Pro-am prizemoney increased to $5000

Press, 16 September 1987, Page 68

Pro-am prizemoney increased to $5000

A reduction in the number of events but increased prizemoney for each tournament are features of the annual Canterbury pro-am mini golf circuit which starts next week with the Russley event

Three tournaments have been deleted from last year’s programme to leave four this year, but an increased purse — from $3500 to $5OOO for each event — has lured 36 professionals from throughout New Zealand to the quickfire series. The winning stake in each pro-am will be $lOOO and prizemoney will be paid dpwn to the twentyfifth place. The order of tournaments is: September 23, at Russley; September 24, at Weedons: September 25,

at Templeton; September 26, at Rawhiti. A drawcard this year will be Stuart Reese, one of New Zealand’s bestperformed professionals among the younger brigade. Reese, aged 33, turned professional not long after winning the 1975 national amateur championship by the huge margin of 10 and 9. He has represented New Zealand in the World Cup and in the lucrative Dunhill Cup world series two years ago. Geoff Clarke, one of the country’s most successful and seasoned amateurs until switching to the paid ranks, will be delighted that the Russley and Weedons tournaments remain on the circuit

Clarke, from Alexandra, won both tournaments last

year with a four-under par 69 at Weedons and a par round of 73 at Russley.

Another Clarke, Dennis, or “Yogi” as he is commonly known, will be down from the Westown club in New Plymouth. He, too, has represented New Zealand in the World Cup.

Craig Owen and Richard Ellis are two other prominent professionals from the North Island, while Paul Minifie, who celebrated his first appearance in the money ranks with a four-stroke victory in last year’s Avondale pro-am, should earn a good slice of the prizemoney, along with his fellow Harewood professional, Mark Guy, and David Hartshorne (Russley).