Repeat win in golf classic

Press, 24 November 1980, Page 3

Repeat win in golf classic

Three of the four players who were in the winning team in 1978 had a second success ini “The Press” Garden City Golf Classic which finished at Harewood yesterday. „ The four of Kevin Banfield, Bob Wilkinson, Paul Clark and Harry Wilson had a four-ball stableford aggregate of 294 for 36 holes to win the event by two stableford points. In 1978, when the event was called the celebrity classic and played as a best-ball net competition, Banfie d, Wilkinson and Clark, who was the “celebrity” teamed together with Jim Boleyn to win the tournament.- They promised to remain as a team and play in future events and they are pleased they have kept their promise. However, on this occasion, Boleyn was absent because of a wedding and the vacancy was taken by Wilson, vice-captain of the Hororata club. Hororata extends an invitation for Harewood players to its tournaments and Wilson became known to the other members- of vhe win-

; ning team through this ar- ; rangement. 1 Banfield admitted that ■ they were fortunate to strike i the best conditions over the • two days. They were on the old course on Saturday ■ afternoon and received some 1 protection from the strong I north-westerly wind which ■ buffeted the courses and > made it specially trying on • the exposed new course. Yesterday, the four played t on the new course in the ■ morning in still and pleasant I conditions. After the Saturday round, ) the team had several others I ahead of them after scoring > 141 points. Banfield did • best with 39 points, Smith i contributed 37, Wilkinson ! 35, and Clark 30. I All of the team played to ■ their handicaps or better yesterday, the points ranging , from . 36 to 39 and their I combined total of 153 was ■ sufficient to give them the , win. Wilson was most effec- : tive with his putter, needing only 25 putts for the round. Wilson jokingly remarked ■ that Boleyn would have a I fight on his hand to regain i his place in the four for ■ next year. Banfield added:;

“We might have to hold our own pre-qualifying tournament to decide the four places." According to Banfield the real turning point was over the last four holes yesterday. “We had been playing only average to good, but we got shots on the last holes and used them, scoring 41 points.” They scored 12 points on two of the final holes.

Organisers of the classic are confident of raising about $5OOO from the tournament to buy a neo-natal monitor for the Christchurch Women’s Hospital. Leading scores were:— 294 — K. Banfield, P. K.

Clark, H. Wilson, R. F. Wilkinson. 292 — C. Reid, G. McGrath, D. Jackman, Mrs D. Neal. 290 — G. Blane, G. Callaghan, H. McAuley, H. J. Henderson; D. L. Taylor, A. Lang, G. .Denny, A. O. Hawkins. 288 — D. Allard, R. Murtha, O. D. Bruce, W. Southgate. 286 — T. McClintock, D. Hodgins, I. Schral, G. P. Walker. 285 — R. Leary, A. McKenzie, R. Collings, W. Sibley. 283 — Mrs N. Poskitt, D. Bradshaw, J. D. Gregg, S. Greenall.