Wind could be telling factor at Hokowhitu

Press, 4 November 1986, Page 44

Wind could be telling factor at Hokowhitu

From

BOB SCHUMACHER,

in Palmerston North

If the wind continues to blow like forty fiends, as it did yesterday morning, for this week’s Government Life national interprovincial golf tournament at the Hokowhitu course, life might be something of a misery for the players from the 14 associations. The Canterbury nonplaying captain, Len McKenzie, still recovering his land legs several hours after the morning buffeting, predicted some “monstrous” scores if the prevailing wind hits the well groomed, challenging test offered by the par-72 Hokowhitu river course. The adjacent Manawatu River could even swallow the odd ball on the sixteenth hole. “The wind is going to be a telling factor, it could mean as much as three or four clubs difference on some holes. Players could score 80plus yet still win their games,” Mr McKenzie said. ‘ The Canterbury team had two practice rounds

on Sunday and one yesterday morning in preparation for the country’s premier teams’ matchplay event, and Mr McKenzie reported that all players were shaping well, although he hinted that one or two still had room for improvement. The top pair, Mark Street and John Williamson, have previously played the course, but for the team’s two newcomers in the middle order, John Crawford-Smith and Kerry Lake, and the No. 5, Murray Brown, it has been two days of familiarisation. Street, who will be at No. 1 for the first time in nine national tournaments, defied the difficult conditions yesterday, registered four birdies and cleaned out his teammates in a game of “skinners.” Canterbury has a bye in its section when the. championship starts this morning, a fact which does not please Mr McKenzie. “I would have preferred the bye somewhere in the middle of the week, but we will get out early and play a few holes. I think we are mentally well prepared; it

would do the confidence of the new boys the world of good if they could start with wins and the more established guys could do with early wins too.” Canterbury’s first objective will be to finish in the top two places in its section and thus qualify for the semi-finals on Saturday morning. Last year it was beaten by Waikato in the final and, interestingly, Paul Cadogan, the youngster who won the crucial . match against Williamson on the last green at Otatara to seal Waikato’s win, is only the reserve this year. It would be a majoi upset if Canterbury did not start successfully this afternoon. Its opening opponent, Poverty Bay, has finished last three times in the last four years and has beaten Canterbury only once since 1968. The main dangers to Canterbury’s bid for a semi-final place would appear to be ManawatuWanganui, which has won the two tournaments previously played at Hokowhitu, and the southern sides, Tasman and Aorangi.