N.Z. juniors make golf semi-finals

Press, 30 April 1988, Page 88

N.Z. juniors make golf semi-finals

From 808 SCHUMACHER in Auckland I Two New Zealand junior golfers were anxious to leave the North Shore course yesterday afternoon. Their urgency was not through a call of nature, rather they wanted to call their parents to inform them they were in the semi-finals of the national amateur championship.

II Tony Christie, aged 18, from Canterbury, and Philip Tataurangi, aged 16, from Waikato, have shown complete disregard for reputations and pretournament predictions on course to a place in the final four. They come up against Australians over 36 holes today, but whatever the outcome they have already done themselves proud. I The winner of the New [Zealand strokeplay championship, Brad Hughes, of Victoria, is Tataurangi’s redoubtable opponent; the once rubbishman; now pilot, Lester Peterson, of New South Wales, will be Christie’s accomplished rival.

The parents of young Christie and Tataurangi were ecstatic at the news of their progeny's progress and moved in different ways. Christie’s mother was almost re- . duced to tears, Tataurangi’s parents were moved to organise a bus with a support crew of about 30 to come from Waitomo, south of Waikato, for today’s semifinal.

Mature and composed for one of tender years, Tataurangi had a • ready explanation for his remarkable recovery which enabled him to beat the defending champion, Owen Kendall (Mount Maunganui), at the twentieth hole.

“Sandy Lyle (who won the recent United States Masters) called it his fifteenth club and so can I — ‘patience.’ I was down in my morning match and got up to win, I’ve learnt to sit back and think, play each shot hole by hole.’’ Tataurangi looked to be counted out on the seventeenth green. He was 2 down with two holes to play and Kendall was faced with a putt of less than 2m to seal the match.

"He had played steadily all day. When he had that five-footer I didn’t think he would miss it.” But Kendall did, and Tataurangi left himself an uphill putt of 3m at the

last for a birdie to extend the match. "I can’t remember it going in," said Tataurangi, but the roar from a supportive gallery reassured him that it did arid, after I the pair halved the first [ extra holes in par, Tataurangi played a pearl of a shot at the 130 m second. He steered his No. 9 iron shot to within Im of the hole, Kendall missed the green and that was, as they say, "the ball game.” [ .Tataurangi’s father, Tel Roi, a distinguished Auckland rugby representative! of yesteryear, is among; Philip’s most staunch ad-j vocates even though he was beaten by his son! using a set of cut down

women’s clubs many' years ago. Philip Tataurangi values his father’s sup! port. “He’s my chief walr letman, my chief taxi drF vier and usually my chiefcaddy.” What did he know about his semi-final opponent Hughes? “He's another Australian and I would just love to beat him, but he’s a good player who won the stroke title -j--however anything can happen under pressure.”; Christie, a team-[mate of Tataurangi in Australia earlier this month, achieved his win in completely contrasting style from his fellow national junior. Against Northland’s established No. 1 player for the last; decade, Kevin Billington, Christie worked himself [ into a very commanding position. He was 3 [up with four to play, and although Billington, cut from the strong, silent mould, managed a wry smile when he holed a 7m downhill putt at 15, Christie was still 2 up after 16. [ Billington, rated highly enough by the New Zealand selectors to [have his expenses met to play! in this year’s South Island

championship, was not finished — he birdied from 4m at 17 for a win and Christie seemed vulnerable when he lost the. par-5 finishing hole to a par.

He should have hit his wedge up the steep slope and nestled on the green for three. But he admitted that he was worried [about Billington ! birdieing the hole and tried a delicate toss shot. The ball failed to reach the green and Christie’s par putt of 4m cannoned off the cup.

Yet Christie has putted , brilliantly all week ]— he i was the first to confess he I would not have progressed so far if the put- ■ ting blade had not! been I working so well — and a i betting man would! have I backed Christie to hole [ his 4m birdie putt at the ! first play-off hole. Indeed Christie responded nobly to the challenge and his fifth birdie of the contest booked his semi-final place. The last year has been unbelievably successful for Christie. He played in j his first national amateur championship at Waitikiri last year; and failed to qualify’ in the tip 32. Since then, however, he has earned places j in the Canterbury senior golf team, thd New Zealand junior side and this) month won his first Canterbury senior title, the foursomes with Lyndon Cron.j A tired Hughes conserved enough energy to ward off Elliot j Boult (Marlborough) in the first quarter-final, and Peterson, 2 down after [six, let his New South Welshman, David Ecob, a semi-final-ist last year, make the mistakes as he took charge at the right l time in the final last-eight 'contest.

Round 2: B. Hughes (Aust.) b S. Bouvier (Aust.)l up, E. Boult (Rarangi) b D. Sipson (Mt Maunganui), 4/3, P. Tataurangi (Waitomo) b C. Newman (Hauapi) 3/1, 0. Kendall (Mt Maunganui) b P. Simpson (Wanganui) 3/1, T. Christie (Waltiklri) b M. King (Aust.) 3/2, K. Billington (Sherwood Park) b R. Carr (North Shore) 4/3, L. Peterson (Aust.) b M. Pettigrew (Hutt) 2 up, D. Ecob (Aust.) b T. Cochrane (North Shore) 3/ 1.

Round 3: Hughes b Boult 5/ 3, Tataurangi b Kendall twentieth, Christie b (Billington nineteenth, Peterson b Ecob 2/1. I