Harewood, Chch keep up in golf

Press, 22 May 1978, Page 3

Harewood, Chch keep up in golf

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

I Christchurch and Hare- ; wood maintained their unbeaten records in the third round of the Woodward Cup I premier inter-club golf competition at Russley yesterIday. However, both sides j found the victory path far I from easy. Templeton has proved to ibe a hard hurdle for Christchurch to negotiate in recent years and the country club was in a great position again to topple the champion when it held a sj-2j advantage after 11 holes. But from that point, Templeton had little joy. In the battle between the top men, Geoff Saunders (Christchurch). 3 down after 11, won the next three holes with a birdie and two pars. John Prebble, normally steady, sacrificed a dominant position and lost 16 to a par to go 1 down. He was unable to regain that hole; against Saunders, who played with control on the second nine.

The Christchurch charge was led by its bottom members, John Orr, John Parlane, and Murray Brown. None of them held a commanding position at the turn but all proved capable of rising to the occasion on the back nine.

The Templeton players remained in charge for the first nine holes in the top order, but then the balance tilted the other way. lan Carruthers, after leading Simon Robinson most of the way, played the last hole badly and allowed his rival to win the last hole and escape with a half. If the Christchurch surge started only on the back nine, it was sustained throughout. John Williamson wore down Lindsay Mckinley and Joe Whitaker came from a losing position to halve, with Roy Newton. Gregg Hanna gave Templeton a win when he retained a diminishing lead i against Wayne Tucker to the last green but the champion Christchurch team was home safely when Brown, Parlane, and Orr all played better golf when it counted most against their opponents. Harewood also struggled to retain its perfect record against Waimairi Beach. Waimairi had losses in the bottom positions but Paul Holmes and Digby Briggs squared the contest in the second bracket.

Harewood’s win was guaranteed when Brent Street and Noel Bain both finished victorious but Waimairi gained a notable win when John Ellerm stayed in front of Mike Small.

The battle between the top two, Fred Poskitt (Waimairi) and Mark Street, was decided on the last green toward dusk. Street went 2 down when Poskitt holed a birdie putt from 7m on the

tenth and he was still in that position after 13. But Street, a strong, resilient player, proved trumps on 14, 15, and 16 and was one up after halving the seventeenth. Street needed to hole a putt from less than 2m on the last green to achieve his victory but left his ball, on the edge and was forced to settle for a half. A sadly weakened Russley team was beaten comprehensively by Avondale. In spite of the absence of James Angus, Neville Griffiths, and Peter MacDonald, the Russley players were still disappointing on their home course. Avondale’s bid was spearheaded by Ricky Vincent. He was pitted against the Canterbury match-play champion and semi-finalist in the recent New Zealand amateur championship, Bruce Taylor. However, Taylor played below his best and was 3 down after 10. On the par-5 thirteenth, Vincent, after a strong drive, cracked a 3-wood “really well.” He was putting his club in the bag when he was told that the ball had rolled into the hole for an albatross: two on the par 5. Points: Christchurch 3 (18J), Harewood 3 (14), Avondale 2 (13J ; , Templeton ij (10J), Coringa 1 (13), Russley 1 (10), Waimairi Beach J 18). Waitikiri 0 (8J). Waimairi Beach 3J, Harewood 4J F. J. Poskitt halved with M. E. Street; J. E. Ellerm beat M. W. Small, 2 and 1; J. Williams lost to B. K. Street. 6 and 5; D. Pickering lost to N. L. Bain, 2 and J; P. L. Holmes beat N. D. Horgan, 3 and 1; D. Briggs beat B. M. Walsh, 2 and 1; R. Fogaiele lost to J. I. Dixon, 6 and 5; R. Manley lost to P. A. Shearer, 3 and 1. Christchurch t, Templeton 2 G. C. Saunders beat J. W. Prebble, 1 up; S. 8. Robinson halved with I. T. Carruthers; J. W. A. Whittaker halved with R. P. Newburn; J. N. Williamson beat L. S. McKinley, 4 and 2; W. I. Tucker lost to G. J. Hanna, 1 down; M. G. Brown beat H. J. Henderson. 4 and 3; J. R. A. Parlane beat G. J. Kirk, 3 and 2; J. A. Orr beat A. J. Doherty, 3 and 2. Avondale 6, Russley 2 R. M. Vincent beat B. C. Taylor. 4 and 3; A. Williams beat R. Sisson, 5 and 4; A. J. Crawford-Smith halved with G. N. Martin; L. D. McMillan beat A. K. Hynd. 5 and 3; F. W. Roberts beat L. P. Martin, 3 and 2; D. J. Gaudin halved with J. R. Dunstan. J. Hanton beat J D. Smith, 3 and 2; B. B. Trang- * mar lost to W. M. Southgate, 3 and 1. Waitikiri 2, Coringa 4 R. M. Farrant lost to S. W. : Street, 3 and 2: S. J. Paterson beat D. L. Beggs. 4 and 3; L. D. McKenzie lost to B G. Paterson, 5 and 4; D. R. Griffith lost to J. L. Allin, 3 and 2; C. A. McNally lost to B. M. Alexander, 5 and 3; A. T. Soper lost to C. Paterson, 5 and 3; J. P. Devine lost to P. E. Neal. 5 and 4; 1. R Pollock beat B. Mairs, 3 and 2. BLANK CUP Christchurch 4, Coringa 4; Waimairi Beach 4. Rawhiti 4; Templeton 5, Waitikiri 3; Harewood 6, Avondale 2. SIMON CUP Templeton 7, Russley 1; McLean’s Island 4, Hagley 4; Harewood 6. Kaiapoi 2; Coringa 51, Windsor 23.