Three share golf lead

Press, 25 September 1987, Page 20

Three share golf lead

Eighty golfers started the Woodward Cup interclub golf competition with the possibility of securing the Stan Rich salver, awarded to the player with the most wins, at the end of the nine-round championship. After five rounds, the number of likely candidates has been whittled down to no more than 11. Six golfers remain unbeaten, but the only three with the perfect score of five wins are the Central Canterbury No. 1, Mark Elley, the Templeton No. 2, Joe Gantley, and the Waitikiri No. 6, Gary Maw.

With four wins and a half are Rick Vincent (Christchurch), Ross Jones (Templeton) and Steven Greenall (Waimairi Beach), while those still well in contention with four wins are

John Williamson, the top Christchurch golfer who has taken the salver twice previously; his young team-mate, Curtis Mercer; the twice Canterbury junior champion, Mark Tamuta (Templeton); another promising youngster, Hans Knutson (Hare-

wood); and a player of older vintage, George Turner (Russley), who has represented Canterbury in the two Freyberg Masters tournaments.

Of the three players with maximum points, Elley faces the hardest assignment. He has already despatched four Canterbury representatives, including Williamson and Mark Street, and he will be opposed by two more at Coringa on Sunday — Fred Poskitt (Waimairi), who won the salver last year, and Neville Brightwell (Templeton). Gantley could have a hard match in the afternoon round against Richie Needham (Central Canterbury), while Maw might come up against Mercer in a contest vital to the championship’s outcome, between Waitikiri and Christchurch.