Youthful pair wins N.Z. golf foursomes

Press, 6 May 1980, Page 46

Youthful pair wins N.Z. golf foursomes

PA . ' Hamilton John Finn and Michael Atkinson — a youthful com- . bination from St Clair, ’ Dunedin, scored a narrow but well merited win in the New Zealand Amateur Foursomes Championships over 36 holes at the Lochiel Golf course, in Hamilton yesterday. But they had an excruciating half hour wait before their score of 71, 70 — 141 took the title by a solitary stroke from John Gatley, of Lochiel, and Jim Lapsley, of Winton, who scored 72, 70 — 142. Finn, a 22-year-old who was beaten in the final of last year’s individual national championship and Atkinson, who is only 19, led the field . after the. first found by a stroke from, the eventual runners-up, and the seasoned Hamilton player, Colin Taylor, who with Neil Gaskin, of Levin, shared second place. Finn and Atkinson had a splendid outward nine yesterday afternoon in 33, three under the card, with birdies at the third, eighth and ninth. Gatley, who had done well in pre-toumament practice, almost snatched victory with a brilliant approach shot at the last hole when he and Lapsley needed a birdie three to win the title.

Gatley pitched an uphill approach shot which almost went in the hole but the ball

nudged barely a metre past it. Lapsley, who had played with admirable consistency all day, missed the short putt to take five for the hole and lose by a stroke. They had brought themselves right into contention with a fine outward 34 with birdies at , the third and fourth.

Taylor and Gaskin saw their hopes virtually perish at the par-three third hole where Taylor’s teeshot was bunkered. They took two shots to get out and a costly six resulted. Otherwise they played well with four birdies on their card.

In the end they shared third place with Mike Nicholson and Noel Johnson of Whakatane who had two steady rounds of 73.

141— J. Finn and M. J. R. Atkinson (St Clair), 71, 70.' 142— J. Gatley (Lochiel) and J. Lapsley (Winton), 72, 70. 146—M. -N. Nicholson and N. Johnson (Whakatane), 73, 73; C. E. Taylor (Hamilton) and N. Gaskin (Levin), 72, 74. - 147—P. Burney and R. Burney (Manukau). 77, 70. 148—J. F. Wilson and R. A. Godso (Pukekohe), 75, 73; T. Cochrane (Waitemata) and G. A. Kelly (Otago), 76, 72. 150— R. P. Bell (Ashburton) and I. K. McDonald (St Clair), 77 73. 151— D. A. J. Render and K. A. Roberts (Shandon), 79, 72; B. Laurence (Tahuna) ana A. K. Smith (Lochiel), 76, 75; P. Aickm (Whitford Park) and I. Chandler (Pupuke), 75, 76. 152— J. R. Billington (Miramar) and M. K. Webber (Paraparaumu Beach), 80, 72; S. S. Robinson (Christchurch) and B. C. Taylor (Russley), 80, 72; P. W. Mosley (North Shore) and T. R. Pulman (Grange), 77, 75.