P.G.A. ‘wide open’

Press, 31 December 1980, Page 3

P.G.A. ‘wide open’

PA Tauranga “The last month is history. Anything can happen.Golf is an unpredicatable' game,” said Eamonn Darcy,: of Ireland, on his arrival atMount Manganui to play in| tomorrow’s fifty-fifth annual} N.Z.P.G.A. golf tournament i Mainly because of the I manner of his win in the; Air N.Z.-Shell Open at Titi-i rangi, and finishing runner- j up in the N.Z. Open at New} Plymouth, Darcy is the ob-| vious favourite for the’ P.G.A. title. “Just because I have been} successful 'so far in New. Zealand, a lot of people' think I am in with a} chance,” said Darcy, “If I play well, yes I'm in with a! chance, but if I don’t play, well — anything can happen. “I had not won a touma-: ment for two and a half' years so the win meant a lot } to me,” he said. The 28-year-old soft-spo-j ken Darcy hails from Delga-i ny, a small town 20 miles} out of Dublin. It is not al

home he sees much of, spending almost all of his time on the European golf circuit. This circuit has brought him such platings as fourth in the Portuguese Open, fifth in the French Open and sixth in the Scandinavian Open; all last year. This year he has had a} seventh in the Kenyan Open; and the Bob Hope British: Classic, eighth in the Dutch} Open, ninth in the Martini! International and, recently,} sixth in the Australian} P.G.A. It was while in Australia, that Air New Zealand, the! principal sponsors of the' N.Z.P.G.A., tempted Darcy to! play in the Air N.Z. classic, j And it was another pro-! fessional, last year’s top! prizemoney-winning Australian, Rodger Davis, who suggested that Darcy might remain in New Zealand during the Christmas break and play in the N.Z.P.G.A.} Among the advantage; was} the promise of better weather than back home.

Darcy may face an un-' usual pressure when he starts his first round tomor-; row. He is certain to attract some of the bigger galleries,: all expecting much of him. “I'll Just ease my way: into the tournament,” he said. Darcy and the 1976 Air N.Z. classic winner, Bill Brask, of the United State;, should be the biggest drawcards in the tournament. Other leading overseas entries are Davis, and Ted Ball, Guy Woistenholme and Bob Shaw. The New Zealand big three, who have shared the last five P.G.A. titles, Bob Charles, Simon Owen and John Lister, are sure to be near the front again.

Unusually wet weather over the last week or two should help put the 6000 metre, par 71 course in the best condition it has ever been for the tournament.

In the past the fairways, adjacent to the Ocean Beach, have dried out causing the balls to have too much run.