Golfers given a chance

Press, 23 September 1983, Page 13

Golfers given a chance

With three of Canterbury’s top golfers required for national service and another, John Williamson, not considered through injury, the province’s eight-man team to play Otago at Chisholm Park at the week-end is heavily depleted. The trio doing duty for New Zealand against Australia are all members of last year’s Freyberg team, Jim Lapsley, Brent Paterson and Mark Street. Otago, too, will be without several of the players who gave their province victory, albeit narrowly over Canterbury, in last year’s Frey-

berg tournament. So the result of this representative fixture, which was resurrected last season after being left off the programme for many years, might be as close as it was last year when the very last putt ended the contest in a draw, eight-all. The real interest, however, will be in the individual results. The Maracsponsored South Island inter-provincial tournament is at Methven on October 1 and 2. In the absence of the same four who are not available this week-end, the Canterbury players this week-end have their chance

to seek higher claims. Lapsley, John Sanders, Paterson and Street appear certain to retain their positions in the Canterbury team for this year’s Freyberg tournament in Hamilton in November, but there must be some doubt as to the fitness of Williamson.

Williamson suffered badly damaged ligaments in his left knee in a ski-ing fall about six weeks ago. He had the plaster removed on Tuesday and had his first physiotherapy session the next day. Williamson has already noticed a 10 per cent improvement since the removal of the plaster and has not ruled out the prospect of being available for the Freyberg team.

He said that he would love to think that he might be fit and available, but added that he would not stand for selection should he consider himself not able to do justice to the Canterbury team.

If Williamson is unable to meet the standard of fitness required, it will mean at least one change to this year’s Freyberg team.

Sanders, who will lead

Canterbury against Otago, is assured of inclusion, but it would seem that Paul Minifie, James Angus, Joe Gantley and Murray Brown rate next in the views of the selectors judging by the order of the Canterbury team this week-end.

Minifie is a golfer of undoubted talent, but he is still a junior and might lack the experience necessary at a Freyberg tournament. Angus is a stylish and often spectacular player, but he has lost three of his four representative matches this season and has been struggling in the Woodward Cup competition.

Gantley has found himself thrust quickly up the ranking list this season and he will be wanting two wins this week-end to justify his promotion in the team. But the real challenger for a Freyberg place — if one is available — might be Brown, a proven performer at that level and a player who has won three of his four representative games this season. He is also unbeaten after five rounds of the Woodward Cup.