One-stroke lead to Newton in Titirangi open

Press, 1 December 1978, Page 20

One-stroke lead to Newton in Titirangi open

From 808 SCHUMACHER in Auckland

Justice was done and seen to be done at Titirangi yesterday when the Australian, Jack Newton, scored a four-under-par 66 to lead after the first round of the S7S,(XX) Air New Zealand-Shell Open golf classic.

On Wednesday Newton equalled the course record of 64 in the pro-am tournament: he was the best professional but received no monetary reward. That instead went to the professionals who supported the leading amateur teams. Newton felt mean after that waste of a fine round and was naturally pleased to be in the lead again yesterday. “If I get mad enough I might even win it," he said. Newton was mad as were many of the professionals who hit off in the middle of the field and later. The field moved at a snail's pace, not helped by players requesting rulings or losing balls. Even so, the scene was one of slow motion. “It was ridiculous,” said Newton. “On a course like this there’s no excuse for not completing a round in four hours. I was out there for five hours and 10 min-' utes. I waited on every tee. and for every damned shot.” Newton said it was time for the P.G.A. to do something in New Zealand and in Australia. “In the United States slow play has been cut back from five hours to three and a half hours because players are penalised $250 without warning if they exceed the' limit.” In the United States each; player had been timed to' play shots and an average had been worked out from that. Officials would be on the course with stop watches and players fined instantly if they delayed play j 100 long. Only Newton’s putting: prevented him from having a sensational first nine. He had birdies on the first two holes, another on the fourth, i and an eagle on the fifth, but he three-putted the third from 8m to drop a shot and did likewise on the eight, (from 3m) and the ninth (from sm). If there was an absence of pars in Newton’s front half he settled into the steadystuff on the back nine. He hit two fine shots into the: difficult twelfth for a simple, birdie and was on the par five thirteenth in two for another easy birdie.

The rest of the half was played in par He extricated himself skilfully from some, awkward positions and im-j proved his putting line and length. On another warm and pleasant Auckland day, 23 play-' ers equalled or broke par. Newton has only a one-stroke lead over five players: two of his compatriots. Bruce: Devlin and David Graham, Vance Heafner and Bob' Risch (both United States),! and Bob Charles (New Zealand). Devlin and Graham, two highly successful players ini the United States both with earnings of more than $500,000, played together andj both could have returned better scores. They were meticulous with all shots but the results proved what can be achieved with care and concentration. Devlin has not been in: New Zealand since he won: the New Zealand Open at Wanganui in 1963. His driving was his downfall and his, dropped shots were mainly j attributable to his inaccuracy! off the tee. •[ However, he struck some! remarkable recovery shots' and had seven birdies. He had' five birdies in the first eight! holes but lost his rhythm as his driving accuracy de-! | dined. “I broke my favourite driver seven years ago andj at a conservative estimate 11 would have tried 200 drivers! since,” he said. “Years ago I was considered one of the longest and straightest drivers in the game: now I’m! i struggling.” Both Devlin and Graham,: whose driving was superb' but who had little luck with many birdie putts, felt that i the fairways were too long' and that proper spin could I not be gained on the ball because grass came between' the club and the ball before , contact. With Titirangi so dry and the greens hard it was a rare sight to see a well pitched ball hold on the green. - “I think they must use mowers without blades: that; I is a constructive criticism, j not a bitch,” said Devlin. Charles highlighted his round with an eagle from 4m j : on the thirteenth. It was 1

heartening to see the New Zealand left-hander in command of his game. “I had only the one bad drive and one bad iron: it was a controlled round,” he said. He was concerned also at the slowness of play. “I was out there five hours exactly and it is difficult to keep the momentum going : that long.” The star attraction, Arnold Palmer, finished off the pace with 72 but is still in the hunt. “I drove poorly and putted : badly for the first nine and was struggling,” said the American. Three putts from 2m on lone hole emphasised Palmer’s putting problems. He was contrary to Devlin and Graham when he said that if they cut the fairway grass any shorter there would be none at all. i “But with the course so : drv it is difficult to hold a ball: frankly the greens need : watering,” he said. “However, j none of that affected my j score.” There was a notable first in the tournament, with Gilllian Bannan, recently the I assistant professional at TitiI rangi, taking her place in [ the field after qualifying in the pre-qualifying tournament. She put on a bold front over the first nine and turned: in 38. But the harder second nine exposed her lack of' Jength and she finished nearj the bottom of the field with 84. Heafner is a new name in! professional circles: he only! joined the cash ranks a little less than four months ago.! But a lot more will be heard) iof the curly blond-headed I youngster. He putted with dexterity! and his three birdies on the! front nine came from distances of sm, 10m, and 4m. He went four-under with another long birdie putt at the tenth and had his fifth with a tap-in at 13. However, he dropped shots at 12 and 14, his only mistakes for the day.