Greg Turner on trial in two N.Z. tournaments

Press, 27 November 1986, Page 48

Greg Turner on trial in two N.Z. tournaments

PA Auckland Greg Turner is wearing lightly the burden of being tagged New Zealand’s latest golfing hero.

Aself-confident young man, Turner comes to the New Zealand circuit — and more particularly the $150,000 Air New Zea-land-Shell Open which begins today at Titirangi — with the impressive record of three major victories in his brief twoyear professional career. When it is suggested to him that the New Zealand public is eager to salute a sportsman who succeeds internationally and, more specifically an heir to Bob Charles, Turner says: ‘‘l don’t think about it. I let others worry about that.” But he is very much aware that, in a sense, he is on trial this week at Titirangi and again next week at the Nissan Mobil New Zealand Open at the Grange. Part of his problem, if in fact it is a problem, is that his game has not really been seen in New Zealand. He left New Zealand as an amateur with potential and spent four years at Oklahoma State University from where he was twice chosen to play for New Zealand in the

Eisenhower Trophy. He played three tournaments as a new professional two years ago, winning the P.G.A. championship in his third tournament, and last summer was in Spain qualifying for the European circuit. So he returns to New Zealand something of a stranger. “When there are only two weeks in New Zealand, you are expected to do well. But in golf, two weeks is a very short time. “You are only as good as your performances in New Zealand and although I might have won the Scandinavian and Singapore Opens, if I don’t play well in New Zealand then people can say that ‘he’s not that good’.” Turner can switch that pressure to his advantage. “I am satisfied that 1 am close to playing well and the extra incentive of these two tournaments could help me find the key and perhaps win one — with a bit of luck.” He comes to Titirangi

after a long year — 34 tournaments so far — and earnings of about $300,000. Again the point of playing at home is important. “These two weeks are more important to me than the money side. The money here is probably the smallest I have played for all year but there is pride — I want to play well in my own country. The only problem is that they come at a difficult time, at the end of a long year,” Turner said. Another difficulty he faces is the field which has the greatest depth of talent of any professional tournament held in New Zealand. It has the undoubted talent of Curtis Strange, who is eighth in the world rankings, the defending champion, D. A. Weibring, the new Australian Open champion and last year’s runner-up, Rodger Davis, the former champions, Bob Charles and Terry Gale, a resurfacing Bob Shearer and a group of young Australians with the game to win. Weibring returns to Ti-

tirangi better known than he was this time last year and keen to win again. Last year he had three injections in a troublesome wrist before coming to Auckland but an extensive six-week weight programme has put all that behind him.

He admits being a little rusty but he has had a satisfactory year, including a fourth in the U.S. P.G.A. championship, and he likes Titirangi as he showed in winning with 16 under last year.

Davis comes to Auckland confident from a year which has seen him earn sAust62s,ooo ($NZ775,000). In his career, he has had 18 wins and 33 seconds, two of them in this tournament.

“I am playing well enough,” he says, “to win both of them (the Air New Zealand-Shell and the New Zealand Open).”

Rain over the last two days has served to take the bounce out of Titirangi and add some colour to the fairways. Fine weather now will make the course perfect.