Golf contests cancelled

Press, 31 March 1989, Page 27

Golf contests cancelled

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

The annual Sloan Morpeth and Clare Higson (under 26) golf internationals between Australia and New Zealand will not be played this year.

The executive director of the New Zealand association, Grant Clements, said yesterday that Australia had cancelled the contests, declining an offer from New Zealand to hold the event even though it was the turn of the Australians. Australia will hold the Pacific Rim teams’ championship this year, probably coinciding with its national championships in the first week of September.

However, Australia will be

represented by five golfers at the New Zealand amateur championship at Taupo from April 16 to 23. Lester Peterson, a member of the Australian team which regained the Sloan Morpeth Trophy from New Zealand at North Shore last April, Shane Robinson and Matthew King, both members of the 1988 Clare Higson team, and Paul Maloney from the official Australia team, and James Coulson, also a Clare Higson representative, will attend at his own- expense. Peterson teamed with David Ecob, now a professional, to win the New Zealand foursomes last year, an

event in which Robinson and King finished second. Peterson also finished runner-up to his compatriot, Brad Hughes, in the matchplay final. Hughes, too, has now joined the money ranks.

Mr Clements said that the internationals would almost certainly be revived at Shirley next year, that course being the venue for the Eisenhower Trophy world teams’ championship in November. Entries for the national championship total 103, one notable absentee being the present New Zealand representative and top Canterbury amateur, Brent Paterson.