First pro. win for Turner

Press, 2 January 1985, Page 36

First pro. win for Turner

PA Tauranga The Dunedin 22-year-old, Greg Turner, competing in only his third professional tournament, won the fiftyninth New Zealand PGA golf championship at Mount Maunganui yesterday. Turner finished the four days of the tournament with an erratic round of 72 which matched par, but placed his overnight lead at risk several times. Turner included five birdies in his 35-37 round, but faltered at times with three bogeys and a double bogey when his ball was lodged up a tree beside the eighth

Two strokes behind Turner after three rounds, Canada’s Kevin Dickey was never really a threat after his outward nine of 40 and it was left to the unattached Aucklander, Frank Nobilo, to mount the only serious challenge to Turner.

Late in the round Nobilo bogeyed two successive holes and from trailing Turner by just one shot after 15 holes he allowed the gap to open to three.

At the last hole Turner played a cool percentage par and later accepted his $9OOO cheque as his share of the > $50,000 purse for the

Mobil Steinlager 72-hole event. Rick Barker played the best round of the day, 68, to move into third equal spot with the Canadian Kelly Murray, and the Aucklander Bruce Soland. Soland, who led after two rounds, spoiled his winning chance with a third round of 79. Leading scores 282: Greg Turner 71, 69, 70, 72. 285: Frank Nobilo 72, 72, 71, 71. 286: Bruce Soland 69, 69, 79, 69; Kelly Murray (Canada) 69, 72, 74, 71; Rick Barker 72, 72, 72, 68.

287: Mike Moynihan 72 72, 70, 72; Steve Andersen-Chap-man, 75, 73, 70, 69. 288: Richard Coombes 74, 73, 71, 70. 289: Craig Owen 70, 72, 76, 71; Kevin Dickey (Canada) 72, 71, 68, 77. 290: Peter Hamblett 68, 74, 74, 74; Barry Vivian 71, 74, 74, 71; Dennis J. Clark 73, 79, 73, 69. 291: Stuart Reece 68, 74, 73, 76; Paul Bergland (Sweden) 75, 75, 74, 77. 292: Simon Owen 71, 71, 74, 76; John Sheargold (Australia) 70, 79, 74, 69; Walter Godfrey--73, 73, 73, 73. 293: John Lister 72, 75, 73, 73.