Simon Robinson top amateur golf qualifier

Press, 8 May 1980, Page 38

Simon Robinson top amateur golf qualifier

| pa Hamilton Simon Robinson, of Christchurch, with two fine rounds of 68 and 71 for an aggregate of 139, was the [clear top qualifier after the I second and final round of I the New Zealand amateur i golf championship at the Lochiel course in Hamilton yesterday. Robinson, the overnight leader, started brilliantly [yesterday morning, with birdies at the first two holes, but finished on a disappointing note when he three-putted the last two greens-. Even so, he had three strokes to snare from 19-year-old Phillip Aickin (Whitford Park), who scored 72, 70-142 and Colin Taylor (Hamilton) 69, 73-142. Robinson, a sheep farmer from Kirwee with a relaxed approach to the game, and winner of the Canterbury stroke-play championship at Easter, admits to “playing golf for the love of it.’’ Buthis 440-acre farm and thei

fact that his wife, Debbie, is expecting their first child in October is paramount in-his thoughts even though -he admits to an inner urge to play for his country. . He said of his round: “I had a great start- then missed birdie putts at four and five and really had to struggle through the middle stages when I had to chip and putt to save par. Then it came right again until those last two greens.” Aickin, in spite of finishing with a six at the parfive eighteenth, was in superb form for his-70 (36, 34). He had birdies at the sixth, tenth, fifteenth and seventeenth. Taylor’s hopes were jolted when he drove out of bounds and took seven at the par-five fifth hole. Otherwise his card was exactly par except for a birdie four at the last. The two internationals, Geoff Clarke (St Clair) and Paul Hartstone (Te Awamutu), showed vastly, im-

proved form yesterday with cards of 70, to aggregate 143. Clarke, the top qualifier in 1978 f and 1979, said: “A couple of hours on the practice strip has given me some hope. I am making no predictions,- but . at least I hit every green today whereas 1 was. ’ mistiming my teeshots.” - Stuart Reid i (Ngahinepouri), a-previous runner-up and ■ quarter-finalist for the matchplay title, was in magnificent putting touch as he just missed a 69 when a long birdie putt stopped on the lip of the hole at the eighteenth. He finished with 143, and the consistent Southlander, Jim Lapsley, had two almost unblemished rounds of 71, 72 for 143. Hartstone, after .just missing an eagle three at. the thirteenth, was three under the card, ? but three-putted the seventeenth. But the best round of the second day, came near the

end when a 23-year ; old Shandon plaj-er, Andrew Walker, who had 'scored a mediocre 80 on Tuesday, stormed round in 68, four under par. He had birdies at the first, third-, ninth, twelfth and thirteenth, and dropped a solitary shot at the. eleventh., ' , . Michael Atkinson■ and; John Finn, the St Clair club-[ mates, who won ■' the , four-: somes on Monday, had vary-j Ing fortunes. . ’ . Whereas Atkinson had a tidy par 72, Finn fell right away .with, a, disastrous , 85 (42-43). Early putting horrors affected ’his confidence and he did'little right thereafter. Paul Street, the New Plymouth 18-year-old, who shot a 70 on Tuesday, was nowhere near the same form yesterday with 81 (40-41), ■ Scores of 155 ■ or better qualified for the matchplay, with the 64 players involved due to play the first roundi today, 1

I In addition to Finn, prominent players who missed qualifying were Peter Burney (Manukau) 79, 77-156, and' Neil Gaskin (Levin), 78, 80-158, who' was a semifinalist last year. ' -.q Qualifiers after , 36 holes . (St Andrew's ■ Salver):— 139—S. S. Robinson ' (Shirley) 68, 71. . ’ • l 142— P. Aieken (Whitford Park) | 72, 70; C. E. Taylor (Hamilton) 69, 73. ' . . .' ■ ( 143— P. E. Hartstdne (Te .Awa- i niutu) 73, . 70; S. E. Reid (Ngahinepotiri) 73, 70; G. E. Clarke; (St Clair) 73, 70; J. H. Lapsley ; (Winton) 71, 72. 145— G. A. Kellv (Balmacewan) 71, 74. 146— R. White (Remuera) 75, 71; R. \V. Stevenson (Lochiel) 73. 73; S. Bittie (Hamilton) 73, 73. 147— M. N. Nicholson (Whakatane) 76, 71; M. J. R. Atkinson (St Clair) 75, 72. 148— A. D. Walker (Shandon) 80, 68; M. K. Webber (Paraparaumu) 74, 74; J. S. Thomson (Waikar'e) 74. 75; M. E. Barltrop (Manukau) 73, 75; R. P. Bell (Ashburton) 73, 75. i 149— Q. Scheurich (Lochiel) 78, 71; A. R. Smith (Lochiel) 76, 73; G. Joynes (Hamilton) 74, 75; B. Roderick (Tauranga) 74. 75: R. Hyland (Whakatane) 74. 75; R. A. Godso ■ (Pukekohe) 73, 76.

I 150—R? M. ! Barltrop (Miramar) 78, 72; D. A. J. Render (Shandon) 77,-73; R. T. Hogg (Whitby) >76. 74; C. Treen (Peninsula) 76, 174; J. Ferregel (Pukekohe) 73, 77; P. W. -Moslev (North Shore) 73, 77. 151 — P.. R. Rejd. - (Muriwai) 76, 75; P..K; Creighton (Grange) 75, 76; C. Castle (Wellington) 75, 76; iG. Ritchie (Muriwai) 75, 76: G. I Dyer (Manukau) 74. 77; C. Burney II Manukau) 72, 79; P. Street (New Plymouth) 70, 81. 152— J. R. Billington (Miramar') 179, 73: C. H. Neill (Paraparaumu) 76, 76; B. C. Taylor (Russley) 76, 76; T. Cochrane (Waitemata) 175, 77; S. Barron (Waikanae) 75, 77; S. Morpeth (Manawatu) 73, 79. 153— A. Peters (Springfield) 79, 74; B. Soland. (Titirangi) 78, 75; M. F. Neill (Titirangi) 77, 76; K. I. McDonald (St Clair) 77. 76; R. D. Morgan (Hamilton) 76, 77; K. Johnson (Rotorua) 76, 77. 154— L. Phelps (Paraparaumu) 78. 76; L. Chandler (Pupuke) 77, 77; G. Radka (Greenacres) 76, 78; P. K. Keenan (Levin) 76, 78; R. Kitto (Wanganui) 76. 78; T. Pulman (Grange) 75, 79; J. J. V. Barr (Lochiel) 73, 81. 155— G. Waite (Palmerston North) 79, 76; R. Burney (Manukau) 76, 77; M. T. Davidson (Patea). 77. 78: K. A. Roberts (Shandon) 77, 78; J. Gatley (Lochiel) 77, 78; J. Kurta (New Plymouth) 75, 80; T. Treen (Titirangi) 75. 80; H, Winchester (Omanu). 74, 8L