Superb exhibiJaom by Frank Nobilo

Press, 30 September 1983, Page 36

Superb exhibiJaom by Frank Nobilo

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

A former national amateur champion, Frank Nobilo, of Auckland, won the Avondale pro-am golf tournament yesterday. He took it in style, his three-under 67 giving him a two-stroke advantage over Pat Mateer, of Auckland, and Dennis Clark, of Hamilton.

It was a superb exhibition by the 23-year-old Nobilo, who had eight pars going out to go with a birdie from 2m at the 449 m fifth.

On the way home, there were birdies at 10 (448 m from 2m, at 15 (192 m from 4m and at 16 (343 m where there was not much more than a tap in. Only at the difficult par-3 last hole (177 m was he in trouble.

There his tee shot lodged beneath the rim of a bunker and he dropped his only stroke of the round.

It looked likely at the start to be one of Mateer’s many good days. He drove the first green (252 m so precisely that he was only about a metre behind the cup. He missed his eagle but this birdie was followed by two more at two and five.

The magic rather left him after that — he was two over at the par four sixth — but it was a splendid round of 69, one under par. The burly Clark played very precise golf, scoring two birdies and dropping only one shot. The pro-am week’s most consistent golfer, Peter Hamblett, of Christchurch, looked likely to be on top

again when he had four birdies on the outward half to be two under, then birdied the long ten and eleventh. He lost the pedals after that, dropping four shots in the last six holes. Results:— 67 — F. Nobilo (Auckland). 69 — D. Clark (Hamilton); P. Mateer (Auckland). 70 — P. Hamblett (Christchurch).

71 — G Smart (Christchurch); B. Griffiths (Auckland); W. Mclntosh (Christchurch).

72 — T. Malloy (Auckland); M. Guy (Christchurch); D. Good (Tasmania); M. Moynihan (Wellington); T. Leech (Auckland); G. Parkinson (North Auckland).

73 - C. Caldwell (Christchurch); S. Charles (Christchurch); K. Southerden (Napier).