Loss to golf

Press, 26 November 1982, Page 19

Loss to golf

Few top sports administrators and players have shown such devotion to the game of their choice as Merv McNally, who died in Christchurch last week.

Although he suffered severe illness over the last few years of his life, Merv McNally was a regular visitor to the Waitikiri and Coringa golf courses, these being the clubs to which he gave distinguished service. It must have been difficult for him to settle on any one game as his principal sporting interest. In his younger days, he enjoyed Considerable success as an amateur boxer, an amateur cyclist, as a track runner, and particularly as a rugby player. He was a Country rugby representative.

His enthusiasm for golf seemed boundless. He was captain of the Waitikiri club in 1968, president in 1972-73 and a life member. A foundation member of Coringa, he was the club’s first president, and a life member there too.

He was also a member of the Canterbury Eagles Golf Society. Mr McNally was on the Canterbury Golf Association’s executive committee for 12 years, president in 1977, and for 10 years was a provincial selector. He was vice-president of the New Zealand association in 1980 and represented it on the Institute of Turf Culture.

He was a regular member of his club’s Woodward Cup team, and a Canterbury B representative on many occasions. .

It was perhaps in his term as a Canterbury selector that he most impressed Canterbury golfers with his enthusiasm and knowledge. Rain, hail or shine, he came out to watch the top players in all the local tournaments. He loved the game. With it all, he was a most affable and generousminded man. Golf will miss him.

R. T. Brittenden