Bob Charles six behind

Press, 29 August 1978, Page 28

Bob Charles six behind

NZPA-Reuter Dublin The New Zealander, Bob Charles, finished in thirteenth equal place in the Irish open golf championship at Portmarnock yesterday. His total of 287 was six strokes behind the winner, Ken Brown, of Britain, who pipped Severiano Ballesteros, of Spain, and John O’Leary, of Ireland. Charles did not repeat his competitive firstround score of 69, although his final-day card of 71 was an improvement over the second and third rounds. Brown and O’Leary, the overnight leader, were level at seven-under-par going into the final hole. Brown had a scare when he hit his second shot under the stands but he was allowed a free drop and recovered. O’Leary missed his putt , from 5m while Brown, : whose putting had been excellent, sank one of similar length to clinch the title. Ballesteros had come with 1 a typical late charge, smash- ! ing the course record with a ■ seven-under-par final-round • 65. 1 Brown had rounds of 70, 71, 70 and 70.

Tom Weiskopf (U.S.) was fourth on 283. Across the Atlantic at Pinehurst, North Carolina, Tom Watson held on to win his fourth tournament of the year as he captured the $U5250,000 Hall of Fame Classic by one stroke over Hale Irwin, Tom Kite and Howard Twitty. Watson finished with an even-par 71 on the rugged Pinehurst No. 2 course for a final score of seven-under-p a r 2 7 7, collecting SUSSO,OOO and giving him first place on the Professional Golfers’ Association tour’s money list. The New Zealander, John Lister, finished on 295 after shooting a last-round 79. And at St Paul, Minnesota, Shelley Hamlin, without a win in seven seasons on the Ladies’ Professional Golf Association tour, birdied her , way to a final-round 69 for • an 11-under-par 208 total to ■ win the Patty Berg classic. Kathy Whitworth finished i second, one shot back on 209.

New Zealand’s Marilyn Smith finished well behind the leaders with a final score of 222 after rounds of 70, 73, and 79.