Last team wins pro-am at Titirangi

Press, 30 November 1978, Page 32

Last team wins pro-am at Titirangi

From

BOB SCHUMACHER

in Auckland

The equaling of the course] ■ecord. 19 professionals' coring in the 60s, and Auckland's own army for I Arnold Palmer were just some of the features at Titirangi yesterday when the oro-am prelude to the Air. 'lew Zealand-Shell Open golfi Massie was held. It was a marathon day.' The first foursome teed off at 6.40 a.m. and the last ] team came in more than 12 hours later. But the final four did not care that they] olayed their round virtually] unwatched: they had a bestball net off 55 and won the! tournament on a count-back. Auckland's weather has I been kind this week and it promises to continue. Although 19 professions broke the course par of 70 the number could have been I much higher. Many did not] return a card and mostly! they were top-rated players. Among those who picked up or did not bother with i their score were Simon I Owen, Bruce Devlin, Bob! [Charles, David Good (last year's winner). John Lister. I Nick Faldo, Ted Ball, and] Maurice Bembridge. Through a change in New] Zealand P.G.A. policy this! year the man who equalled! the course record of 64, Jack! Newton (Australia), failed to (collect a cent of the $lOOO | which was available to the] [ professionals. The money was dis- ( tributed to the professionals who helped their trip of a lateurs to success. i Newton’s team was unablel [to give him much assistance|; land its best net was 59, out-q

(side the cut for Newton to b in the money. [ In contrast, the professional in the winning team. Feter Headland (Australia), ignored his card after 3 holes. He had good reason: tout of bounds on the first an J twice out of bounds on e third. From that point on, Headland played purely for his team Some professionals were aware of the new allocation of the prize money but others clearly were not. [l. did seem unfair that a Iman who might have fin ! ished a dozen shots behind [Newton should gain a con siderably financial reward and the winner receive nothing. New Zealand’s best score I was the special drawcard [Godfrey and on 69 with him, I was the special drawcrad, (Arnold Palmer. ' He gave them a good exhibition after the first shot and could have had much better than 69. He missed too many putts from 13m tet score spectacularly and astonished his 200-plus I following by lipping out 'from 40cm on the sev» enteenth. That was quickly forgotten as Palmer decided ‘‘to go :for broke” and elected to I drive over the towering pines protecting the left side [of the last green. He cleared them with a tremendous shot and was no more than 25m from the green (the hole measured 300 m) but a weak chip shot failed to make the up-siope and Palmer had his ball back almost to where he had played the shot.