Smallbone Trophy clash proves close tussle

Press, 1 September 1980, Page 3

Smallbone Trophy clash proves close tussle

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

Charlie Alexander, -a stalwart of the Mid-South Canterbury golf team for the last decade, was almost caught unprepared yesterday when , his 16-man ; team met Canterbury in their annual match for the Smallbone Trophy at the Brandon course, Ashburton. The affable Alexander was captain of the team and for the last nine years that he can can recall playing in the contest, he and the captains before him have had to make speeches on behalf Of the loser as Canterbury has swept to big wins. Alexander had to make that speech again yesterday, but only just. In one of its best performances for many vears, Mid-South Canterbury just failed to gain victory against a Canterbury teani considered to be as strong as in recent years. Mid-South Canterbury has often been struggling to reach double figures, but it was in a challenging position when behind 7|-8| after the morning round, and had worked itself into a winning position three holes from the finish. However, in the three important unfinished matches, Canterbury rallied stronglvi to claim two wins and ai half to complete an after- i noon score of B|-7| and an| over-all victory, 17-15. Only four Canterbury players managed two wins — Jim Lapsley, Murray Brown, Mark Street and Gary Maw — although

Simon Robinson and Brent Paterson gained a win and a half, and Brent Street halved both matches.

For Mid-South Canterbury, Geoff Kelly and Ross Hamilton achieved the perfect record and Robbie Bell, Geoff Keen, Garth Madden and John Bufton all scored a win and a half. Three Canterbury Freyberg players, John Williamson, Des Turner and Stephen

Street, were beaten in both matches as was a newcomer, Peter Heasley, who had an unfortunate debut in the senior side.

Canterbury’s top order paved the way for its narrow win. Although Williamson lost twice, Robinson,’ Lapsley, Mark Street and! Brown- combined to give their team seven wins and a half from a possible eight, although several games went the full distance.

Robinson, ; the Canterbury No. 1 had ai’ satisfying day. He got his short game going at the right time to beat Alexander in the morning, but was under pressure throughout against Bell, the’ combined team’s No. 1 and( Ashburton club champion. i They (had a strange start, not halving a hole until the| seventh where they both scored birdies. Robinson won the first hole with a par but lost the next three to pars and the fifth to a birdie. There were some indifferent shots from the Canterbury match-play

champion, but he steadied his game with a 3m birdie putt on the sixth. Bell was 3 up at the turn and one-under par. However, it was his turn to hit some astray shots on the back nine and Robinson, helped by birdies at 12 and 13.; squared the match at the! sixteenth. I

Both players had reasonable birdie putts to win the seventeenth, but they failed and neither held his apiproach shot on the elevated green at the last. Robinson was still short of the green after his third, but played a pitch shot by the hole and gained a half when Bell missed a good putting opportunity from less than 2m. If Williamson was putting for money yesterday, he would have been a pauper very soon. Although his long game was equal to his playing partners, Williamson

suffered from the putting horrors. Results (Canty names firstjwere: — Morning round S. S. Robinson beat C. Alexander, 4 and 2 J. x\". Williamson lost to R. P. Bell, 3 and 1; J. 11. Bapley beat K. Hazier, 2 and 1; M. E. Street beat E. Alaguigaif, 1 up; Al. G. Brown beat It. reutz, 1 up; I. J. Ross lost to G. R. Smith, 1 down; R. M. Vincent beat S. Keen, 3 and 1; D. N. Turner lost to G. Kelly. T down; S. W. Street lost to A. Mangum, 1 down; G. -L. Maw beat P. Hayes, 5. and P. K. Atkinson lost to "G. Keen, 1 down; B. G. Paterson beat R. Middleton, 5 and 3; J. Gantley lost to R. Hamilton, 4 and 3; P. McDonald beat C. Taylor. 2 and 1; P. Heasley lost to G. Madden 4 and 2; B. K. Street halved with J. Button. Juniors.—P. Robertslm lost to L. Bennett, 1 down; M. Kibblewhite lost to P. Booth, 4 and 3: G. McMasters beat W. Holmes, 1 up; J. Porter lost to J. Davidson. 5 and 3; C. Wilson halved with J. Bergseng; A. Sloane beat J. Smitheram, 2 up; D. O’Keefe beat D. McNaught, 2 up; C. Gladhill beat C. Morrison, 4 and 3. Afternoon round Robinson halved with Bell; Williamson lost' to Alexander, 5 and 4; Lapsley beat Maguigan. 4 and 2; M. Street beat Frazier, 3 and 2; Brown beat Smith,-1 up; Ross beat Feutz, 2 up; Vincent lost to Kelly, 4 and 3; Turner lost to S. Keen, 1 down; S. Street lost to Hayes, 2- and 1; Maw beat Mangum, 6 and 4; Atkinson beat Middleion, 2 and 1; Paterson halved with G. Keen; Gantley beat Taylor, 2 and 1; McDonald lost to Hamilton, 4 and 3; Beasley lost to Button, 8 and 7; B. Street halved with Madden.

Juniors. — Robertson beat Booth, .1 up; Kibblewhite lost to Bennett, 4 and 3; McMaster lost to Davidson, 3 and 2; Porter beat Holmes,- 5 and 3; Wilson lost to Sinitheram, 4 and 3: Sloane beat Bergseng. 1 up; O’Keefe lost to Morrison, 1 down; Gladhill beat McNaught, 4 and 2.