Charles top earner

Press, 10 January 1979, Page 4

Charles top earner

Bob Charles earned $21,548 for four weeks work during this summer’s New Zealand professional golf circuit. Most of it came in two weeks, —515,000 for winning the Air N.Z.-Shell Open at Titirangi, and $6OOO for his triumph in last week’s N.2.P.G.A. championship. Away from these two tournaments, Charles’s form was only moderate—equal 37th in the N.Z. Open and equal 30th in the Otago Charity Classic. Last summer Charles won only $2BOO In New Zealand. Mike Krantz (United States) who won the Otago Classic, was second on the money list with $9402.50, the N.Z. Open champion, Bob Shearer (Australia) picked up $9225 in two tournaments, while Graham Marsh won $BOOO in his only appearance, which brought a second at Titirangi.

John Lister continued his slide down the New Zealand list. Last year, he was 16th with $3OOO. Tills summer he 1* 32nd with $1709.76. That put him one place ahead of last year’s Order of Merit leader, David Good (Australia). However, Good’s preparation for this circuit was hampered bv an arm Injury he received in England.

The winning* (down to $1000) from the four major tournaments were: Charles (N.Z.), $21,548, Krantz (U.S.), $9402.50, Shearer (Aust.), $9225; Marsh (Aust.), $9000; R. Davis (Aust.), $7395; S. Simpson (U.S.), $6427.50; B. Barnes (U.K.), $6164.43, S. Owen (N.Z.), $5000: A. Palmer (U.S.), $4725; D. Graham (Aust.), $4725; K. Nagle (Aust.), $4605; R. Shaw (Aust.), $4495; M. Lye (U.S.), $4170; T. Ball (Aust.), $4012; G. Wolstenholme (Aust.), $3950; R. Clark (U.S.), $3802.50; M. Bohen (U.S.), 53653.33; V. Heafner (U.S.), $3265; S. Ginn (Auct.), $3263.33; P. Firmstone (Aust.), $2632.03; M. Bembridge (U.K.), $2540; R. McNaughton (Aust.), $2515; N. Ratcliffe (Aust.) $2470.50; R. Risch (U.S.), $2454.50; E. W. Dunk (Aust.), $2407.50; R. Beauchemln (Canada), $2288.34; P. Headline (Aust.), $2185; C. Owen (N.Z.), $2164: B. Vivian (N.Z.), $2043; S. Reese (N.Z.), $1945; M. Ballesteros (Spain), $1737.50; Lister (N.Z.), $1709.76; Good (Aust.), $1619.20; R. Coombes (N.Z.), $1555.63; T. Kendall (N.Z.), $1435.63; B. Burgess (Aust.), $1367.50; A. Russell (U.S.), $1330; R. Cox (U.S.), $1285.50; L. Stephen (Aust.), $1243.43; G. Burrows (U.S.), $1240; F. Conallln (Aust.), $1180; H. Underwood (U.S.), $1103.33; V. Somers (Aust.), $lO9O .