Tasman scores upset over champion

Press, 4 April 1989, Page 48

Tasman scores upset over champion

PA Hamilton Tasman, headed by the experienced No. 1, Kevin Downie, scored the upset of the opening round of the Freyberg Masters golf tournament at St Andrews course yesterday. Downie was one of three Tasman players to win in a 3-2 victory over the defending champion, Wellington,' in the interprovincial teams championship for players 40

and over. Mike Gilchrist at No. 2 and Mike Thompson at No. 4 had the other wins for Tasman. The team that has won the only other two masters tournaments, Auckland, scored a comfortable 3/ 2 to iy 2 victory over Northland with Vic Pirihi, Ken Hanki and Phil Reid all winning with several holes to spare. Other first-round winners included the host

team, Waikato — which needed a last-green victory by its captain, Stuart Reid, to ensure a 3y 2 to iy 2 success against Bay of Plenty — as well as Otago, Taranaki, Aorangi and Manawatu-Wanganui. The Poverty Bay-East Coast No. 1, Peter Rouse, caused the sensation of the day with a hole-in-one at the fourteenth to get back to square against the Otago captain, Ray

Kearns. But Rouse had to settle for a halved match after an early lead First' round results (winning team’s names first): — Tasman, 3, Wellington 2. K. Downie b I. McDonald 21, M. Gilchrist b C. Moore 3-2, G. Strickett lost to N. Pitches 8-7, M. Thompson b J. Aldridge 4-3, G. Scammell lost to A. Inglis 2-1. Auckland 3y 2 , Northland l»/ 2 . Waikato 3 y 2 , Bay of Plenty I'A-

Otago 31/2, Poverty BayEast Coast l‘/ 2 . Taranaki 3, Hawke’s Bay 2. Aorangi 3, Southland 2. R. Murray b A. Miller 3-1, I. Cuthill and R. Crengle square, G. Brown b P. Jackson 8-7, R. Heke and E. Williams square, W. Mason lost to R. Petrie 3-2. Manawatu-Wanganui 4, Canterbury 2. P. Balfour lost to R. Bradley 5-4, P. Keenan b P. Harvey 2-1, R. Sisson b R. Hill 3-2, D. Tarrant b R. McLaughlan 5-4, S. McCabe b I. Walsh 4-3.