Unknown golfer’s success tinged with sadness

Press, 9 December 1988, Page 48

Unknown golfer’s success tinged with sadness

From

BOB SCHUMACHER

in Auckland

An unknown in the world of professional golf, James Varnam, left a long list of well-known, high-earning moneymakers in his wake in the opening round of the $200,000 Air New Zealand Shell Open tournament at Titirangi yesterday.

But what should have been one of the happiest days in the life of the New Zealand-born, United States-domiciled Varnam was tinged with sadness after the revelation that his father, Bob, was to be admitted to hospital today to undergo cancer surgery. Varnam senior was at the course yesterday to watch his son card a five-under-par 65 and establish a one-shot lead over the regular visitor from Victoria, lan Stanley, with another Australian, Peter Fowler, alone in third place on 67. Fowler had seven birdies in the last 13 holes. It was a poignant moment for father and son after the round and Bob Varnam, quite emotional, told his son that he would have to stay on the leader board for the final two rounds at the weekend so he could follow his progress on television from his hospital bed. Mr Varnam’s operation will be on Monday. The usual deluge of low scores on the first day did not occur yesterday. Only 13 players finished below the par of 70 while a further four matched that score. Among the failures were last year’s titleholder, Mike Colandro (United States), who slumped to 74, one of the American guests, Jeff Sluman — the United States P.G.A. champion, who seemed disorientated as he carded 79 — and the 1986 winner and twice runner-up in the last three years, Rodger Davis (Australia) who, from twounder with five holes to play, staggered home in 71, dropping strokes at 14, 15 and 16. However, the other American celebrity, the twice United States Open champion, Hale Irwin, re-

mained in contact with 68, a round marked by good shot-making, putting woes and much head shaking. He shares fourth place with the Australians, Ossie Moore and Jeff Woodland. A tournament regulation is that players are not to be distracted or interviewed during their rounds, but if Varnam was aware of that stipulation he chose to ignore it, walking across to the boundary ropes to return greetings and never losing his disarming smile. Before leaving New Zealand in 1978 he had been an old boy of the Manukau club and several spectators had not forgotten the engaging Maori golfer who won the New Zealand boys’ championship at his only other appearance on the Titirangi course 12 years ago. Varnam had also become known in golf circles as the confident caddy for one of the country’s most accomplished professionals, Simon Owen, and he was in that role -when Owen won the 1976 New Zealand Open and 1978 New Zealand P.G.A. title. Now based at Huntingdon Beach, Los Angeles, Varnham has mainly stayed on a mini circuit in the United States, playing 36-hole events with some success. He has never won a 72-hole event but hopes to rectify that over the next three days. “I like the way I’m playing and I’m putting well,”’ said Varnam, who turned professional in 1981. Because a player’s card has not been heeded for the United States mini circuit, Varnam only qualified in Australia this year for the Down Under circuit. He played seven tournaments in Australia and only missed two cuts. His round was not free

of error — there were three one-over pars, including two on successive holes near the end of his round — but he carried on undeterred, unlike a recent tournament in Australia when he panicked after having consecutive bogeys. Four birdies and two eagles more than compensated for the shots that got away. His first eagle was at the par-5 sixth, a bunker shot finding the hole, and his second was on the course’s only other par-5, a 470 m challenge which was made easier by the tailwind. A no. 5 iron approach left him 4m behind the cup and his putt was in the middle. At that point he was five under par but a “wrong tee shot and terrible second putt” cost him a stroke at 13 and he was still thinking negatively as he blocked his iron tee shot at 14 and left his par putt on the high side after a well-judged chip. However, he rallied immediately, slotting a 5m birdie putt at 15 and returning to five under when, with the adrenalin really flowing before a rapidly growing gallery, he thumped a prodigious drive at the last, cleverly hit a flat wedge to the green which checked and left him a 2m birdie putt which he holed confidently. Stanley, unable to make his annual visit last year because of a broken rib, negotiated the half he considers the hardest (the back nine) in par 35, birdieing the twelfth and the last with a 5m putt down the slope. He incorrectly read the gusting wind to drop a shot at 14 and he had three putts at 16. The sharp shooting began on the front nine: birdies at the first and

second — both from 2m — and a driver, No. 6 iron and 2m putt gave him his eagle at the sixth. The other six holes were played in par. “The putter has not been working until now and it’s the guy with the hot putter who will win. I’m hoping that mine will get a little hotter.” Stanley, never short of a quip, fired a parting shot at the New Zealand journalists — “please buy the frigates.” Of the eight invited amateurs in the field, Phillip Tataurangi, the New Zealand senior and junior international, was clearly the best. Tataurangi, aged 17, played the last nine in 33 for a oneover 71. The Canterbury juniors, Lyndon Cron and Tony Christie, scored 77 and 82, respectively. Not so lucky was Zane Griff, the assistant professional at the Chamberlain Park Course in Auckland. He had double bogeys at 6,7, and 8 and a four-over at 9. He covered the front nine in 50 and quietly withdrew. Leading scores:— 65: J. Varnam (N.Z.). 66: I. Stanley (Aus). 67: P. Fowler (Aus).

68: O. Moore (Aus), J. Woodland (Aus), H. Irwin (U.S.). 69: P. Powell (N.Z.), K. Tripplett (U.S.), D. Rohrbaugh (U.S.), D. Hughes (Aus), J. Diggetts (U.S.), J. Wagner (Aus), T. Gale (Aus). 70: B. Officer (Aus), B. Soland (N.Z.), H. Baran (U.S.), M. Moynihan (N.Z.). 71: R. Davis (Aus), M. Clayton (Aus), D. Meriman (Aus), P. Tataurangi (Am, Waitomo), G. Kenny (Aus), E. Herden (Aus), D. Delong (Canada), S. Rintoul (Aus), P. O’Malley (Aus), T. Brigstock (Aus), G. Bilkey (U.S.). 72: D. Smith (Aus), J. Sheargold (N.Z.), R. Swanson (Aus), P. Glass (Aus), Y. Masuda (Japan), M. Harwood (Aus), R. McNamara (U.S.), J. Brellenthin (U.S.), S. Owen (N.Z.), T. Elliott (Aus), C. Mann (Aus).