Junior golf title won by McDonald

Press, 6 September 1982, Page 3

Junior golf title won by McDonald

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

Robert McDonald successfully defended his junior golf championship title at Waimairi Beach yesterday. McDonald succeeded by six strokes last year, but his winning margin on this occasion was just one shot and he had an absorbing battle with Peter Hamilton throughout the 36 holes. McDonald, aged 20, is a second-year Woodward Cup player for Waitikiri as . is Hamilton, for the Waimairi Beach premier team. They were playing in the same foursome'and were able to keep a watchful eye on each other. Toward the end, it became equally as much a match-play duel as a strokeplay contest. Hamilton’s familiarity with the course gave him a small advantage over McDonald in the first round and his three-over par 75 equalled the best morning round and left him one shot ahead of McDonald. After 27 holes, the two were level. McDonald had two birdies on the front nine in the afternoon, but dropped strokes on three holes to turn in 36. Hamilton had seven pars and two bogies for 37. On the homeward half

McDonald had a birdie at 10 and both birdied the twelfth. Hamilton had his turn at the thirteenth and a birdie there put him on level terms again. The 14th effectively decided the championship in favour of McDonald. He had his par, but the left-handed Hamilton had one of his few unmemorable holes and a three-putt gave him a twoover six. He retrieved one shot at the next, but the next three holes were parred by both players. McDonald holed a testing putt on 16, and ’ Hamilton, displaying a confident touch with his putter, sank tricky par putts on 16 and 17. Although Hamilton failed he was quite impressive. Not among the biggest of hitters, he maintained good control of his swing and his putting on bobbly greens almost took him to victory. McDonald, Hamilton and the fourth-placed Peter Heasley, of Coringa, were the tightest assessed players in the field with handicaps of three. Splitting them in third place was the Avondale Woodward Cup No. 3, John Crawford-Smith, who was three strokes behind Hamilton. Also impressive was Dar-

ryn Evans, the winner of the Canterbury under 17 title with excellent rounds of 77 and 76, which would have been good enough for him to have finished equal fourth with Heasley in the under 21 section. The young Harewood player finished three strokes in front of Richard Hurley, of Waimairi Beach, with John Hazeldihe, of Russley. third on 158. Evans and Hazeldine are seven-handi-cappers and Hurley is on nine. Leading scores were:— Under 21 148—R. E. McDonald. 76. 72. ■ 149—P. D. Hamilton. 75. 74. 152— J. Crawford-Smith. 78, 74. 153— P. J. Heasley, 79. 74. 154— R. M. McCall, 77, 77; C. Vining. 75. 79. 156— B. Chambers. 77, 79; N. Harris, 77, 79; C. Neil, 78. 78. 157— M. Veale, 80. 77; M. Gainsford, 79. 78. 158— B. Lavender, 81. 77. Under 17 153—D. Evans. 77. 76. 156-R. Hurley. 79. 77. 158— J. Hazeldine. 79. 79. 159— C. Escott. 80, 79. 160— S. Dalkie, 80. 80. 161— B. Tucker. 78. 83. 162— N. Chambers. 82. 80. 163— Wood. 80. 83: P. Moroney, 83. 80. 164— A. Carver. 79. 85.