Graham gives Australia first Open win

Press, 23 June 1981, Page 30

Graham gives Australia first Open win

NZPA-Reuter Ardmore, Pennsylvania David Graham, of Australia, yesterday won the United States Open golf championship with a closing round 67 today, ensuring that at least one main United States title will go overseas for the fourth year ift « Graham, aged 35, who has lived in the United States for 10 years, finished three strokes ahead of George Burns and Bill Rogers on the tight 6500-metre Merion course to pick up the first prize of $U555,000. His seven-under-par total of 273 was just one short of the record for a United States Open set by Jack Nicklaus last year at Baltusrol and marked the first time that par had been

mastered in a championship at Merion. John Cook, with a 70, and John Schroeder with a 71 shared fourth place on 279, one ahead of Nicklaus (72), Lon Hinkle (70), Chi Chi Rodriguez (72), Frank Conner (68) and Sam Rachels (70). Graham, the first Australian to win the United States Open, was capturing his second main title. He won the P.G.A. championship at Oakland Hills near Detroit two years ago. ! His triumph continued the i pattern of recent years i .which has seen foreign < players challenge the dominance of Americans in their 1 main competitions. 1 South Africa's Gary Player ' won the 1978 Masters, s

Graham took the P.G.A. the following year and Spain’s Severiano Ballesteros captured the Masters in 1980. Graham has been a perennial threat at the Masters where his compatriot, Greg Norman, was placed fourth this year on his debut. Japan’s Isao Aoki fell just short of Jack Nicklaus in last year’s Open and placed a creditable eleventh this year. Graham began the day three strokes behind Burns, a 31-year-old New Yorker who had led for the second and third rounds. But he sliced the gap to one with birdies on the first two holes. Briefly level when Burns took a. six at the 600-metre fourth, he fell behind again when he three-putted the sloping fifth green and they

staved that way until the tenth. Then Graham went ahead.

Burns said that, even though he squandered a three-stroke lead, he did not give away the tournament. Rather, Graham won it.

“He put the pressure on me right at the start with a couple of birdies while I was scrambling for pars,” he said.

In spite of losing, Burns said he was happy with his performance. “I came here not playing well, not doing well, and I’m going to leave with more than I came with.” he said.

The Open was Graham’s first tournament after a four-week lay-off. He decided he needed to combat fatigue. His doctor advised

him that he was suffering a potassium deficiency caused by eating the wrong kinds of food and put him on a diet, including plenty of fruit. Leading scores:— 289— Roger Maltbie, 71,• 74, 74, 70. 290— Leonard Thompson. 75, 71, 74 , 70; Thomas Gray, 75, 72, 73, 70; Tim Simpson, 70,' 75, 74, 71; Andy North, 73, 74 , 72, 71; Keith Fergus, 74 , 71, 73. 72. 291— Bobbv Nichols, 71, 71, 78, 71. 292— Joe Hager, 74, 73, 77, 68; Hale Irwin, 72, 75, 73, 72; Ray Carrasco, 74, 71, 73, 74. 294— Bill Pelham. 73, 73, 73, 75; Morris Hhtalsky, 71, 76, 72, 75; Joe Rassett, 70, 70, 78, 76. 295— Dave Barr (Canada), 74, 72, 73, 76. 296— Mark Lye, 70, 72, 76, 78. 300—Kip Byrne, 74, 72, 79, 75.