.), 72, 75. 72, 77 ($B5O each). 298— E. Ball (Aust.) 76, 77, 73, 72; B. Vivian (N.Z.), 74, 74, 74, 76 ($650 each). 299— G. Bell (Fiji), 75 73, 76, 75 ($550). 300— M. Bembridge (England), 173, 74, 74. 79 ($500). 301— J. Lister (N.Z.), 77, 78, 74, 72; G. Hohnen (Aust.), 71. 74, 78, 78; P. Croker (Aust.), 77, 79, 73, 72 (5425 each). 302— R. Metherell (Aust.), 83, 77, 72, 70; R. Coombes (N.Z.), 74. 77, 78, 73 (($362.50 each). 303— G. Burrows (U.S.A.) 77, 74, 73, 79 ($325); G. Saunders (A., Christchurch). 68, 79. 79, 77. 304— it. Berwick (Aust.), 79, 80, 74 71; N. Ratcliffe (Aust.), 78, 72, 79, 75 ($287.59 each); W. Page (A., Taupo). 75, 74, 75, 80. 305— H. Underwood (U.S.A.), 78, 81, 72, 74; T. Milton (Aust.), 74, 82. 75, 74; F. Conallin (Aust.) 79, 74, 76, 76; W. Lougmuir (England) 72. 78, 75, 80; B. Clark (U.S.A.). 74, 77, 80, 74; D. Clark (N.Z.), 77, 74, 76, 78 ($202.50 each). 306— W. Godfrey' (N.Z.). 77, 79. 73, 77; A. Koureas (Aust.), 78, 78, 72, 78; V. Somers (Aust.), 74, 77. 74, 81; R. Weir (N.Z.), 78, 80, 73, 75, 307— P. Firmstone (Aust.), 76, 78, 80, 73; S. Rese (N.Z.), 78, 77, 74. 78; E. McDougall (A.. Tokoroa>. 77, 74, 79, 77. 308— B. Boys (N.Z.), 75, 81, 75, 77; D. Galloway (Aust.). 77. 74. 79, 78; G. Sherlian (Aust.). 77, 77, 73, 81.