Lister’s sparkling 64 heralds return to form

Press, 10 December 1976, Page 28

Lister’s sparkling 64 heralds return to form

PA v Auckland I'he New Zealand professional. John Lister, ran hot to lead the field in the City of Auckland Golf Classic with a superlative round of 64 vesterdav.

Auckland's fine, sunny! weather came to an end with; e downpour that at midday suspended piay for an hour •nd 45 minutes. But the rain, which caught Lister late in his round, made little difference to his play, I When the rains came.l Lister, playing the thirteenth green, was four under the card. When the shotgun teraided that piay would recommence. he calmly dropped; 15 foot putt — on a near

waterlogged green — to re-it gister a birdie to put him« five under the card. t More birdies followed on t the fifteenth — a two on the par three hole — and the i eighteenth, when a seven foot I putt dropped into the cup as if drawn by a magnet. I That putt was typical of t Lister’s game. His drives I were long and sure, his irons, I i particularly his No. 6, had|l him on the par four greens it in two and his putter was i

i true. The long putts that | counted dropped and that made the difference to Lister’s score. His 64 equalled the course record set by the American, Billv Brask, in 1972. The course, however, has been altered, and the two rounds could not be comi pared, but taking the weather into consideration.ihere could be no doubting that Lister’s I was the best round. For Lister, it was a great

I return to form as of late he (has not been particularly ihappy with his game. His 64 was two strokes better than the 66 recorded by the Australian, Noel Ratcliffe, and three strokes better than the New Zealander, Howard Kennedy, Bill Brask and Craig Owen (New Zealand), Ratcliffe dropped a shot on the first hole, but birdied the fourth to turn for home even with the card. His second half of 32 included two twos, on the par three eleventh and fifteenth holes. Ratcliffe later admitted he (had chipped a few holes I short, but his score nevertheless was a splendid effort as most of his round was played after the heavy rain had started. Kennedy, who became disgusted with his golf a year or so ago, put his clubs away and went back to his chosen (trade of carpentry. It was only in September that the lad from Hawera returned to his true love — golf — and yesterday his game came together. 64—J. Lister (N.Z.J. 66— N. Ratcliffe (Aust.). 67— H. Kennedy (N.Z.); W, Brask (U.S.), C. Owen (N.Z.). 68— R. Davis (Aust.). 69— K. Nagle (Aust.), B. Jones (Aust.), E. Ball (Aust.), T. Ireland (Aust.). 70— A, Snape (N.Z.), H. Ishii (Japan), S. Reese (N.Z.), P. Headland (Aust.), R. Metherill (Aust.), G. Wolstenholme (Aust.), H. Berwick (Aust.), D. Sullivan (N.Z.). 71— D. Galloway (Aust.), P. Eirmstone (Aust.), G. Moody (U.S.), J. Clelland (N.Z.), M. Bolien (U.S.), P. Murray (Aust.), G. Serhan (Aust.), D. Good (Aust.), B. Clark (U.S.), F. Malloy (N.Z.). 72— S. Ginn (Aust.), R. J. Charles (N.Z.), R. Newdick (N.Z.), M. Tapper (Aust.). R. Hawkins (N.Z.), W. Davies (N.Z.), T. Adcock (Aust.), SI. Bembridge (U.K.), S. Cox (U.K.), W. Godfrey (N.Z.I, G. Parkinson (N.Z.), V. [Somers (Aust.). G. Slangelsdorf i (Aust.). 73— S. Slater (Aust.), G. Hohen (Aust.), G. Smart (N.Z.), J. Evans (Aust.), P. Shadlock (N.Z.), J. Benda (U.S.), W. Mclntosh (N.Z.), T. Leach (N.Z.), J. Downie (U.K.). 74— W. Longmuir (U.K.), J. Croskery (N.Z.), "R. Coombes (N.Z.), T. Kendall (N.Z.), D. Smith (U.S.). T. Pulman (A., Grange), P. Reid (A.. Muriwai), S. Partridge (A., Manukau), P. Hamblet (N.Z.), P. Chirrigan (A., Grange).