Ginn breaks tournament ‘drought’ with victory in N.Z. golf Open

Press, 10 December 1979, Page 38

Ginn breaks tournament ‘drought’ with victory in N.Z. golf Open

PA Dunedin Joy for Stewart Ginn, woe for Simon Owen —the dapper Australian overcame an overnight two-stroke deficit to win the New Zealand Open golf championship by three strokes at St Clair yesterday.

It was Ginn's first four-| round tournament win in New Zealand and it came as a surprise to many of the gallery, who seemed stunned as Owen crashed badly yesterday after playing sol coolly and well during the | first three days. Ginn had a 2-under-par 69 yesterday, Owen a 3-over-, par 74. Owen began with a bogey at the first hole when “his; approach landed in a bunker but he seemed to steady his! game—until the sixth hole His 8 iron approach to the, green at the sixth was far) too strong, landing in a flax bush and giving him a diffi-l cult lie. “I hit it we!! but it just! teemed to come off tool quickly,” said a bitterly disappointed Owen later. "That shot did the damage that is for sure. Three-put-jing the twelfth did not kelp, either.” Owen’s troubles at the*

|sixth gave him a double J bogey for the hole. , The New Zealander, whose ’ impeccable manners and fine play made him a favourite I of the gallery, said ruefully: . “Those holes seemed to have lids on them today.” 1 Ginn, who won the Australian P.G.A. tournament in (Melbourne last month, was I highly excited at breaking •,h i s tournament-winning ■ “drought” in New Zealand. I He began by parring the (first eight holes yesterday but birdied the ninth, tenth ■ ’and fourteenth holes with !* safe driving, precise chipiping and sound putting. • Ginn, aged 29, has been : 1 playing in tournaments in (New Zealand for seven ■ years and he has been a : I consistent although not >1 spectacular player. • i “It’s difficult to be the Header going into the last : round and Simon Owen found that today,” Ginn “I thought I’d need a 69 to win — that is what I :*was hoping for and that’s

'my favourite number,” he said with a grin. “The putting green is where the game is won and lost. I putted shockingly at the Air New Zealand-Shell open tournament at Heretaunga and I have spent a lot of time on the putting green since.” Rodger Davis, of Australia, was in with a chance at one stage yesterday but could not sustain his good form of the first nine holes and finished on 70 to end in third place. Only four players scored in the sixties yesterday — Brian Jones (Australia) 64, Terry Gale (Australia) 67, George Bullock (United States) and Ginn 69. Four players had 1-under-par rounds of 70, including Michael Atkinson (St Clair), who shared with Phillip Aidkin (Auckland) the Bledisloe Cup for the leading amateur. Final scores were:

281—S. Owen (N.Z.), 65, 71, 71, 75 (55600). 283— R. Davis (Aust.), 67, 73, 73, 70 ($4250). 284— T. Gale (Aust.), 71, 74, 72, 67 ($3250). 285— E. Ball (Aust.), 63, 78, 72, 72 ($2475). 286— B. Jones (Aust.), 72, 72, 78, 64; J. Short (U.S.), 70, 72, 72, 72 ($1660 each). 284—8. Vivian (N.Z.), 71, 73, 73, 70- B. Barnes (U.K.), 69, 71, 71, 76 ($1250 each). 288— G. Bullock (U.S.), 75. 73, 71. 69 ($1100). 289— G. Wolstenholme (Aust.). 69, 74. 74, 72; F. Nobilo (N.Z.), 71, 70, 74, 74; R. Mallicoat (U.S.), 76, 70, 69. 74; R. Coombes (N.Z.), 69. 73, 70, 77 ($857 each). 290— G. Holmen (Aust.), 69, 78, ■ 73, 70; P. Cowen (U.K.), 69, 77, 73, 71; J. Clifford (Aust.), 71. 70, ■ 76, 73 ($643 each). 291— M. Bohen (U.S.), 70, 77, 73, 71; C. Owen (N.Z.), 70, 72. 77, 72; P. Headland (Aust.), 72, 75, 72, 72; A. Russell (U.S.), 72, 74, 72, 73: T. Kendall (N.Z.), 77, 70, 71, 73; D. Clark (N.Z.), 70, 72, 75, 74; R. Charles (N.Z.), 67, 71, 75, 78 (5555 each). 292— W. Gradv (Aust.), 74, 75, 70. 73 ($495). 293— G. Serhan (Aust.), 76, 73, 74. 70; S. Stegner (U.S.), 75, 74, 74, 70; R. Lee (Aust.), 74. 74. 70, 75; M. Foster (U.K.), 67, 79, 70, 77 ($453 each). 294— M. Atkinson (amateur), 71, 79, 84, 70; P. Hamblett (N.Z.), 76, i

77, 69, 72; J. Godwin (U.S.), 74, 71, 73, 73; P. Aickin (amateur:, 69, 77, 75, 73; J. Roche (N.Z.), 71, 76, 73, 74 ($4lO each).

295; B. Britten (U.S.), 72, 72, 78, 73; P. Murray (Aust.), 73, 75, 74, 73; M. Harper (amateur), 72, 73, 76, 74; V. Somers (Aust.), 73, 79, 74, 73; M. Bembridge (U.K.), 74. 74, 72, 75; R. McNaughton (Aust.), 72, 75. 72, 76 ($365 each). 296— G. Clarke (Otago. amateur), 70, 76, 77, 73; K. Nagie (Aust.). 74, 73, 73, 76 (5330). 297— S. Reese (N.Z.), 69, 75, 76, 88 ($320). 298 — K. Southerden (N.Z.), 74, 76, 77, 71- F. Voelkel (U.S.), 77, 76, 72, 73; D. Klenk (U.S.), 73, 74, 74. 77 <3300 each). 299— F. Muller (U.S.), 70, 77, 77, 75; R. Ellis (N.Z.), 73, 81, 70, 75 ($275 each). 300— S. Tuttle (U.S.), 76, 73, 74, 77 (5260). 301— G. Smart (N.Z.), 74, 75, 75, 77; S. Galbraith (U.S.), 75, 75, 76, 75; J. Benda (U.S.), 77, 75. 76, 73; C. Henderson (Aust.), 73, 74, 75, 79 ($217 each). 302— D. Williams (U.S.), 75, 79, 72. 76. 303— K. McDonald (amateur), 73. 81, 73, 76; B. Newall (amateur), 72, 80, 75, 76. 304— T. Ireland (Aust.), 74, 75, 73, 82. 307—M. Mathews (U.S!), 72, 82, 74, 79.

278—S. Ginn (Aust.), 70, 68, 71, 69 (37500).

308—R. Johnston (amateur), 76, 75, 74. 83.