Paterson returns rich with golfing experience

Press, 30 November 1987, Page 31

Paterson returns rich with golfing experience

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

The Canterbury "golfer of the year,” Brent Paterson, returned to Christchurch yesterday after a rewarding time representing New Zealand in two international tournaments in Thailand. Paterson was the best of the four-man New Zealand team which finished third out of 13 countries in the prestigious Asia-Pacific teams’ championship and he marked the final round of the tournament with a hole-in-one at the 130 m fifth. “I pitched it to the left about an inch away and it seemed to drop in sideways,” said Paterson who was registering his fourth such successful tee shot. In company with Owen Kendall (Mount Maunganui), Paterson stayed after the championship to compete in the Thailand amateur 72-hole open. He was the joint leader after the first round with a one-under-par 71 and in spite of bogeying the last three holes on the second day for a

75 he was still only one shot adrift of the leader. His title aspirations were destroyed in the third round when he carded 80. “I missed a few greens and you could get in trouble in fairway, traps if you were offline. I came down the back nine in sixover.” Five shots behind starting the final round, Paterson

started disastrously with a two-over and a one-over, but he parred the next 16 holes for a 75 and that left him in fifth place, five strokes behind the winner. Paterson related a remarkable tale of the golfing way of life for the Thais who do not belong to clubs and are green fee players. On the first day of the Thailand amateur, he had a member of the Thailand executive council in his four. He was an eight handicapper and had 89 in the first round.

The next morning Paterson and his other two playing partners were on the tee at 7.30 a.m. as scheduled, but there was no sign of the councillor. They were nonchalantly advised by the tournament director that he would not be coming. The only explanation given was that was the nature of Thai golf. Paterson thought New Zealand’s placing in the AsiaPacific event commendable, especially as the two days they had for practice were

rained out. “We only fitted in five holes of practice.” Paterson, helped by the experience of playing in hot temperatures in South America, adapted quickly to the steamy, oppressive heat of Bangkok. The temperatures were about 33 deg. on average with the reading reaching 37 deg. one day. He had a two-under-par round of 70 to start the championship, dropped back with 79 in the second round, but rounds of 72 and 71 placed him only four shots behind the leading individuals, Lester Peterson, of Australia, and Sakata, of Japan.

"The greens were diabolical — my back lawn would run quicker than what we were putting on and the nap was difficult to read. In fact, I didn’t bother reading the greens, I left that to my caddy who lined them up and told me where to hit the ball.”

Paterson was grateful for that help, "but then I tipped him well.”