Tail-enders upset Bell in golf qualifying

Press, 19 October 1977, Page 40

Tail-enders upset Bell in golf qualifying

Bv

BOB SCHUMACHER

With scores generally disappointing and most of the prominent names in New Zealand amateur golf reclining comfortably in the clubhouse, it seemed very likely that Ashburton’s slimly-built Robbie Bell would be the overnight leader after the first qualifying round of the national championship at Russley yesterday.

But at the tail of the field, two very accomplished Canterbury golfers, well-known in their province but not on the national scene, were returning the sort of scoring that could have been expected on such a mild and tranquil day.

John Williamson, a willowy 22-year-old from the Christchurch club, completed his round in a very fine 70 — three-under par — and immediately after him came James Angus, a member of the host club, who carded an identical score.

Neither player had featured in the top-scorers from the foursomes championship on Monday, but both responded superbly to the individual challenge and they will start today’s second qualifying round with a handy two-stroke lead over Bell.

They were the only three amateurs to beat par yesterday, but Michael Atkinson (St Clair), Stephen Street (Coringa), Michael Nicholson (Whakatane) and Philip Mosley (Miramar) all finished equal with the card and the grouping thickened from there, with seven players on 74 and a further 12 on 75. Williamson, runner-up this year in the Canterbury matchplay championship and a player with an excellent record in the senior inter-club competition, was in control of his game to such an extent that he missed only one green — the fifteenth, when his bell hit the side and kicked sharply right.

His round was nothing spectacular at first; three putts at the fifth put him or e over and he had to wait until the ninth for his first birdie, when a well-judged wedge shot left him a small tap in.

There were birdie chances but narrow misses for Williamson on the next two holes, but he tossed an 8iron close enough for a birdie on the twelfth and stamped the mark of class on his round with a 3-wood. 8-iron, and 2m eagle putt on the thirteenth.

Although he missed the fifteenth green, Williamson saved his par and did not drop a shot over the final

holes. In fact, he was only one roll short with his birdie putt on the seventeenth that would have given him the outright lead. On form, Angus is a highlypolished golfer and yesterday he produced the type of golf that won him the 1976 Canterbury match-play title and this year’s stroke championship. The 25-year-old bread vendor hardly strayed from the fairways and missed only two greens in regular tion figures. A dropped shot on the fifth was quickly rectified with a birdie from 3m at the sixth and he lipped out for a hole-in-one on the seventh. He, too, made his charge on the second nine. He had four successive birdies from the eleventh to the fourteenth, holing two putts of 6m and two smaller ones. It was almost five birdies on end but his 3m putt on the fifteenth stopped a roll short. The difficult par-5 sixteenth cost Angus a shot when he was through the green with his third and took three more. He was m danger of losing another on the last, but placed a superb bunker shot by the hole. Bell, a 22-year-old MidSouth Canterbury Freyberg representative, was unlucky not to have a share of the lead. His drive on the second faded slightly and finished just out of bounds, but he made a birdie with his second ball to only drop one shot. He had a mixed first nine with two birdies and three one-overs, but birdied both the par-3s on the second nine and had another at 13.

His only indiscretion was at 12, when he cut his drive. He was faced with several pressure putts towards the finish, but holed them confidently. The early pace-maker was a talented 16-year-old from Otago, Michael Atkinson. His father, Ray, was also competing but he had to play second fiddle to his son, who had five birdies in a fine round, blemished only by a two-over on the fifth. Atkinson showed commendable spirit when he dis-

missed that hole and birdied the next.

Dropped strokes on the last two holes prevented Street from holding a more commanding position, but his accurate play was shown on the,par-3s. He had an aggregate of nine on the four short holes.

Nicholson, the 1973 champion and winner of the foursomes title on Monday, is right up with play. He started shakily, but birdies at nine and 10 returned him to square and there were few flaws in his game from that point.

The Wellington Freyberg No. 1, Mosley, had 16 pars, a birdie and a one-over in his sound round. He was struggling from the tee on the first nine, but recovered well with his chips and was sure with the vital putts from Im and 2m. “I hit the ball better on the second half, but scored no better,” he remarked.

After fighting to find form in the practice round and in the foursomes, Des Turner (Christchurch) showed something like his best. He was one of seven players on 74. “I played better rubbish today but then I had to — look at my company,” (he was in the same trio as Nicholson and Mosley). The Russley club champion, Bruce Taylor, also showed marked improvement yesterday to shoot 74. Influenza laid him low on Friday and he was attended by a doctor on Saturday. Scores:—

70—J. M. Angus (Russley), J. N. Williamson (Christchurch).

