Golf hat-trick to Clarke

Press, 6 March 1978, Page 3

Golf hat-trick to Clarke

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

; Geoff Clarke (St Clair)' I came close to letting his South Island golf title go undefended. Three weeks ago he was beset by illness. Clarke thought it was influenza but it turned out to be an internal stomach injury and the Otago international lost 7kg in a week. The one practice round he had on Friday afternoon at Coringa, his first look at the championship course, did nothing to boost his confidence. He felt like “pulverised rubber” at the end. But the Dunedin schoolteacher stayed for the championship and, after the 72hole stroke tournament finished on the long layout yesterday, he was glad ‘that he had.

Clarke won the title for the third successive year with the artistry and skill associated with a golfer who has represented New Zealand consistently and successfully since 1967. Clarke’s winning margin was by four strokes from the Canterbury No. 1, Bruce Taylor, but it was a well earned victory. He is only the third player to have won the event in three successive years. Tim Woon completed the hat-trick in 1948, 1949, and 1950 and Ross Murray started his run of three a decade later.

Because of his physical condition and the testing nature of the course, Clarke considered that yesterday’s victory was his most important. His previous wins had been by greater margins: 19 strokes in 1972, 12 strokes in 1976, and nine last year. Clarke, although not cast in the same cheerful and chatty role of Lee Trevino, conversed freely and frankly as he used his wide range of strokes and experience to move steadily through the field, gain the lead in the final round, and increase it with superb birdies at the fifteenth and sixteenth. He paid tribute to his young Southland caddy, Dennis Cochrane. “Without him 1 doubt whether I would have lasted four rounds,” he

said. In 1960, Clarke, then, aged 13, caddied for Cochrane senior in the New Zea-1 land amateur championships. I Clarke was not too! confident of success after 36 holes on Saturday. At that stage, he was five strokes off the pace in eighth place. Clarke, said that the third round was the most vital if '■ there was to be a turning point of significance and it was this round that gave Clarke the scent of success. He had four birdies on the 1 first nine and one dropped shot on the fourth, which he considers a great par-five' l hole. His round could have been! l exceptional but he missed j birdies from Im at the tenth and from even a smaller distance at the next. He had! his fifth birdie at the twelfth! and another at the! fourteenth. He was close to! further birdies at the] fifteenth and sixteenth. However, the two par-] threes on the back nine cost! him strokes and he had to settle for a three-under-par j 70. That elevated him to; equal-second place with the! overnight leader, John Finn (Otago) starting the last 18 holes. They were both one shot behind Coringa’s Stephen Street, who had played purposefully and steadily over 54 holes for rounds of 75 73, and 73. Only five strokes separ-i ated the first 10 players starting the final round. Challenges came and went, with Finn presenting a major danger until he dropped three strokes at the fourteenth, a par-five with out of bounds along the'left; and a hole that brought! about the downfall Of many! top golfers during the two! days. Taylor made a determined bid with three birdies in the first six holes. Unfortunately he had a penalty drop at the fourth and lost a stroke. His late run was halted with one-overs at the eighth and ninth. Francis Whitaker (St! Clair) was in consideration; with eight holes remaining.! He was one behind Clarke! starting the last 18 and

. with three birdies after 10,, was still only a shot in ar-1 [ rears. Whitaker’s last round! ■had been marred by a two-j over at the third when he! “skulled” his second shot,! flew the green, and con j tinued out of bounds. However, the expertise olj Clarke’s iron play and fight-; ing ability told towards the! finish. Clarke overshot the; thirteenth green but recovered skilfully to gain his! par. He played two tired! shots on the fourteenth and! was still short in three. Again he retrieved the par i and they were telling blows. On the next two holes, ! Clarke cancelled out all ! challengers with two superb iron approaches. He was a [little more than Im away [with his second at the fifteenth and holed the birdie iputt. He was even closer at [the next and had no problem [with the tap in. He played | the last two holes safely and [well for pars. .[ Taylor, who finished the i third round in style with [birdies on 17 and 18, have (five more in the final round • and played many delightful i! shots. He handled the par ; threes with assurance and needed only 11 strokes on : the four of them. He had i two 71s yesterday but his ■ Saturday rounds of 77 and l ■ 78 proved too great a handicap to overcome. Whitaker, by missing a : short putt on the last hole, : was forced to share third place with Gordon Smith , ( M i d-South Canterbury). They were one shot behind i Taylor and the only other : breaks players to break 30Q[ in four rounds. ; Smith, an unknown quantity before the tournament, [played splendidly in the four [rounds. He is aged only 18 .and did well against much 1 more experienced opposition, Mark Street (Canterbury), aided by an excellent third round of 70 (eight birdies), and Kevin Potts (Southland) both juniors shared fifth! place on 300 with the) Canterbury Freyberg representative, Simon Robinson, i I Finn faded to 79 in the! [last round. Stephen Street (also wilted at the finish! with a final round of 80. I

I Leading scores: Senior [ 293—G. E. Clarke, 78. 76, 70. 71. 297—8. C. Taylor, 77,' 78, 71. 71. ; 298—F. A. Whitaker, 73. 78, 72, 7a: G. Smith. 73, 76, 76, 73. ; 300—M. E. Street, 75, 80. 70. 75; K. Potts, 77, 78. 72, 73; S. S. Robinson, 78. 73, 75, 74. 301—.1. Finn, 71, 76, 75, 79. [ 302—J. N. Williamson, 78. 78. 175, 71: D. N. Turner. 75, 76, 79. 72. ; 303—M. G. Brown. 73 ,77,75 , 78 ! 304—J. R. A. Parlane, 75, 79. 72. 78 . Intermediate l 301—S. W. Street. 75, 73, 73, 80. : 310—C. J. Smale, 78. 77. 76, 79; |B. C. Pengelly, 80, 85. 73. 2. 312— A. R. Maghum, 81, 77, 77. 77. 313— P E. Neal. 8(1. 80, 78, 75. 315—C. R. Barry, 77, 78. 77, 83 317—G. Erskine, 79, 79, 78. 81; R. K. Hazeldine. 80, 77, 85. 75. Junior 328— G. Asher. 82, 83. 80. 83. 329— T. Langan, 81, 83, 85, 80. 330— S. Smythe, 77, 82 , 84 . 87. 339—G. Hogg. 78. 90, 84. 87. 341— A. Rouse, 84, 87. 85. 85. 342— M. Murray, 83. 86, 86, 87.