Belief that Canty should drive home

Press, 4 October 1985, Page 30

Belief that Canty should drive home

By 808 SCHUMACHER If the Canterbury golf team believes that all good things come in fives, then it should return from the Otatara course in Invercargill this week-end as the South Island inter-provincial champion. The event has become the domain of Otago, which has taken the title a record 13 times. Canterbury has the second best record, with seven successes; its blast triumph was in 1980, the one before in 1975. Otago, however, has had a poor buildup this season, drawing with Aorangi at Oamaru and-losing heavily to Canterbury in their annual fixture in Dunedin on September 14 and 15. Of the Otago eight, two changes have been made for the South Island tournament, and they should strengthen the team. Brian Newall, who has played for the province in seven Freyberg tournaments, and Peter Rae, a promising young golfer, have given the lower order

a much more solid look. Yet if Canterbury, which has beaten Buller-Westland, Aorangi and Otago in its representative matches this season, is to be denied its third win in 10 years, the team most likely to bring about its demise is the home team, Southland. What might count against Southland and the capable Tasman team, however, is that neither has ever won the championship. With four New Zealand representatives in the top five positions, Canterbury has to start favourite. The leading pair, Brent Paterson and Mark Street, were convincing in their double wins in the inter-club competition last Sunday. They were both unbeaten in the tournament last year when Canterbury finished third behind Otago and Tasman.

Street, who was the No. 5 last year, has moved to the second spot this season, and could well hold that position for the country’s premier teams’ event, the Government Life tournament,

which will also be played at Otatara in November. Street, aged 25, has been a Canterbury representative since 1977, and the South Island event, especially in recent years, has provided him with bountiful returns. He won all four matches in 1981 and again last year, and he had two wins and a half in 1982. He was representing New Zealand in Australia when the championship was played two years ago. John Sanders should serve Canterbury well at No. 3 and Paul Minifie and John Williamson have not lost a representative game this season, although Williamson has been battling to find his best form. Final success for Canterbury could hinge on the performances of the bottom trio, John Crawford-Smith, Rick Vincent and Russell Start. Although the odds are against any of them winning a place in the team proper for the Government Life event, the travelling reserve position is not settled. After three earlier losses this season, Crawford-Smith kept in contention with wins against both of his Otago opponents. Vincent has had four wins and a half from six representative matches this season, and Start undoubtedly has been the season’s emerging player. He is unbeaten for Canterbury, and for North Canterbury in the Woodward Cup inter-club contest.