Final hole decides three Canty golf semi-finalists

Press, 12 April 1982, Page 24

Final hole decides three Canty golf semi-finalists

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

The finishing hole at Shirley, a 320 m par-4 hole which requires an accurate tee shot through bordering trees, played an important part in deciding three of the four semi-finalists for the Canterbury P.G.F. match-play golf championship yesterday.

Three of the quarter-final matches left the seventeenth green all square, but none went further than the last hole. The breaks on the eighteenth hole favoured Geoff Saunders, Peter Heasley, and Paul Minifie. and their respective rivals relegated to the “also rans” were Phil Conlon, Joe Gantley. and John Sanders. . The semi-finals this morning will be between Saunders, the 1979 champion, and Heasley, a 20-year-old Coringa player who qualified for the first time in the senior championship, and Mark Street, a Canterbury Freyberg representative for the last four years, and Minifie, a 19-year-old from Waitakiri who also qualified for the first time. While there was much drama and tension associated with three of the quar-ter-finals, the other match had an unexpectedly early finish. Street, the second qualifier behind Saunders, had most of the afternoon to reflect on what might occur today. He beat Jon Bierwirth at the eleventh and was several shots under par. Bierwirth, admittedly, .had a few rough edges to his game, but there were not that many — he was unfortunate to strike an opponent in ruthless mood. Street, who had a brilliant four-undef-par 69 in the qualifying rounds, nearly fell victim to the tenacious young Waimairi Beach player, Stephen Greenall, in the first round. But Street won the last hole and celebrated at Bierwirth’s expense in the afternoon. Putting has been a big problem for Street in recent years, but he borrowed a putter from Brent Paterson last Wednesday and regards it with much affection. An extremely powerful player, one well suited to a Shirley course playing long, Street, with his confidence restored on the greens, will be a difficult proposition this morning. Saunders had a harrowing time in both matches but his coolness under pressure shone through. He was 2 down after nine against John Parlane in the morning, went ahead for the first time with a fine birdie at 15 and took the next two holes as well. Conlon, an Otago Freyberg representative from St Clair, proved even more troublesome in the afternoon. The pair were deadlocked at the turn but Conlon went ahead

for the first time at the tenth. Saunders played steadily and accurately to the greens but the putts would not drop and Conlon was very assured with testing small putts. A ■birdie from 2m at 12 put Conlon 2-up, but he had his share of troubles at 13 and lost that hole. The turning point came at the fifteenth. Conlon used a driver off the tee and sent the ball so far out of bounds that he did not bother to search for it. He confessed that he had had difficulty in positioning his tee shots with the club and should have chosen a 4-wood. Saunders hit the flag pole with his approach at 16 but missed his birdie and lipped out with a birdie attempt at 17. Both players hit their drives into the' right-side trees off the last tee but Saunders played a superb 7iron, a shot started low to avoid trees but one which gained elevation to clear the bunkers. He had his par and that was enough to win the hole and the match. Heasley took advantage of some loose shots by Gantley to be 3-up after 11. However, Gantley whittled away the

margin and squared the match at 17 when Heasley had his second three-putt inthree holes. Gantley’s fighting comeback came to no avail. The Templeton player sliced his drive into the right-side trees at the last and it stayed nestled among the pinecones. Heasley was also well wide with his tee shot but placed his second in the heart of the green. The right-hand pine trees also contributed to the elimination of Sanders. He, too, was 3-down after 11 against Minifie, but Minifie, perhaps suddenly realising that he held such a commanding position against his vaunted opponent, had a bout of errors. Two bunker shots at 12, out of bounds at 15, and a weak chip to 17, had him back to square. Sanders caught the first pine tree with his drive at the last; the ball rebounded 40m and was just ahead of the ladies tee. His swing was impeded by a small tree and he was bunkered for three. Minifie, a youngster of fragile appearance, possessed a powerful final punch. A big drive and expertlyjudged second left him 4m

from the hole for two and the match was conceded without him being requiring to putt. First .round— Saunders beat Parlane, 3 and 1; Conlon beat J. Crawford-Smith, 3 and 2; Heasley beat B. Street,. 4 and 3; Gantley beat O'Keefe, 1-up; Sanders beat McCall, 2 and 1; Minifie beat A. Crawford-Smith, 5 and 4; Bierwirth beat Lake, 3 and 2; M. Street beat Greenal, 1-up. Quarter-finals.—Saunders beat Conlon, 1-up; Heasley beat Gantley. 1-up; Minifie beat Sanders, 1-up; M. Street beat Bierwirth, 8 and 7. QUALIFIERS 143—G. C. Saunders, 72, 71. 145—M. E. Street, 69, 76. 155— D. J. O’Keefe, 80, 75; J. B. Sanders, 80, 75; J. Crawford-Smith, 76. 79. 156— J. R. Bierwirth, 76, 80. 157— P. J. Heasley, 76. 81. 158— P. F. Minifie, 79, 79. 159— J. R. A. Parlane, 78. 81. • 160— S. Greenall, 85, 75; J. R. Gantley, 81, 79; R. M. McCall, 79, 81. 161— P. N. Conlon, 85, 76; K. A. Lake. 81, 80. 162— B. K. Street, 84, 78; A. J. Crawford-Smith, 83, 79.