Golf lead seized by Lyle

Press, 7 December 1987, Page 25

Golf lead seized by Lyle

SCHUMACHER, in Auckland Sandy Lyle made mockery of swirling winds and frightening pin placements to card a five-under-par 65 and establish the first significant break on a hitherto tightly packed field in the third round of the Air New Zealand Shell Open golf tournament at Titirangi on Saturday. Lyle’s confidence on the greens was given a tremendous boost when he holed a birdie putt of 8m on the first It was a putt which he said that he was only trying to get close. But he read the borrow perfectly and joined the overnight leaders, the Australians, Vaughan Somers and

Graffy, Inihefead at six-under for the tournament. For the first seven holes, the lead was shared by as many as five players, with the defending champion, Rodger Davis (Australia), and Mike Colandro (United States) also having early birdies to keep the attendants hard at work on the leader board. However, Lyle, aged 29, attained sole rights to the lead when the joint leaders, Davis and Colandro, fell foul of a troublesome 185 m par-3 hole, one made doubly difficult by a crosswind which varied in velocity. There was no stopping Lyle from that

point He birdied the eighth to go ahead by two and successive blrdies at 13,14 and 15, the last two at holes where the pins were wickedly placed on tiered greens, ensured that he alone would be the leder after 54 holes. When Lyle slotted two testing putts for par at 16 and 17, he seemed set to complete a flawless round. But it lost a little gloss when he had his only one-over at the last, his approach hitting the green before reversing down the green’s slope. “It hit it pin high, hitting a low sand iron, but the backspin still didn’t hold, then I hit a lousy chip,” said Lyle, “But I hit it fairly solid

Ithough f - still * missed the odd 13-foot putt I can’t complain. It’s a tricky course with the wind swirling around trees and the high ball getting caught when you hit above them, but I hit my No. 1 iron well. I thought that 67 or 68 would have me in a good position so 65 was a bonus.” New Zealand’s bestplaced professional was the big-hitting Hawke’s Bay player, Barry Vivian. He was in equal eighteenth place on 212, two better than Robin Smalley and Simon Owen. The Harewood professional, Paul Minifie, was on 217,

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