Russell hangs on bravely to gain lead

Press, 27 November 1982, Page 64

Russell hangs on bravely to gain lead

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

In the course of history, there have been many spectacular declines and falls. An easy-going Texan, Art Russell, knew all about it in the second round of the New Zealand BP Open golf championship at Shirley yesterday.

The American, on his seventh visit to the pacific shores, made the most magnificent of starts with seven birdies in the first eight holes. He had been one of the joint overnight leaders and that incredible burst put him nine-under par for 26 holes and he had sprinted to a sixstroke lead. Russell launched his assault on . the course when conditions were close to ideal. He had been on the course for about two hours when the north-westerly wind, which has bedevilled the championship for the first two days, returned and it was ferocious. The shots slipped away rapidly, but Russell held on in brave style to gain the lead at half-way by one stroke from the well-travel-led Western Australian, terry Gale, who capitalised on the pleasant morning to record the best round of the tournament to date-a six-under-par 66. The two leaders do not have much breathing space. An unknown American, bob Michael, was another to appreciate an early start and the good conditions which went with it. He had a very distinguished round of 68, seven shots better than his opening effort. Michael was two shots behind Gale on 143 and shared third place with the popular little Englishman, Maurice Bembridge, who has attracted little interest so far, but a player who will recieve much more attention over the next two days. The field became rather bunched after the first four and there were many capable players within striking distance should they produce a round out of the ordinary or. should the leaders falter. Bob Charles, of New Zealand, and the leading amateur, Grant Waite, of Palmerston North, lost a share of the lead which they held after the first day. But they are only four shots behind Russell and have been joined by Mike Colandrp, the winner of the Pro-am. Waite has a four-shot lead in the competition for the bledisloe Cup, awarded to the top amateur. His nearest rival is John Williamson, the accomplished Canterbury Freyberg representative, who had an excellent 71 /yesterday. On the first day, only eight players beat or equalled par. Yesterday the number was 21 and most of those were off at an early hour and missed the return of the nor-wester. The artistry of Russell’s iron play was quite astonish.ing yesterday. He was deadly with, his approaches and so competent and confident with his putter that a score of 60 or better looked pos-

sible. He birdied the first hole, had a par at the second, then birdied the next six holes to be seven-under par after eight holes. It was a magnificent performance and apart from two lengthy putts, the others were from less then 2m. The world fell apart for him at the same time that the infernal north-westerly returned with a vengeance: He was waiting to play his approach to the ninth when it hit and from then Shirley had become a combat course. He dropped two shots at the ninth and, as the wind swirled dirt from neighbouring paddocks across the course, Russell, who wears contact lenses, was in strife. He had dirt in his eyes and played his tee shot on the tenth “blind.” It was difficult to stand steadfast over putts and Russell’s putting touch deserted him. He fought hard to get pars at 10 and 11, blit shots were lost at the next four holes. Russell, understandably, did not want to talk about the second nine holes. He did well to arrest his decline at the sixteenth with a birdie from less than a metre, and he made sure that he had the honour of leading the field at half-way. by parring the last two holes. Qualifiers 140— A. Russell (U.S.) 70. 70. 141- Gale (Aust.) 75. 66. 143— R. Michael (U.S.) 75, 68; M. Bembridge (U.K.) 72, 71. 144— G. Waite (A. Palmerston North) 70. 74; M. Colandro (U.S.) 73, 71; R. Charles (N.Z.) 70, 74. 145— D. Clark (N.Z.) 75, 70; S. Reese (N.Z.) 73. 72; M. Hatwood (Aust.) 71, 74. 146— D. Maggs (Aust.) 76. 70; P. Hamblett (N.Z.) 71. 75; W. Grady (Aust.) 74. 72; R. Shearer (Aust.) 74. 72. '• ' 147—M. Ferguson (Aust.) 77. 70; S. Owen (N.Z.) 73. 74; S. Ginn (Aust.)'7s, 72; N. Ratcliffe (Aust.) 77, • 70; S. Anderson-Chapman (Can.) 73. 74; S. Knapp (Can.) 75, 72. 148— B. Jones (Aust.) 77. 71; J. Williamson (A. Christchurch) 77. 71; R; Stephens (Aust.) 72, 76: J. Newton (Aust.) 74, 74. 149— M. Tapper (N.Z.) 77. 72; W. Riley (N.Z.) 78, 71; I. BakerFinch (Aust.) 71, 78; I. Smalley (N.Z.) 74. 75: S. Stull (U.S.) 76, 73; J. Clifford (Aust.) 73. 76; J. Lister (N.Z.) 75, 74. 150— R. Coombes (N.Z.) 75. 75; M. Clayton (Aust.) 76. 74; A. Bennington (N.Z.) 78. 72; V. Somers (Aust.) 77. 73; I. Mosey (U.K.) 74 , 76. 151— K. Dukes (Aust.) 75, 76; M. Krantz (U.S.) 76, 75; P. Minifie (A. Christchurch) 75. 76; P. Street (A. New Plymouth) 75, 76; K. Tarling (Can.) 73, 78; K. Nagle (Aust.) 79, 72; O. Moore (Aust.) 77. 74. 152— B. Murray (U.S.) 81. 71; R. Wood (Aust.) 76, 76; J. Godwin (U.S.) 79. 73; G. Saunders (A. Chch) 78, 74; L. Stephen (Aust.) 79, 73; I. Stanley (Aust.) 76. 76; C. Bishop (Aust.) 74. 78. 153— E. Fisher (U.S.) 76. 77; R. Stanton (U.S.) 79. 74; T. Daber

