Scene set for gripping golf encounter

Press, 13 November 1982, Page 64

Scene set for gripping golf encounter

From

BOB SCHUMACHER,

in Dunedin

The supreme test for the Canterbury Freyberg golfers will come today in the final two rounds of the tournament at Balmacewen, but irrespective of the outcome, the team has played with the utmost distinction.

Yesterday, Canterbury dropped only one match in white-washing Northland and despatching Waikato, 4-1, to maintain its unbeaten record after five rounds. The other front-runner, Otago, also won both matches convincingly to set the stage for a gripping encounter this morning when the two leaders will be at loggerheads. Not only will the team rivalry be intense. Only five players have unbeaten records in the tournament and all are in the leading teams, three from Canterbury and two from Otago. The unbeaten Otago pair. Kim McDonald, the No. 1 and only player with the possible five. wins, and Ron Johnston, the No. 3, will be opposed by two of the undefeated Canterbury players, Jim Lapsley and John Sanders, respectively. It is a fascinating situation with so much individual and team pride at stake. If Canterbury masters Otago this morning, it will not be able to rest on its laurels. Its afternoon oppon- - ent is Auckland, the champion for the last three years, and a team which has won its last four matches after suffering a shock loss to MidSouth Canterbury in the opening round. The other unbeaten Canterbury player is the admirable Brent Paterson, who, with four wins and a half, has the same score as Sanders. He has had a magnificent Freyberg debut. The Otago supporters have rallied to their team and, if the rain that fell heavily yesterday afternoon does not recur, a large gallery is expected. The Canterbury contingent increased markedly yesterday as well, Canterbury’s fifth round win against Waikato came close to a command performance. It made a pleasant change when Canterbury got away to an excellent start. Canterbury was ahead,'4-1. after three holes and the position never altered, although Street, who was down early, recovered splendidly to win easily. The reverse occurred for the unfortunate John Williamson. The first two Canterbury successes were achieved very quickly. Street took the lead for the first time against Stuart Reid when he chipped in for a birdie at the eighth. He had another birdie at IQ and finished the match with birdies at 13 and 14. He

was one-under par and a lot happier with his game. The proficient Paterson wasted no time establishing his superiority against Barry Laurence. Laurence did not hit many greens and he lacked the finesse to escape from the often difficult positions he placed himself in. Paterson was 5-up after eight holes and won in a canter. The vicissitudes of golf were evident in the match between the No. 3s, Sanders and his youthful rival, David Jackson. Sanders moved comfortably to a 3-up lead at the turn and was back to square after 13 holes, Jackson carding birdies at 12 and 13. Sanders played the difficult fourteenth and fifteenth holes precisely, won both, both dropped the sixteenth. There was an unusual happening at 17 — they halved — but it was Sanders’ turn at the last and he had his fourth successive win. Lapsley. who has been on the fringe of national selection for the last four years, relished the opportunity to match himself against a New Zealand representative, the Waikato No. 1, Colin Taylor. Lapsley showed he meant business very early. At the third he hit a sand wedge shot from 80m into the hole for an eagle. Taylor almost made a spectacular reply. From a bunker, he put his second shot only centimetres from the hole. The Canterbury No. 1 showed no emotion at his exceptional shot. It was as if he considered it only right and proper. Lapsley was 3-up after eight but Taylor chipped into his lead and had reduced it to one hole when he won the fifteenth. Lapsley’s response was to hole a 7m birdie putt on 16 and he was content to half to half the seventeenth for the win. Williamson tried valiantly to give Canterbury its second 5-0 result for the day, but he missed too many short putts against John Gatley. Canterbury’s clean sweep against Northland in the morning was not without its hiccups and the result did not give a true reflection on how hard-fought all five games were. After 12 holes, Street and Williamson trailed their opponents and the other three Canterbury players were all ahead by only one hole. With three holes remaining, only Williamson was in arrears, but his team-

mates were just 1-up in all cases. Street started an amazing chain of events which had its sequel with the five Canterbury victories. Round four—Canterbury 5, Northland 0 Canterbury names first: J Lapsley beat K. Billington. 3 and 1; J. Williamson beat S. Slater, 1up; J. Sanders beat S. Sullivan, 2 and 1; B. Paterson beat M. Harris, 2 and 1; M. Street beat S. Wilson.' 2-up. Waikato 3, Mid-South Canterbury Waikato names first: C. Taylor lost to C. Alexander. 2 and 1; J. Gatley beat E. Maguigan. 4 and 3; D. Jackson lost to P. Hayes. 2 and 1: B. Laurence beat J. Bufton, l-up, S. Reid beat J. Smitheram. 1-up. Tasman 3G, Southland i'-a Tasman names first: S. Street halved with G Radka; I. Strickett beat P. Adams, 5 and 3; G. Girvan beat J. Creedy, 1-up; K. Downie beat K. Todd, 6 and 4; L. Marfell lost to N. Hunt, 1-up. Wellington 4, Taranaki 1; Bay of Plenty 4, Poverty Bay-East Coast 1; Auckland 4, ManawatuWanganui 1; Otago 5. Hawke's Bay 0. Round five.— Canterbury 4, Waikato 1 Canterbury names first: J. Lapsley beat C. Taylor. 2 and I; J. Williamson lost to J. Gatley, 1up; J. Sanders beat D. Jackson, 2up; B. Paterson beat B. Laurence, 6 and 5; M. Street beat S. Reid. 5 and 4. Bay of Plenty 4, Mid-South Canterbury 1 Bay of Plenty names first: M. Nicholson beat C. Alexander, 5 and 4; O. Kendall beat E. Maguigan, 2 and 1; I. Peters lost to P. Hayes, 2-up; W. Sipson beat J. Bufton. 4 and 3; P. Creighton beat J. Smitheram. 6 and 5. Tasman 2G, Manawatu-Wan-ganui 2G Tasman names first: S. Street lost to N. Gaskin. 1-up. I. Strickett halved with G. Waite; G. Girvin lost to P. Simpson. 4 and 3; K. Downie beat D. Court, 5 and 4; L. Marfell beat B. Shannon. 1up. Auckland 3. Southland 2: Northland 3h. Wellington I 1?;. Hawke's Bay 4. Poverty BayEast Coast 1; Otago 3‘s. Taranaki I*2. Points after five rounds: Otago 5 points (21 games), Canterbury 5 (19), Auckland 4 Bay of Plenty 3V2 (15 l a). Tasman 2‘z (13), Wellington 2 l z (13). Southland 2 (12). Waikato 2 (llh). Northland 2 (lOG) Hawkes Bay 2 (10), Taranaki 2 (9''2), Mid-South Canterbury 1 (10), Poverty BayEast Coast 1 (SW), ManawatuWanganui V2 (8).