Byman takes $7500 first prize in N.Z. Open golf tournament

Press, 12 December 1977, Page 34

Byman takes $7500 first prize in N.Z. Open golf tournament

Bob Byman, aged 23, of Raleigh, North Carolina, cleared away from the field at the fourteenth hole to take the winner’s prize of $7500 in the sixty -first New Zealand Open golf championship at Middlemore, Auckland, yesterday.

The win became the thin open win for Byman, who has already won the Scandinavian and Dutch Opens this season. The runner-up. Terry Gale (Australia), carded a 77 yesterday for a total of 291 for the four rounds after having led overnight two strokes ahead of Byman at 214, reports the Press Association. Third placings went <.o Rodger Davis (Australia) and Mike Krantz (United States), each on 292. Byman. who carded a three-over 74 yesterday to total 290 — six over — for the four rounds, had Terry Gale and Rodger Davis (both Australia) as well as the New Zealander, Allen Snape, chasing him most of the way. Even the early finishers, and Kurt Cox (United States) Kurt Cox (United States) had presented a threat while they, too, were six over. However, whereas Krantz went seven over at the eleventh and never recovered, finishing with an eightover 292, and Cox stayed in the race until the seventeenth, when he also went seven and then eight over, the late challengers were able to put pressure on Byman. Davis was partnering Byman while Gale and Snape were last to tee off. A disappointing finish on the last two holes relieved the pressure which Davis had been exerting on Byman, while the American was also able to give himself breathing space when he birdied the fourteenth to one ahead of Gale, Snape, and Davis. This was the crucial point in the chase. But for Bvman. a more important breaking point was avoided at the seventeenth but only narrowly. “I had hit a perfect tee shot but my drive went left clear of the tanker but landing in hardly a good lie,” he said after the round. His disappointment was expressed with a club-throw-ing exhibition, the only show of temperament the young American displayed throughout. However, he was able to regain control quickly.

1 “I knew that a six-over would be good enough to win,” he said, “and if I were !to lose the championship, it 'would be because I was beaten and not because I had thrown it away.” He chipped perfectly on to I the green and sunk the 4.5 m putt for a par four. The eighteenth was played in regulation and it needed I only for Snape and Gale to finish the round to decide the Open. In his round, Byman bird;ied the first, second, ninth, jand fourteenth, while he boigeyed the third, sixth (double), seventh, eighth, thirteenth, and fifteenthAs he had done throughout the tournament, Byman drove well but, at times, his putting let him down. Gale did not have a good ! round. He bogeyed the third,! fifth, sixth, seventh, thirteenth, and the fifteenth ; without once hitting a I birdie. It was his putting which let him down. Davis was in good form in I the outward five, at which !stage he had reduced his! i overnight deficit from six to i five, but the later holes j were bogeyed at the sixth, 'seventh, fifteenth,) seventeenth, and eighteenth. ) The co-leader on the first) day, Snape played a gutsyround. He birdied the first, bogeyed the second, but played par golf for the next two holes before hitting a double bogey at the fifth and another bogey at the sixth. Even so. he fought back for birdies at the seventh, eleventh, and fourteenth. However, the putting ability which had been evident jin the first round had (deserted him. The ninth, fifteenth (double), seventeenth, and eighteenth (double) were' the bogeys which caused his) I downfall. Impressive golf was played by Krantz and Cox.j who, like Davis, were let) 'down onlv towards the end. )cox hit three birdies in the 'rough at the eleventh, > twelfth, and thirteenth. His 70, one below par, was the I second-best round of the day. Only Peter Thomson (Australia), who hit his second 69, had a better score.

