Mariu makes amends

Press, 21 August 1989, Page 27

Mariu makes amends

Karl Mariu, who lost the Rangiora 36-hole golf championship through disqualification on Saturday, made amends yesterday by winning the Canterbury under-21 title at Kaiapoi. Mariu, aged 18, won the Rangiora open by four shots but was stripped of his title when he failed to sign his card. He made no such mistake yesterday, winning by five shots from Lyndon Cron, the Rangiora champion, with a 36-hole aggregate of 139, one under par. The North Canterbury Woodward Cup No. 1, Mariu was consistent throughout, carding three birdies and two, bogeys in the morning and two birdies and two bogeys in the afternoon. Most of his birdies were products of

short putts. He was, as his playing partners remarked — “hitting it like a dart.” Mariu, a member of the New Zealand development squad, thus completed the Canterbury double. He took the provincial under-17 title at Avondale in 1987. Cron (Waitikiri) had an undistinguished first round but scored the equal-best round — along with Gary Taylor of Russley — of 68 in the afternoon. He birdied the opening two holes, dropped shots at the fourth and eighth, but played the back nine in two under par with birdies at 12 and 17. The under-17 title was retained by Nigel Slater. Slater, aged 16, who won his Woodward Cup debut for Russley eight days ago, had one shot

to spare from a six-handi-capper, Stuart Harvey (Rawhiti). Leading scores: Under 21 139 — K. M. Mariu, 69, 70. 144 — L. J. Cron, 76, 68. 146 — A. E. Sidford, 73, 73. 147 — C. Davies,' 75, 72; G. Taylor, 68, 79. 149 — J. Miles, 73, 76. 150 — S. W. A. Sibley, 70, 80. 153 — A. W. Hobbs, 76, 77; C. Lawson, 78, 75. 154 — K. Kitchingham, 79, 75. 156 — C. Johns 76, 80. 155 — T. J. Christie, 78, 77. Under 17 150 — N. Slater 77, 73. 151 — S. Harvey, 77, 74. 155 — A. Grimes, 77, 78. 156 — B. Ruri, 78, 78. 159 — M. Davies, 78, 81.