ACCURATE START

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31198, 24 October 1966, Page 3

ACCURATE START

Palmer stood on the first tee at Middlemore, turned to his caddy, B. Robinson, and said: i “Now Brian, let’s go. You say straight over the heads of the gallery on the left. Well, watch this.” And he slammed one with tremendous power over the nominated position. The hole was halved, but Charles chipped and two

putted the next hole to drop a stroke of his overnight lead. Palmer stretched out a 300-yard-plus drive on the third, but lost the advantage of distance gained when he three putted—missing a twofooter in the process. Charles, who missed the green, chipped and one putted from eight feet and repeated this effort on the next hole. Palmer used an iron off the tee on a par-four hole at the fifth. Hole Halved Palmer’s iron rocketed off the tee and the players again halved the hole. Charles chipped and two-putted his second green of the round on the next, but Palmer’s advantage was short lived when he three-putted the next green. Middlemore’s celebrated 585-yard ninth loomed. Palmer said, “I’m going to give this one a go,” but it was Charles who took the limelight by hitting two tremendous woods, the second with perfect draw to the green.

Palmer, meantime, elected to play his second under some trees. He caught the trees, then went into a bunker, exploded and two putted for a one-over-par six. Charles’s birdie removed any possibility that Palmer would catch the New Zealander during the series.

Palmer was the first to drop a stroke on the homeward nine when he three-putted the 12th. As he stood on the 12th tee and lined up his drive— Charles had advised him to hit one “with a little bend in it”—a movie camera whirred. Palmer stopped, turned to the cameraman and said: “Hey! That sounds a bit sick to me. Are you ready? Well start filming now,” and proceeded to hit his best drive of the day, to be at least 60 yards ahead of Charles. Charles missed the green but his one-chip, one-putt routine held firm and he stuck with the card. Palmer dropped another stroke at the 15th when he again four-putted and the players halved the last three holes in regulation figures. Four-stroke Lead The players came to Middlemore with Charles holding a four-stroke lead. Hiu ninestroke lead after two rounds had been reduced at Miramar, Wellington, on Saturday when Palmer had a par round of 72 and Charles slumped to a 77. Charles did not have a particularly happy time on and around the greens. Palmer took 29 putts to Charles’s 32 and one-putted eight greens to Charles’s four. When Palmer missed the green his one-chip, one-putt game worked well. The gallery of 4500 at Miramar was often thrilled by the power of Palmer’s driving (easily the most indelible memory the great American has left behind on this tour) but the tricky conditions a strong northerly wind and showers for more than half the match —precluded either golfer from taking the course by the scruff of its neck.