Lie-in for Canty golf side

Press, 16 August 1985, Page 32

Lie-in for Canty golf side

The Canterbury golfers selected to play their Aorangi counterparts on Sunday will not have to be up as early as usual for the annual contest.

The long standing event, apart from the odd exception, has always been played at the Brandon course, Ashburton, but the Canterbury association has agreed to a request from Aorangi that the competition be played on a home-and-away basis. Aorangi is keen for its players to gain the benefits of playing on Canterbury courses and this year’s 36hole event will be at Templeton.

Aorangi has proved more than a handful for Canterbury since breaking Canterbury’s stranglehold on the Smallbone trophy in 1982. Aorangi, or Mid-South Canterbury, as it was known until recently, retained the trophy decisively the next year, but Canterbury regained it last year in a tense finish. The outcome of the final game decided the contest in Canterbury’s favour, 1745.

Canterbury, which started its representative campaign this year with an unconvincing win against Buller-West-land, has its best team available and should have the depth to hold the trophy.

In the bottom half of the Canterbury team, Richard Hurley and Mark Elley, two of last year’s top juniors, will make their senior debuts for the province, while the Burnham Camp player, Graham Vercoe, and the much improved Templeton golfer, Neville Brightwell, will play their first games for Canterbury. Aorangi will be led by Peter Hayes, the South Canterbury stroke play champion.

The top order is very strong, with last year’s No. 1, Charlie Alexander, at No. 3, and the experienced Robbie Bell at four. Both won their two matches last year.

The teams are:— Canterbury: Brent Paterson, John Sanders, Paul Minifie, John Williamson (captain), Mark Street, Rick Vincent, John Crawford-Smith, Murray Brown, Graeme Gunn, Russell Start, Richard Hurley, Mark Elley, John Reid, Graham Vercoe, Neville Brightwell, Kerry Lake. Reserves: John Allin, Martin Veale.

Aorangi: Peter Hayes (captain), Sid Keen, Charlie Alexander, Robbie Bell, John Button, Trevor Jackson, Lucky Starr, Paul Brand, Chris Dawson, Alton Mangum, Kevin Frazier, Graeme Brown, Eric Davis, Geoff Kelly, Grant Mayne, Bill Angus. Reserve: Brian Nuttall.