Unsung American has one-stroke victory in golf Pro-am

Press, 25 November 1982, Page 36

Unsung American has one-stroke victory in golf Pro-am

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

An unsung player from Hartford, Connecticut, did not get rich at Shirley yesterday, but the easy-going Mike Colandro won $4OO to defray expenses with his one-shot victory in the Pro-am, an event which precedes the New Zealand BP Open over the next four days.

Colandro was one of the early starters who teed off in the idyllic conditions which prevailed in the morning. He had a great start with birdies at the second and third holes and his only misdemeanour on the front half was a, oneover on the sixth hole. Colandro’s form continued on the back nine. His only lapse was a one-over at the fifteenth, but there were birdies at 11 and 13 to offset that error and 'he had bis fifth birdie at ths sixteenth. The amiable Colandro has his sights set on the New Zealand Open. When he left the United States two months ago to embark on the Australasian circuit, he said to his mother, whose name is Shirley: “I’m going to the Shirley course in New Zealand and I’m going to win there for you.” Life on the professional tour has not been easy for Colandro. Aged 29, he played the United States tour in 1979 and 1980 but he lost his player’s card because of insufficient results.

Last year, after playing in some minor tournaments in the United States, he tried his luck on the Australasian circuit. He had no notable wins, but he finished 48th in the order of merit and because it gave him exempt status he returned this year. The best placing for Colandro on the Australian tour was twenty-eighth in the New South Wales Open, Second place was shared by one of New Zealand’s most promising professionals, Frank Nobilo, andthe Australian Ossie Moore, who has just switched to the professional ranks. Moore was a competitor in the New Zealand amateur championship earlier this year. Nobilo is considered, among New Zealand’s best professional prospects — he changed status at a young age but' has a national amateur title behind him. There were many other rounds that promised much, but did not quite make the

mark. The Australian champion and favourite for the New Zealand Open, Bob Shearer, settled for 75 but he scored that figure without undue pressure. Although the professionals took pride of place, some amateurs performed very well. The winning team was led by the Australian professional, Richard Lee, who did not return a card after losing a ball at the ninth. But he had four birdies and his amateur team-mates, Mike Gainsford, Don Hogan, and Tony Mac Gibbon, found the right time to play some of their best shots. Other amateurs did well: Ross Murray, who lipped out with his approach for an eagle at the fifteenth, had 73; Graham Blane, a Harewood Woodward Cup golfer, had 72; and Paul Minifie, from Waitikiri, had five birdies in his. round of 74 which included a shot out of bounds. Leading professional scores were:— 69—M Colandro (United States).

70— F. Nobilo (N.Z.). 0. Moore (Aust.). 71— J. Gifford (Aust.).

72— S. Anderson-Chapman (Canada), M. Clayton (Aust.), I. Stanley (Aust.), R. J. Charles (N.2.). 73— R. Stanton (Aust.), N. Ratcliffe (Aust.), R. Coombes (N.Z.), W. J. Godfrey (N.Z.), I. Baker-Finch (Aust.), R. Shaw (Aust.), B. Murray (Aust.), M. Harwood (Aust.), D. J. Clark (N.Z.), B. Jones (Aust.), V. Somers (Aust.), S. Stull (United States). The top teams (the professional is shown last) were:-

58— M. Gainsford, D. Hogan. A. R. McGibbon, R. Lee. 59— T. P. Cannon, D. G. Brownlie, R. Bell, J. Newton; W. Honeybone. A. Christorfesen, A. F. Sutherland, C. Bishop; G. W. Thomas. J. Cameron, R. Burns. R. Stanton.

60—B. T. Quirke, P. K. Creighton. J. W. Galvin, F. A. Nobilo; G. J. Kirk. D. M. Wilson, L. D. McKenzie, R. C. Coombes; R. M. Giles, J. H. Gibbons, P. Clarkson, M. Colandro; I. T. Smail, Mrs W. Harris, M. O. Holdsworth, A. Russell; H. W. Revell, W. Morris, G. J. Hutchinson, M. Bembridge.