Crushing golf win for Canterbury

Press, 14 August 1978, Page 3

Crushing golf win for Canterbury

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

Canterbury’s very strong and capable 12-man golf team overwhelmed BullerWestland in their annual match at Waitikiri at the week-end. Canterbury had a commanding lead after Saturday’s round when it lost only two of the 12 matches, and the home team did even better yesterday morning winning 10 and halving another of the matches for an over-all victory, 20}-3£.

There were few crumbs of comfort for Buller-Westland, but its two wins on Saturday were notable for the fact that the beaten Canterbury players were both members of last year’s Frey berg team.

Bruce Taylor, the Canterbury match-play champion and No. 1, found a redoubtable opponent in lan Donaldson, the West Coast stroke champion. Taylor never really came to grips with Waitikiri on either day and was beaten at the sixteenth by Donaldson. Taylor, lacking confidence with his putting, looked ini danger of defeat again yesterday when matched against Finn Hobbs, the 1977 Canterbury match-play champion. They were square after nine holes, but Hobbs could not capitalise on Taylor’s misfortunes with his putter at the ninth and tenth and he lost another fine chance to take the lead at the eleventh when he dragged

his approach shot into a bunker.

Taylor’s game improved over the closing holes and he holed a 7m putt for a half on the sixteenth to win at the seventeenth. Geoff Saunders beat Donaldson at the same hole. He played consistently on both days, but Donaldson was not disgraced by making Saunders work hard on several holes.

Canterbury’s only other loss on Saturday came w’hen the N 0.5, Stephen Street, was decisively beaten by the promising Scott McCrea. Street, who has not had much time to practise lately, struck putting problems, but he was a little more convincing in beating Michael Thompson yesterday. Ron Hazeldine had one of the best results for the Bul-ler-Westland team yesterday when he halved with Dennis Beggs, the Canterbury No. 3. An eagle by Hazeldine at 13 and a fine birdie at 16 gave him a 1 up lead. He was thankful that the ornamental pond at the seventeenth was empty — his ball bounced out, thus avoiding a penalty. He managed to halve the hole, but a poor drive cost him his par at the last and Beggs escaped with a half.

Simon Robinson struck the ball well on both days, and neither of his matches went further than the fourteenth. Des Turner, Joe Whitaker, John Williamson, I John Allin, Murray Brown,!

and Fred Poskitt were all convincing for Canterbury — winning by overwhelming margins. John Parlane made a successful debut for Canterbury on Saturday, but he found George Geddes a tough rival yesterday and was beaten on the last green. Geddes showed skill with his chips, which helped him several times when Parlane looked in a better position.

Parlane had a grand opportunity to win the last hole and finish all square. After giving the Im putt considerable thought he proceeded to push it slightly to the left of the hole. Results (Canterbury names first) were:— First round B. C. Taylor lost to R. I. Donaldson, 3 and 2; G. C. Saunders beat F. T. Hobbs, 2 and 1; D. L. Beggs beat G. P. Allan, 4 and 2; S. S. Robinson beat R. K. Hazeldine. 5 and 4; S. W r . Street lost to S. McCrea, 5 and 4; D. N. Turner beat M. P. Thompson, 5 and 4: J. W. A. Whitaker beat G. B. Hibbs, 7 and 5; J. N. Williamson beat T. G. Baxendale, 7 and 6; J. L. Allin beat T. K. Farrell, 3 and 2; M. G. Brown beat J. Falconer, 5 and 4; F. J. Poskitt beat G. B. Geddes, 5 and 3; J. R. A. Parlane beat G. S. Agnew, 4 and 3. Second round Taylor beat Hobbs, 2 and 1: Saunders beat Donaldson. 2 and 1; Beggs halved with Hazeldine; Robinson beat Allan, 5 and 4; Street beat Thompson, 2 and 1; Turner beat McCrea, 4 and 3; Whitaker beat Baxendale. 3 and 2; Williamson beat Hibbs, 5 and 4; Allin beat Falconer, 7 and 5; Brown beat Farrell, 5 and 4; Poskitt beat Agnew, 6 and 5; 1 Parlane lost to Geddes, 1 down.