Lister again —by 7 shots

Press, 20 December 1976, Page 32

Lister again —by 7 shots

PA Hamilton John Lister, who from today will be holidaying in his home town of Timaru until he defends his N.Z.P.G.A. title at Mount Maunganui next month, widened his margin of three shots overnight to a seven-stroke victory in the Meadowsfreight $14,000 golf tournament at Lochiel, Hamilton, yesterday.

With a tradesmanlike round of 69 in difficult conditions on the par 72 course, he looked to have the $2BOO first prize in safe keeping from the outset yesterday. Lister scored 67, 66, 69, 69 — 271 to win the tournament by seven strokes from David Good, of Tasmania, who scored 70. 68. 67, 73 — 278.

Terry Kendall (New Zealand) was third with 67. 70. 68. 74 — 279, five strokes ahead of George Bell (Fiji), whose late surge carried him into fourth place after Vaughan Somers, of Australia, had hit his tee shot out of bounds and taken a costly seven on the last hole.

Lister, a regular moneywinner on the American circuit this year, said he felt he had played his best golf in seven or eight years yesterday in carding his three under par round in the hard conditions. His win yesterday rounds off his most successful year as a professional, which included a win in the prestigious Quad Cities Open in Illinois, U.S.A. Play yesterday was suspended for 100 minutes about an hour after the 50 professionals who had survived the cut figure of 224 started play, together with the top seven amateurs.

Heavy rain and strong winds lashed the course, causing severe flooding of the greens. But the well-drained course on the banks of the Waikato River drained quickly and the last players had hit off before mid-afternoon.

Scoring suffered and apart from Lister, only George Bell, Roger Davis, Simon Cox (England), and Stuart Reese, the fledgling Waikato professional, bettered par.

Lister tightened his grip on the tournament at the first hole yesterday, when he went from three to four shots ahead. His nearest rivals, David Good, who was bunkered, and Terry Kendall, who three-putted. both dropped a shot while Lister safely made par.

Lister was out in 35 after he birdied the third and eighth holes and dropped a shot at the sixth. As they entered the last nine holes he was five strokes ahead of Kendall and Good.

Somers played immaculate golf yesterday until his blemish at the last hole.

“I just hit it straight there, I would not know how,” he said when asked of his

| costly out-of-bounds shot af I the last hole. ; Alex Bonnington, of Wells, ford, who is in his first yeat as a New Zealand representative. did best of the amateurs, He scored 74. 70, 73, 74 —. 291, scoring three birdies in the difficult conditions yester. day but dropping five shots. Leading scores:— 271—J. Lister (N.Z.), 67, 68, 69 69. 278— D. Good (Aust.), 70, 68 . 67. 73. 279— T. Kendall (N.Z.), 67 , 70. 68, 74. 284— G. Bell (FIJI). 72. 72. 69. 71. 285— V. Somers (Aust.), 70, 7\ 67, 74; R. Davis (Aust.), 71. 71, 72 71. 286— W. J. Godfrey (N.Z.), 70, 72, 70, 74; S. F. Reese (N.Z.) 7L 72. 72, 71. 287— J. Clifford (Aust.), 70, 68, 73. 76; G. Serhan (Aust.) 74, 69, 71, 73; P. Shadlock (N.Z.), 71, 71 70, 75; R. Coombes (N.Z.), 72, 71 70, 74; C. Owen (N.Z.), 71, 72, 72, 72; M. Bohen (U.S.A.). 71, 71 71. 74. 288— S. Cox (U.K.). 71, 70, 76, 71; M. Tapper (Aust.). 68, 73, 72, 75. 289— T. Woolbank (Aust.). 68. 74, 72, 75. 290— B. Weir (Aust.) 72, 71. 72, 75; D. Galloway (Aust.), 70, 72, 73, 75; P. Headland (Aust.), 73, 71, 72, 74; P. Croker (Aust.), 74, 70, 73, 73; G. Smart (N.Z.), 75, 70, 73, 72; H. Berwick (Aust.), 72, 70, 71. 77. 291— G. Bullock (U.S.A.), 70, 71. 75, 75; A. Bonnington (A., Wellsford) 74, 70. 73, 74; G, Wolstenholme (Aust.), 72, 73, 67, 79.

292— P. Firmstone (Aust.), 73, 72, 73, 74; G. Hohnen (Aust.), 78, 73. 69, 72. 293— N. Ratcliffe (Aust.) 70, 75, 70, 78; F. Malloy (N.Z.),'75, 73, 68, 77; G. Moodv (U.S.A.), 75, 73. 72, 73; C. E. Taylor (A., Hamll. ton), 71, 75 72. 75.