Japan golfers beat Europe

Press, 10 November 1986, Page 8

Japan golfers beat Europe

NZPA-Reuter Tokyo The Japanese team trounced the European team to win the title and a SUS3OO.OOO ($594,000) winner’s purse in the deciding fourth match of the Professional Golfers Association (P.G.A.) Cup tournament yesterday. The Japanese team overtook the Europeans, who started with a three : point lead after Saturday’s round, by claiming three wins, two draws and only one loss. A win counts for two points and a draw' earns one.

lan Woosnam, of Britain, brought in the single win against Japan’s Tateo Ozaki, 70-76, while his compatriots, Nick Faldo and Sandy Lyle, collected the draws. The European team lost as finalists, at the Yomiuri Country Club in the suburbs of Tokyo yesterday, for the second time running after last year’s event in Kapalua,

Hawaii. In the match between the Australia-New Zealand team and the United States team, who trailed third and fourth, respectively, yesterday, the Australia-New Zealand team led powerfully, taking five wins, one draw’ and no losses.

For the Americans, this was the fourth straight defeat. Only Calvin Peete salvaged a point in a 71-71 draw against David Graham. The individual competition was also won by a Japanese player, Tsuneyuki Nakajima, who shot a four-under-par 68 for a total 18-under-par 270 and a first prize purse of $U525,000 ($49,500). West Germany’s Bernhard Langer came in second with a 68 for a 272 total. Japan’s Naomichi Ozaki, third at 274, and Australia’s lan BakerFinch, who shared fourth at 275, hit the day’s bests of 67. Bob Tway, of the United States shared fifth on a 71.