Golf circuit lures pros

Press, 19 September 1984, Page 56

Golf circuit lures pros

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

Next week might be a hectic one for professionals involved in Canterbury’s established annual pro-am golf circuit, but those who play well will be suitably rewarded.

The week-long circuit starts at Avondale on Saturday and finishes at Waitikiri on September 30. Eight tournaments in nine days will test the stamina of the professionals, but $20,000 in stake money should help the players to show their staying powers. When the circuit was first mooted and contested some years ago, it consisted of only a handful of tournaments. The number of events has increased steadily as other clubs have supported the popular practice of a professional playing in the company of three amateurs.

The leading money earner last year was the unattached Christchurch professional, Peter Hamblett, who won almost $l5OO. He is not an entrant this year, al-

though the Christchurch coordinator of the series, the Harewood professional, Tom Hanton, said yesterday that he might still “drop from the clouds.”

Mike Moynihan, the lean but powerful-hitting Wellington player, earned nearly $l3OO on the circuit last year, and won the Russley event by two strokes with a round of 70.

He will compete again along with the skilful Pat Mateer, of Auckland, who has been one of the most consistent golfers on mini circuits throughout the country in recent years. Another strong striker from Wellington, Richard Coombes, a New Zealand World Cup representative in 1982, and winner of the Fiji Open that year, and Rick Barker, of Northland, are other confirmed starters. After the Avondale event on Saturday, the circuit resumes on Monday with the Weedons pro-am. Then, on successive days, are the pro-ams at Windsor, Russley, Avondale, Templeton, Coringa and Waitikiri.