GOLF Kearns And Foxton Win Canterbury Foursomes

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28269, 6 May 1957, Page 15

GOLF Kearns And Foxton Win Canterbury Foursomes

Five pairs of players were in a position to win the Canterbury men’s foursomes championships at Templeton with only a few holes to be played, but they all failed to catch the 36-hole total of 152 set by R. D. Kearns (Otago) and K. D. Foxton (Russley). Kearns and Foxton won the title last year, and this time retained it by a stroke from G. P. Vesty and R. S. Wakefield (Timaru), who were placed second on a count-back from R. J. Charles and C. W. Caldwell (Christchurch). On Saturday Kearns and Miss S. Grigg retained the mixed foursomes title they won in 1955 and 1956. This time they won by six strokes, from C. J. Ward and Mrs Ward.

After Saturday’s rain Templeton, tightened considerably by the changes made on the first half, played quite long, and its demanding nature was reflected in the scoring, which for a championship was very poor, particularly for players enjoying the indulgence of preferred lies. There were some complaints about some of the greens on the first half, and they might have been better, but in general the course was in very fine order, and the running of the tournament was first-class.

Kearns and Foxton established a two-stroke lead on the field in the morning. Playing the last nine first, they were out in 40, four over scratch, largely because of a lost ball at the fourteenth. ■Both of' them played well, with Kearns perhaps the steadier, and they finished the round brilliantly with birdies at the eighth and ninth. Their homeward half of 35 gave them a 75. two over scratch. Behind them were the North Canterbury players, R. G. Rainey and G. A. Appleton, who gave a superb display of chipping and putting in their 77. One stroke further back there were four pairs—A. L. Castle and C. H. Johnson, who combined particularly well; the long hitting team of A. R. Mac Gibbon and A. W. Robinson, who dropped four strokes in the first six holes, only one on the last 12, with Robinson hitting some good drives and sound approaches and Mac Gibbon putting most successfully; I. B. Cromb and D. E. Climie, a colourful pair, capable of prodigies of recovery; and D. C. Watson and W. J. McGavock, who were very steady throughout the round. In the afternoon Kearns and Foxton faltered briefly, when they three-putted the fifth and had a chip and two putts at the short sixth, but they had another birdie 3 at the eighth, and turned for home in 38. Kearns, who will be playing second for Otago, had been the mainstay of the team early in the round, but Foxton began to play more of the better shots later. Erratic Start Charles and Caldwell, who had putted wretchedly throughout themorning, when they had a 79. started the afternoon erratically, but settled down to play some of the day’s best golf. The figures came easily, and they were out in scratch figures, 37. They dropped a stroke at the twelfth, when Caldwell was short with his approach and Charles short with his chip, but a lovely drive by Charles, a fine Caldwell approach, and an eight-foot putt by Charles gave them a birdie 3 at the 374yard fourteenth. This gave them a reasonable chance of reaching Foxton and Kearns, but it was lost almost immediately, when Charles played a poor third at the sixteenth, to find a bunker beside the green. They could not get the birdie they needed on either of the last two holes.

While these players were nearing the end of their round, Appleton and Rainey were briefly in the lead. They had gone out in 37, Appleton putting brilliantly, and both he and Rainey chipping with remarkable accuracy. They hardly looked like dropping strokes until the thirteenth, where Appleton’s drive was badly sliced. The hole cost them 7, and they were unable to recover such a sudden and heavy loss. Severe Test

A little ahead of them, Watson and McGavock had an excellent chance, for they were two over playing the sixteenth, and needed a birdie atone of the last three holes to tie. They were ' quite, close to it at the sixteenth, very close indeed at the seventeenth, where McGavock’s chip lipped the cup, but at the last hole Watson pushed his drive far out across the road which runs through the course. Before McGavock could play his second from the rough, he and Watson had to move a huge half-burnt tree stump, and McGavock was left with a tantalising view of the flag. To get near the green he had to carry over a row of cars, many of them containing spectators, but he was equal to a testing occasion, and his wood put him not far wide of the green. But the approach was short, and McGavock’s gallant putt for a 4 just failed.

By this time, Mac Gibbon’s vast but erratic tee shots had put Robinson under frequent pressure, and they lost strokes steadily. B. Clegg and M. J. McNally, who had gone out in the morning splendidly, in 37, and come home, with five-three putted greens, in 45, went further back, and at the twelfth, a nightmare hole of 512 yards, they reached their nadir. The hole cost them 10. Chance Lost Cromb and Climie had been playing particularly well until they had a spectacular blow-up soon after the turn. Castle and

