Norman leads golf

Press, 23 October 1978, Page 4

Norman leads golf

NZPA Londonl Greg Norman, of Queensland, snatched a two shot lead after a drama-packed third round in the £105,000 European open golf championship, at Walton Heath. Surrey, yesterday. The powerful Australian took over the pace-setting role as Britain’s hallway leader. N;ck Faldo, produced an incredible round of 75, two over par. with a treble bogie eight at the second and his first tournament hoie-in-one at the seventeenth. The American Tom Wciskopf, only one shot off *he pace at the start, suffered a jarring wrist injury and struggled round in 81 for 220.

Norman played his best golf in Europe this season to score a 69 for a nine-under-par total ol 210. With one round to play that leaves him two shots clear of Britain’s Malcolm Gregson and fellow Australian David Graham, who both shot 70.

New Zealand’s Simon Owen was not among the tip 21 players after the third round.

And after a controversial slow start, the American Lanny Wadkins, sailed to a three-shot victory in the $50,000 Garden State P.G.A. championship at Wood-

lands Golf Club. Melbourne, yesterday. Wadkins. 28, fired a final round of 69 to finish seven under the card, and add the $10,900 first prize to his reputed appearance fee of $12,000. Tlie American, slung by criticism of a disinterested firstround 75. reeled off rounds of 68, 69 and 69 to breeze past his main rival, the Victorian Bob Shearer. Shearer had led tile tournament from the start and held a slim one-shot lead over the American going into the final round. But the month-long gap he lias had from tournament play finally brought him to grief and the best he could manage was a one-over-par 73 yesterday to hold down second spot. In third place two under the card on 286 was the West Australian, Terry Gale, who had had a share of the first-round lead, then fell away from the pace before recovering wth final rounds of 70 and 71. The former British Ryder Cup star. Guy Wolstenholme, 47, finished with a 73 to be level with par and capture fourth spot one shot ahead of the Victorian, lan Stanley.

The first New Zealander was Barry Vivian (298). one shot head of Terry Kendall