(U.S.A.) 78. 75; M. Guy (N.Z.) 74. 79; A. Nance (Aust.) 78. 75; W. Dunk (Aust.) 77. 76. ' 154—F. Nobilo (N.Z.) 78. 76: R. Lee (Aust.) 81. 73: G. Clarke (N.Z.) 77. 77: M. Street (A. Chch) 76. 78; F. Conallin (Aust.) 74 . 80. Nun-qualifiers 155— S. Bann (Aust.) 77. 78: P Creighton (A. Tauranga) 79. 76; D. Klenk (U.S.) 81. 74. 156— G. Parkinson (N.Z.) 80.. 76; M. Moynihan (N.Z.) 78. 78; J. Parlane (A Chch) 78. 78; V. Singh (Fiji) 76. 80. 157— G. Serhan (Aust.) 81. 76; A. Cooper (Aust.) 79. 78; K. Southerden (N.Z.) 81. 76; J. • McCormick (A. Chch) 78, 79; S. Bittie (N.Z.) 76. 81. 158— G. Smart (N.Z.) 85. 73; J. Lapsley (A. Chch) 80, 78; P. Somers (Aust.) 80. 78. 159— J. Sanders (A. Chch) 78. 81. R. Vincent (A. Chch) 81. 78; G. Percy (N.Z.) 82. 77; S. Charles (N.Z.) 77. 82: S. Bidwell (N.Z.) 84. 75; P. Mateer (U.S.) 79. 80. T. Cochrane (A. Auck.) 78, 81 160— W. Tucker (A. Chch) 81, 79; W. Godfrey (N.Z.) 82. 78; S. Paterson (N.Z.) 79, 81. 161— B. Griffiths (N.Z.) 80. 81; P. Headland (Aust.) 82, 79; K. Park (N.Z j 81, 80; P. Terrace (A. Chch) 80, 81; D. Leary (Aust.) 80. 81; C. Owen (N.Z.) 80. 81; E. Hanton (N.Z.) 83. 78. 162— B. Paterson (A. Chch) 81, 81; M. Lanner (Swe.) 84. 78; B. Vivian (N.Z.) 81, 81. 163— T. Adcock (N.Z.) 83, 80; D. Turner (A. Chch) 77, 86; T. Jackson (U.S.) 84, 79; J. Smitheram (A. Ashburton) 82. 81. 164— A. Roberts (N.Z.) 88, 76; D. Bleakley (Aust.) 84, 80; D. Hartshorne (N.Z.) 85, 79; A. Johnston (Aust.) 82, 82. 164—J. Bone (A. Chch) 84, 81; R. Pirie (A. Chch) 80, 85; J. Angus " (A. Chch) 81, 84; J. Mowlds (U.S.) 79. 86. ' 166—W. Hoy (A. Nelson) 82, 84; G. Grootelaar (A. Auck.) 87, 79; P. Hoffman (A. Chch) 87, 79; A. Gilligan (Aust.) 81. 85; K. Smallbeck (U.S.) 82.84; P. Jones (Aust.) 85, 81. 167—J. Gantley (A. Chch) 84, 83; F. Hobbs (A. Chch) 81. 86; J. Evans (N.Z.) 86. 81. 170— Dobson (A. Chch) 86. 84. 171— C.. Franks (N.Z.) 88. 83; J. Reid (A. Ashburton) 84, 87. 172— D. Marks (A. Chch) 93, 79. 173— G. Healey (Aust.) 90. 83. 174— R. Sturrock (A. Chch) 89. 85. 176— P. Davis (N.Z.) 91, 85. 177— G. Pitman (N.Z.) 89. 88. 178— G. Mclntosh (A. Chch) 91, 87; P. Mahoney (N.Z.) 92, 86. 179— S. Hitchcock (N.Z.) 88, 91. 182—D. Brehm (U.5.).93. 89. Withdrawn: R. Shaw (Aust.). Did not return cards: R. Needham (A. Christchurch), P. Beasley (A. Christchurch). . Disqualified: J. Anderson (Can.). Sixty-orie golfers survived the cut, which was at 154, to con- . tinue for the next 36 holes in the Open. The tee off times for the leaders this morning are.— 10.57: J. Lister. M. Clayton, V. Somers. 11.06: W. Riley, I. Smalley, J. Clifford. 11.15: M. Tapper, I. Baker-Finch, S. Stull. 11.24: S. Knapp, J. N. Williamson, J. Newton. 11.33: S. Anderson-Chapman, B. Jones. R. Stephens. 11.42: R. A. Shearer, S. M. Owen. N. Ratcliffe. 11.51: W. Grady, M. Ferguson. S. Ginn. 12.0: D. J. Clark, M. Harwood, P. Hamblett. . 12.10: R. J. Charles, S. Reese, D. Maggs.. 12.20: T. Gale, M. Bembridge. M. Colandro. 12.30: A. Russell. B. Michael, G. Waite.