Well earned open win for Graham
Coolangatta, Tweed Heads The Texas-based Australian, David Graham yesterday completed one of the lowest golf totals on record at Coolangatta to earn every cent of the appearance money that sparked such a controversy before the Queensland Open. The 1981 U.S. Open winner — who put off a hunting trip in Alaska to Shis first Queensland nament — ran roughshod over the Coolan-gatta-Tweed course, with remarkable rounds of 66, 64, 69, 70 for a 19-under-par aggregate of 269. Graham won by five strokes. It was his first tournament victory since the 1983 Houston Open. The gallant Queenslander, Paul Foley (70, 70, 66, 68), who made a charge with two early birdies and an eagle to get within four
shots of Graham at the turn, had to settle for second. The West German, Bernhard Langer (70, 70, 72, 70), also embroiled in the appearance money wrangle, tied with Long Jetty’s Ken Dukes (66, 69, 72, 75) and the recent Queensland PGA winner Peter Fowler (69, 72, 72, 69) for third on sixunder. Not since Jack Newton’s crushing 19-under par win in the 1976 New South Wales Open at Royal Sydney has a player blitzed a field so easily. At 21-under just four holes from home, Graham was seriously threatening Gary Player’s record 24under par win in the 1965 Australian Open at Kooynga in South Australia. However, a fierce rainstorm hit the course, scattering Graham’s massive gallery as he prepared for his final assault.
Playing in driving rain he bogeyed the last two holes as he rushed to finish his round, as the tournament itself was under threat. The $9,000 winner’s cheque meant little to the golfing millionaire, but victory has rarely been sweeter.
It not only broke a frustrating bout but gave him the ammunition to hit out at the critics of appearance money.
“I think I answered them my way,” Graham said. “I think the young pros showed a great deal of common sense in deciding not to do what certain people tried to ask them to do.”
Graham was obviously still angry about an attempt to boycott the Queensland Open because he and Langer were reportedly paid appearance money.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19851014.2.193
Bibliographic details
Press, 14 October 1985, Page 48
Word Count
363Well earned open win for Graham Press, 14 October 1985, Page 48
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.