Lapsley in good touch to reach semi-finals

Press, 20 April 1981, Page 22

Lapsley in good touch to reach semi-finals

•By

DAVID LEGGAT

Jim Lapsley might have been tn Canterbury less than a year, but in that time he has made a considerable impression. Today, he has a strong chance of winning the Canterbury amateur golf championship at his first attempt when the semi-finals are contested at Shirley. In the semi-finals, Lapsley will meet Ricky Vincent, while Des Turner, the only one of the four to have won the title previously, will play Gary Maw. In their quarter-final matches, Lapsley just had the edge over the 1979 winner and 1980 runner-up, Geoff Saunders; Vincent had an even arid interestihg battle with John Parlarie; Maw had a tight struggle with Brent Paterson; and Turner was always in command against lan Ross, the top qualifier. Lapsley and Saunders were all square after 12 holes, but then Lapsley went 1 up,, a position he never relinquished over the final holes,. But he needed to produce his best on the final hole when he had to hole a

. testing putt of almost three metres to halve the hole and reach the semi-finals, without playing extra holes. He did, with a lovely putt, under pressure. Turner, who won the title in 1973, was 2 up on Ross at the fifteenth ana played sufficiently well to eliminate any chance of a late comeback. Parlane produced the biggest turn-up in the first round, when he beat the inform John Williamson, 2 and 1, yesterday morning. Williamson, who reached the semi-final* of the New Zealand championship at Timaru a week ago, was expected to be x a top challenger for the Canterbury title, but he was unable to recapture his form and went down to Parlane in a generally uninspiring match. Parlane began his quarterfinal with Vincent with a roar, being 2 up after two holes, but that lead was slowly whittled back. Both birdied the eleventh, Parlane from five metres, Vincent from three metres. A further birdie at the twelfth enabled Vincent to edge in front for the first time, but he three-putted at

the thirteenth; Parlane was down in par. Both had chances from close range at the fourteenth but both failed to sink handy putts. Vincent again slipped ahead by taking the fifteenth, then, after badly botching his third shot salvaged a par at the sixteenth with a fine putt. Parlane could still have brought himself all square but his five metre birdie putt lipped the cup. Parlane finally scrambled back to all square with a par at the seventeenth; Vincent took a five. But on the eighteenth Parlane’s brave bid came to an unfortunate end. His tee shot hit » tree bordering the fairway; his second shot found the bunker; his third left hint with a very difficult putt, which he gamely pushed within centimetres of the hole. Vincent, however, played a safe, consistent hole to go down in par. Maw and Paterson were always close, neither player being able to make a break. Paterson was 1 up after 14 holes, but Maw won the sixteenth to get square.. But they were still square after 18.

Paterson’s second shot found the bunker on the nineteenth, and that effectively ended his chances. The defending champion, Simon Robinson, went down in the first round, 2 and 1 to Saunders, who lost the final to Robinson last April. Murray Brown, a beaten semifinalist last year, failed to qualify on Saturday. Results:— Qualifiers 147—1. Rob 72, 75. 150— G.,C. Saunders 75, 7b 151— G. Maw 75, 76; J. William?on 75, 76. .... 152— J. Lapsley 75, 77, M. Street 79, 73. 153— B. Paterson 79, 74. 155—R. Vincent 77, 78; S. Street 78 79 158—D. Turner 78, 80; 8. Robinson 83, 75; J. R. A. Parlane 79, 7ft, S. GreenaU 79, 79. 160- J. R. Bierwirth 81, 7ft M. Cummaek 82,78; J. Gantley 81 79. Match play First round: Ross beat S Street, 1 up; Turner beat M Street, 1 up; Paterson beat Bierwirth, 4 and 3; Maw beat Greenall. 5 and 4; Parlane beat Williamson, 2 and 1; Vincent beat Gantley, 4 and 2; Lapsley beat Commack, 3 and 2; Saunders beat Robinson, 2 and 1. Second round' Turner beat Rose, 2 and 1,. Maw beat Paterson at the nineteenth; Vincent beat Parlane, 1 up Lapsley beat Saunders, 1 up.