Rewarding three weeks of golf

Press, 14 May 1982, Page 15

Rewarding three weeks of golf

When the Australian professional. Bob Shearer, is in full cry. most of his opponents resign themselves to the fact that the lion's share of the tournament prize money will finish in the wallet o'f the thickset Melbourne golfer.

New Zealand followers of the sport will recall Shearer in devastating form in this country last December.

Within a fortnight he became I the first man to win the Air < New Zealand Shell Open and the BP New Zealand Open in the same year. He collected $32,400 from those successes. ' That amount seems trifling when compared with what the 33-year-old Austra-; lian has earned in the ’ lasfi S’ three weeks on the United States circuit. Even though Shearer was

beaten this week in a playoff for the Houston Open — and the difference between the first and second purses was $43,620 — he had the biggest pay day of his career. He received $37,800. which boosted his earnings ip the last three -weeks to.. £5122,435.. • In that short period."'' Shearer earned more money

than, he had won in any other full year competing in the United States. His previous best year was in 1978 when he won $80,040. Shearer’s scorching form has made him one of golf's hottest propertyies in the

United States at present. He has been below par in 13 of his last 15 rounds dating back to the Tallahassee Open, which he won with four below-par rounds and a 16-under par total. He finished second in the New Orleans .Open, which -was reduced to three rounds because of rain, with three more below-par rounds, and was below par in three of his four rounds in the Bvron Nelson Classic. In the Houston Open, played at. the Woodlands Country Club course which has a'par of 71. Shearer had rounds of 69. 67 and, 64 to command a five-stroke lead starting the final round. But his golden touch deserted him over the last 18 holes and he slumped to 75. which left him tied on 275 with -- the American. Ed Sneed. Sneed won the sud-den-death play-off with a birdie at the second extra hole. Sneed's victory ended a long run of outs — his last win was five years ago — but he selected a lucrative tournment to end the drought. -He collected the winner's cheque of $81,420.