Johnson lost their chance at the short third, where it took them a total of four strokes to emerge from the bunker before the green, and at the end only Vesty and Wakefield, who had scored a 79 in the morning, had a chance. In the afternoon they provided perhaps the most spectacular golf of the day, largely through the prodigious driving of the slightlybuilt Wakefield. At the long par-4 holes, Vesty was on several occasions able to play an 8-iron for the . second stroke. At the 462-yard second, they were well through the green with a drive by Wakefield and a 4-wood by Vesty, and Wakefield’s drive at the 532-yard twelfth gave Vesty every chance of getting on with his 4-wood. At the eighth, 268 yards, Wakefield drove the green, although there was little run and the hollows slow down the ball rapidly. They were out in 38, and needed to be one under scratch coming home to equal Foxton and Kearns. Both Vesty and Wakefield played very steadily—although they had some very long shots, they were seldom off line. Only at the fifteenth were they in danger of dropping a stroke, and there Wakefield saved them with a putt of eight or nine feet. Eut the birdie would not come. At the seventeenth, Vesty lipped the cup with his chip, and at the eighteenth a grand effort by Wakefield to sink a putt of 25 feet failed very narrowly. Results were:— CHAMPIONSHIP Senior r D. Kearns and K. D. Foxton, 75 77—152; R. J. Charles and C. W. Caldwell, 79, 74—153; G. P. Vesty and R. S. Wakefield, 79, 74—153; W. J. McGavock and D. C. Watson, 78, 76 —154; R. G. Rainey and G. A. Appleton. 77, 79—156; J. G. Scott and L. J. James, 80, 77-157; J D Bull and W. D. Armstrong, 80, 79—109; H. C. Hill and I. S. Harvey, 81, 80—161; R. J. Ramsay and D. J. Ramsay, 80, 81—161; H. W. Laurence and A. E. Ison, 81, 82—163. Wakefield and Vesty were runners-up on a count-back. Intermediate R. W. Smart and L. J. Roy, 77, 83 —160; L. G. Blumsky and A. S. Leighton, 86, 77—163; B. Morel and W Fairclough, 87, 82—169; J. Tregear and T. Kennedy, 87, 83—170; L. Evans and R. C. Sweet, 84, 90—174; R. Baty and E. Holden, 87, 88—175. Junior R. J. Jenkins and R. P. Newburn, 89 84—173; H. B. Stewart and A. W. Dennis. 94, 89—183; J. G. Patterson and W. D. Gain, 89, 96—185; W. Fountain and J. Hall, 91, 95—186. Handicap Events Senior.—Morning: A. W. Robinson and A. R. Mac Gibbon, 78, 5—73. Afternoon: L. J. McGavock and D. C. Watson, 76, 2—74. t Intermediate.— Morning: J. M. Crombie and F. R. Marshall, 83, 9 74. Afternoon: B. Morel and W. L. Fairclough, 82, 10—72. Junior.—Morning: J. G. Patterson and W. D. Gain, 89, 17—72. Afternoon: R. T. Cullen and J. F. Birss, 90, 21—69. Teams’ Match— B. W. Simon and R. Smith, net 73; R. Baty and E. Holden, 76; R. Blumsky and A. S. Leighton, 66, —215. 36-Hole Stroke Match.—J. Tregear and T. Kennedy, 170 26—144; R. G. Rainey and G. A. Appleton 156 8— 148.

MIXED FOURSOMES

Unlike the previous championship, Kearns and Miss Grigg had the most comfortable of victories in the mixed foursomes, played in light but steady rain on Saturday. In the morning they established a lead of four strokes, with the only round better than 80. and although in the afternoon C. J. Ward and Mrs Ward also had a 79, Kearns and Miss Grigg increased their margin to six strokes. L. A. Watson and Mrs Watson, who had been runners-up for the previous five years—three times by a single stroke—were well down the field this time, and so were a winning combination of recent years, I. B. Cromb and Miss Z. Hudson. The scoring was very poor, but the rounds were not played in good conditions. , , „ . The trophies won during the two days were presented by Mr H. Langford, president of the Canterbury Provincial Golf Association, and president of the Templeton Club. Results were:— CHAMPIONSHIPS Senior R D. Kearns and Miss S. Grigg, 79. 80—159; C. J. Ward and Mrs Ward, 86, 79-165; B. L. Ciegg and Miss A. Grennell, 84. 85—169; H. J. Gosset and Miss H. Geaney, 83, 88— 171- K. D. Foxton and Mrs D. Foxton, 85. 86—171; F. Williamson and Mrs Williamson, 84, 88—172; I. B. Cromb and Miss Z. Hudson, 89, 85— 174. Junior M R. Meikle and Mrs B. Tankard. 92 96—188; A. J. McGillivray and Mrs McGillivray, 94, 94—188; M. Howe and Miss M. Ramsay, 95, 93 188- L. J. Roy and Mrs Roy, 94, 95—189; G. E. Sinclair and Mrs R. T. Cullen, 98. 92—190; N. Robertson and Mrs Robertson, 91, 99—190. Meikle and Mrs Tankard won on a count-back. HANDICAP EVENTS Thirty-six-hole Stroke Handicap D. Climie and Mrs J. H. McGavock, 191, 44—147; L. J. Roy and Mrs Roy, 189, 34—155. Stroke Handicaps.—Senior—Morning; D. B. Hayman and Miss R. Stafford, 85, 9—76. Afternoon: G. P. Anderson and Mrs Anderson, 90, 11— 79. Junior —Morning: N. J. Forward and Miss S. Patrick, 90, 16—74. Afternoon: W. D. Armstrong and Mrs Armstrong, 95, 18—77. . Teams’ Match.—G. E. Sinclair and Mrs R. T. Cullen, R. T. Cullen and Mrs I. M. Hagerty.