Paterson promoted

Press, 16 October 1984, Page 36

Paterson promoted

Brent Paterson will be at No. 1 for the first time this season when Canterbury defends its national inter-pro-vincial golf title at the Government Life tournament in New Plymouth from November 7 to 10.

The five-man team, announced yesterday by the Canterbury selection panel of Messrs Alan CrawfordSmith, Neville Griffiths and Bob Manley, was predictable in composition and playing order. It is: Paterson, John Sanders (captain), Mark Street, Paul Minifie and Murray Brown. The reserve has yet to be named. All players have had Previous experience at the [ew Zealand match-play teams’ championship, previously known as the Freyberg Rose Bowl tournament.

Paterson will be making his third successive appearance and second as Canterbury’s top golfer; Sanders, after six appearances for Otago, will be representing Canterbury for the third time; and Street, at 24 years, will be competing for the seventh successive year. Minifie, who marked his

debut last year with a 100 per cent record — one of only two players to win all seven matches — is the youngster of the team at 21. The recall of Brown was not unexpected. His first Freyberg tournament was in 1979, and with four wins and two halves from seven matches he might have seen that as the start of a long association in the competition.

In fact the Waitikiri golfer has had to wait five years before being given a second chance.

In the absence of last year’s No. 2, Jim Lapsley, who has returned to South-. land, Sanders, Street and Minifie have all moved up one position leaving Brown to take the bottom spot he had in 1979. The selectors have been consistent in their top-order choices throughout the season in spite of fluctuations in the form of the players. They have preferred Paterson ahead of Sanders, but Paterson, a New Zealand representative, has come right after indifferent form earlier when he was developing a new swing. Both Paterson and

Sanders were convincing in the final round of the Woodward Cup inter-club competition on Sunday, Paterson confessing that he felt “really good” and Sanders discovering that the recommissioning of an old putter solved some problems on the greens.

An injury to Street’s big toe five days ago, which caused swelling and bad bruising, cast doubts as to his availability. But Street went to a doctor in sports medicine yesterday, had his toenail drilled to release pressure inside, and is expected to make a quick recovery. Minifie’s recent form has caused concern, the last hole proving a jinx for him in recent club and representative matches. He is a player prepared to work dutifully on faults and has three weeks to make corrections.

Although Brown’s interclub form has been patchy, his Canterbury record this season is the best of any player. He has had only one loss from 10 games and has shown an equable temperament under pressure, winning several matches at the last hole.