Fiji to host golf

Press, 15 July 1978, Page 6

Fiji to host golf

NZPA Su\ a Fiji will host its first major international sports event in October when the world amateur golf teams championships for the Eisenhower and Espirito Santo trophies are held at the Pacific Harbour course near Suva, it was announced yesterday. Invitations will be sent to all 61 members of the World Ama-, teur Golf Council —except South i Africa. “South Africa will not be invited because of its inability to comply with the conditions laid flown by the Fiji Government,” said a statement from Mr Tony Cooper, secretary of the Fiji Amateur Golf Association. Fiji was invited to stage the two competitions after it told the W.A.G.C. that it would not allow South Africa to take part. Australia. New Zealand and Malayasia were al] in the running at one stage to hold the ( championships. The Espirito Santo Trophy for J nomen will be played from Octo- 1

ber 10 to 13, and the Elsenhower Trophy for men frem Oetober 18 to 21. The women's event is for teams of three, the best two scores to count in each round, and the men’s event for teams of four, the best three to count tn each round. Pacific Harbour is a four-y earold lay-out designed by the leading American golf architect, Rob ert Trent Jones. It has a par of 72. The first nine holes were carved opt of tile jungle, and the second nine reclaimed from a swamp. Visiting professionals have de scribed Pacific Harbour as one of the best tests of golf in the Southern Hemisphere, with its tight fairways and tangled rough. The New Zealand Golf Association considered the world body's invitation in committee recently and decided against staging the competitions, our Wellington repoiler writes. An invitation to send a team to the international Invitation amateur teams championships in Taiwan in November, was also declined