j Krantz, who has been liplaying remarkably con--11 sistent golf during the four days, ended with a 73 to go • with his other rounds of 72, I 72, and 75. Thomson made up for his ' 10-over of the day before i with his tow-under round, ; which gave him a total of I 298, only eight behind the winner. ' The top amateur was ' Dave Meredith of the Eastlake Club, Australia. His 314 for the four rounds was only one stroke better than that of the top New Zealand amateur, Frank Nobilo, of Titirangi, who is aged only 17. Nobilo, who will leave St Peter’s College at the end of the year, will go into his father’s wine-making business but is assured of “plenty of time to play golf.” The defending champion, Simon Owen, equalled his round of 73, carded on Friday, but his 76 of the first day and 80 on Saturday left him on 302. ; Scores:— ! 290—R. Byman (U.S.), 66, 72, 178, 74. I 291—T. Gale (Aust.), 68, 72, 74. 77, I 292—R. Davis (Aust.), 72, 69, 78, 173; M. Krantz (U.S.), 72, 72 , 75, 173. | 293—K. Cox (U.S.). 71, 73, 79, 70. ! 294—P. Headland (Aust.), 69, 78, 73, 74; A. Snape (N.Z.), 66. 75. 77, 76. 296— E. A. Ball (Aust.), 74, 73. 74, 75; R. McNaughton (Aust.), 71. 71. 79, 75; A. J. Palmer (N.Z.), 77, 66, 78, 75. 297 — M. Brembridge (U.K.), 76, 74, 74, 73. 298— G. S. Bell (Fiji), 76, 78, 71, 73; M Foster (U.K.), 76, 73, 75, 74; Ratcliffe (Aust.), 72, 75, 75, 76; P. W. Thomson (Aust.), 69, 79, 81, 69. 299— W. Brask (U.S.), 75, 72, 81, 71; A. Russell (U.S.), 77, 71, 77, 74. 300— G. Burrows (U.S.), 72, 76, 79, 73; R J. Charles (N.Z.), 72, 76, 76, 76. ! 302—S. M. Owen (N.Z.). 76, 73, 180, 73; G. Padlaski (Can.). 79, 73, 76. 74; H. Underwood (U.S.), 71, 175, 80, 76. I 303—C. N. Owen (N.Z.), 78, 76, 76, 73 305— G. Smart (N.Z.). 77, 73. 81, 74. 306 — B. Vivian (N.Z.), 77, 74, 78, 77; G. Wolstenholme (Aust.), 76, 77, 79, 74. 307— J. Benda (U.S.), 72, 80, 82, 73; J. Fought (U.S.), 77. 79, 75, 76; T. C. Kendall (N.Z.I, 78, 75, 82, 72; M. Moynihan (N.Z.), 74, 75, 80. 78; K. D. G. Nagle (Aust.), 77, 75, 82. 73; S. Reese (N.Z.), 80, 75. 80, 72; V. T. Somers (Aust.), 80, 74, 76, 77; M. Tapper (Aust.),

177, 77, 75, 78; R. Wood (Aust.). 77, 78, 72, 80. j 308—J. T. Clifford (Aust.), 75. 178, 76, 79; F. Conallin (Aust.), 78. 77, 78, 75; F, Firmstone (Aust.). 77, 78, 76, 77. 309— S. Cook (U.S.), 75, 74, 80 80; J. Hall (U.K.), 77, 75, 11. 80: P. Hart (Aust.), 74, 80, 83, 72; J Kelly (Aust.), 78, 76, 74, 81; G Serhan (Aust.), 78, 81, 76 , 74. 310— B, Beauchemin (U.S.) 69. 81, 83, 77. 311— G. Hamilton (Can.), 72. 76. 84 . 79. 312— S. Applegate (U.S.), 79, 80. 78, 75; C. Bishop (Aust.), 75, 85. 74, 78; S. P. Ginn (Aust.), 74. 77. 79, 82; G. Logan (U.K.), 84, 70. 79, 79. 313— P. N. Croker (Aust.). 77, 77. 81, 78. 314— T. Leech (N.Z.), 76, 82, 81. 75; D. A. Meredith (Aust.) 80. 76, 78, 80. 315— R. R Newdick (N.Z.), 75, 80, 78, 82; F. Nobilo (N.Z.), 75. 77, 82, 81. 316— T. Adcock (Aust.), 81, 77. 8o! 8 7 1 9; 78 5 ' Williams < Aus *-h 77. ~318— A. W. Bennington (N.Z.), 74, 81. 81, 82: T. R. Pulman (N.Z.). 78, 77, 82, 81. 319—L. Roberts (U.S.), 79, 77, 84 76 79 Southerden (N.Z.), 851 „ 321 p - Evans (N.Z.), 76, 80, □4. 61. 78 32 8 F P 84 T ' Meyrlck (NZ) - 78, 86 326 — s - Jenne (U.S.). 80, 77, 83. 30 32 8 7 2~87. M ' (N ' Z ' ) ’ ?R -