Canty golfers too strong

Press, 20 August 1979, Page 34

Canty golfers too strong

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

In spite of a much improved showing in the afternoon, Mid-South Canterbury was beaten decisively 22|9|, by Canterbury in their annual golf match at the Brandon course, Ashburton, for the Smallbone Trophy yesterday. Canterbury had the trophy firmly in its grasp after the morning round when it won 13 of the 16 matches and halved another. Mid-South Canterbury salvaged some pride by holding its opponent to 9-7 in the afternoon but the damage had already been done. Mid-South Canterbury had its two successes in the first round in the top four. The club champion, Charlie Alexander, took advantage of a poor start by the Canterbury No. 2, Simon Robinson, and won the first four holes. Robinson’s game improved considerably and he played the next 11 holes in one under. But Alexander never relented and successive birdies on 14 and 15 gave his Canterbury rival no chance to recover.

A former international, Ross Murray, made a welcome and successful return to the combined team. The Canterbury No. 4, Dennis Beggs, did not play especially well against Murray but that did not detract from the assured display by one of New Zealand’s most

esteemed amateurs. Murray was two-under when the match ended at the fourteenth. The only other crumb of comfort for Mid-South Canterbury in the morning was the rather fortuitous half gained by Randall Feutz against Bob Farrant. Farrant had the lead for most of the match and only Feutz’s uncanny ability to get down in two from off the greens kept their game alive to a late stage. Farrant missed a reasonable putt and with it an opportunity to win the match at the seventeenth. He had a bad iron shot when he least wanted it on the last hole to lose it and finish all square. The best golf was provided by the Canterbury champion, Geoff Saunders.

, Saunders, captaining the team from the top position, i had three birdies on the • front nine against the Midi South Canterbury Freyberg • representative, Robbie Bell. ’ Saunders was five-up at the t turn and won the next two ’ holes for good measure. t The morning result was a r little flattering to Canter- « bury. Five matches resulted ! in one-up wins and all went to Canterbury players. The f depth in Canterbury golf > was shown by the eight > wins recorded by the second > half of the team. : However only Paul Atkint son, lan Ross, and Fred Posj kitt had the perfect score of - two wins in the bottom i order as the Mid-South ; Canterbury players displayed i more determination in the afternoon. Len McKenzie . and John Allin both had ■ halved matches to go with i their first-round wins. i Results (Canterbury names • first): > Morning round S. S. Robinson lost to C. • Alexander, 5 and 3; G. C. , Saunders beat R. P. Bell, 7 and 6; D. L. Beggs lost to R. C. • Murray, 5 and 4; M. E. Street

beat I. R. Cuthill, 1 up; R. M. Vincent beat K. Frazier, 3 and 1; J. N. Williamson beat B. Smyth, 1 up; R. M. Farrant halved with R. Feutz; M. G. Brown beat G. Smith, 1 up; J. L. Allin beat L. Goodson, 4 and 3; L. G. McKenzie beat C. Taylor, 1 up; P. K. Atkinson beat S. Keen, 6 and 5; D. R. Griffith beat G. Keen. 1 up; I. J. Ross beat A. Magnum, 3 and 2; N. Mclvor beat G. Kelly, 2 and 1; G. L. Maw beat P. Hayes, 7 and 5; F. J. Poskitt beat G. Hogg, 5 and 4. Juniors.—R. Young lost to R. Hamilton, 7 and 6; G. Percy lost to B. Houston, 2 down; T. Poskitt halved with J. Houston; P. MeLaughlan beat M. Rae, 2 up; W. P. Neal halved with R. Young; J. Porter lost to D. Hooke, 4 and 3; J. CrawfordSmith beat B. Hayman, 4 and 2; D. Newbum lost to W. Holmes, 4 and 2. Afternoon round Saunders beat Alexander, 2 up; Robinson lost to Bell, 1 down; Street halved with Murray; Beggs halved with' Cuthill; Williamson beat Frazier, 2 up; Vincent beat Smyth. 2 up; Brown beat Feutz, 2 and 1; Farrant lost to Smith, 2 and 1; McKenzie halved with Goodson; AUln halved with Taylor; Griffith lost to S. Keen, 1 down; Atkinson beat G. Keen. 3 and 2; Mclvor lost to Mangum, 2 and 1; Ross beat Kelly, 6 and 5: Poskitt beat Hayes, 2 and 1; Maw lost to Hogg, 3 and 2. Juniors.—Neal beat Hooke, 6 and 5; Porter beat Young, 3 and 2: Crawford-Smith halved with Holmes; Newborn beat Hayman, 2 up.