72— R. P. Bell (Ashburton). 73— M. J. R. Atkinson (St Clair), M. N. Nicholson (Whakatane), P. Mosley (Miramar), S. W. Street (Coringa). 74— J. Gatley (Lochlei), R. A. Godso (Pukekohe), K. A. Roberts (Shandon), B. C. Taylor (Russley), D. N. Turner (Christchurch), W. I. Tucker (Christchurch), I. Peters (Springfield). 75— B. Hall (Remuera), B. G. Paterson (Harewood), B. A. Soulsby (Queen’s Park), A. W. Bonnington (Wellsford), G. A. McClintock (Rarangi), D. A. J. Render (Coringa), C. Alexander (Ashburton), J. L. Allin (Rangl-

ora), F. Whitaker (Otago), L. G. McKenzie (Waitikiri), T. B. C. Scott (Dannevirke).

76— M C. Leitch (Manukau), J. Finn (St Clair), M. L. Gibson (Otago), J. B. Sanders (Otago), P. N. Conlon (St Clair), R. I. Donaldson (Greymouth), J. R. Billington (Miramar), I. Carruthers (Templeton). S. Patterson (Waitikiri), G. E. Reid (Paraparamu Beach). 77 — R M. Barltrop (Miramar), T. Johnston (Harewood), P. K. Keenan (Levin), D. McKenzie (Hutt), J. W. A. Whitaker (Christchurch).

78—R. K. Atkinson (St Clair), P. Dench (Manawatu), M. J. Hunt (Nightcaps), K. H. McGuire (Picton), L. Phelps (Paraparamu Beach), J. H. Lapsley (Invercargill), T. R. Pulman (The Grange), G. C. Saunders (Christchurch), S. Barron (Paraparamu Beach), P. T. Carrigan (The Grange), R. P. Newburn (Templeton).

79— M. Harper (St Clair), R. K. Hazeldine (Hokitika), I. C. Redshaw (Wairoa), P. Fox (Greenacres), L. P. Martin (Russley), P. A. Reid (Muriwai), D. L. Beggs (Rangiora), S. A. Transom (Dannevirke), R. J. Johnston (St Clair), J. R. A. Parlane (Christchurch), G. Urlwin (Russely), P. E. Neal (Coringa). 80— B. M. Alexander (Coringa), G. Hanna (Templeton), B. M. Silk (Wanganui), P. D. Dillon (Greenacres), K. W. Frazier (Ashburton), R. J. Hogg (Blenheim), S. D Smith (Harewood), R. M. Vincent (Avondale), B. W. Marshall (St Clair), N. O. Davies (Whangarei), S. J. Hoare (Manor Park), B. K. Street (Harewood), D. F. Prosser (Shandon), R. Middleton (Methven), M. R. Pitman (Russley), M. J. Regan (Tokoroa), J. E. Webber (The Grange).

81— J. J. V. Bary (Lochiel), J. I. Dixon (Harewood), H. J. Henderson (Rangiora), A. I. McNish (Russley), P. A. Mortland (Remuera), G. Domigan (Rarangi), M. E. Street (Harewood), E H. M. Richards (Hororata), N'. J. Horgan (Harewood). 82— G. P. Allan (Westport), M. Bartlett (Paaparamu Beach), D. J. Briggs (Waimairi Beach), J. A. Sharp (Otaki), J. D. Smith (Russley), B. J. Thomas (Greenacres!, G. M. Hughson (Karori), D. Clarke (Whangarei), J. Cunningham (North Otago). 83— J. E. Monk (Kaiapoi), T. Monk (Kaiapoi), J. McCormick (Springfield). G. N. Martin (Russley), S. Morpeth (Waiterimu), E. Hanton (Avondale), C. E. Taylor (Methven). 84— M. Revell (Miramar), G. H. Turner (Kaiapoi), C. H. Nairn (Ellesmere), G. R. Kelly (Timaru), J. W. Prebble (Templeton). 85— M. W. Small (Rangiora), D. T. Pocknall (Harewood). 86— N. C. Cross (Blenheim), A. W. Falloon (Harewood), P. MacDonald (Marlborough), C. Paterson (Coringa), B. R. Jacobs (Miramar), J. P. Randle (Coringa). 87— J. Bierwirth (Hagley), D. Callaghan (Methven). 88— J Bone (Miramar), T. E. Pfahlert (Ashburton). 92—J. E. Goodall (Methven).