Golfing semi-finalists decided in sporting twilight debate

Press, 16 April 1979, Page 22

Golfing semi-finalists decided in sporting twilight debate

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

Darkness and debate delayed the discovery of the four semi-finalists in the Canterbury golf championships at Shirley yesterday. The light had gone before Rickie Vincent won one of the places by beating Kevin Frazier at the twenty-first; the debating ended with Geoff Saunders’ defeat of Dennis Beggs standing. The other two. who won their way through in less exacting circumstances, were Des Turner and Murray Brown.

Saunders was two up with two to play against Beggs. At 17, Beggs drove to the downslope of the bank of the creek. Before he prepared to play his second shot, Saunders reminded him that he was in a hazard and Beggs accepted that he was. Beggs hit a magnificent shot from a most difficult position, but he brushed the grass on his backswing and Saunders, whose sportsmanship is exemplary, thought he had penalised himself by doing that. He said he felt a ruling should be obtained before they piayed on. They waited for two of Canterbury’s most experienced players, Turner and Bruce Taylor, and they confirmed Saunders’ opinion.

Beggs accepted the loss of the hole, but before the ruling was obtained he had got down in four, and Saunders, his mind undoubtedly on this difficult situation, tnissed a putt of under 2m for his four. Beggs conceded the hole and the match and shook hands with Saunders. Saunders was still not happy with what had occurred, and at the clubhouse jt was discovered that Beggs bad only breached the rules if he had grounded his club In the hazard — and not by brushing the grass with his Hub.

Saunders was very eager for the match to be regarded as uncompleted. He wanted to concede the seventeenth knd play the last hole this morning. The decision was finally made by Mr Brian D’Malley, secretary of the Canterbury Provincial Golf Association, who declared

the match completed, on the basis that the concession of the hole had been agreed to at the time.

Beggs, who had to be asked his opinion by telephone, said he would accept whatever ruling was made. This did him credit. And Saunders embellished his high reputation with his attitude towards a highly unfortunate situation.

There was some exciting golf in the two rounds of match play, but there was no spectacular scoring in Saturday’s qualifying rounds, and little yesterday. Shirley, although in splendid order, saw to that. It was stretched to its full and impressive distance — about 6450 m — and the greens, if consistently true, were of a pace to demand the most delicate judgment. Top of the qualifiers were Turner and Fred Poskitt of Waimairi Beach. But their 153 put them nine over. The best round by a senior player was the 74 scored by the 20-year-old Greg Hanna, a left-hander with a lovely putting touch. He came home in 34, two under, in the afternoon to improve on his first round by an astonishing 14 strokes. Among those who failed to qualify was John Williamson, twice a finalist in this event.

It was unfortunate that the only two previous winners in the field, Turner and Taylor, met in the first round. Taylor has had very little golf, but on Saturday afternoon a homeward run of 34 argued a discovery of form. So it seemed, too, in the early holes of his game

with Turner. He was three up, and playing solidly, as they crossed the road for the last time.

But. Taylor flew the green at 12 and was left in an impossible position. At 14 his second was hooked into the trees and never found. At 16 he missed a little putt and at 18 a hooked tee shot left him awkwardly placed — his back swing impeded by a fir tree. He ran the ball into a bunker and a brave attempt at a 5m putt for the half failed.

Turner is especially dangerous when he is behind and he played well over the last few holes. He had not been happy with his putting, and resolved his difficulties by wasting no time • — walking up and making the stroke swiftly. At 11' he holed a 7m putt tor his 3 before anyone realised he was in action.

Poskitt, who needed a good tournament to reinforce his challenge for a Freyberg place, was well beaten by Robbie Bell, a Mid South representative, who played solid golf. Poskitt made amends with a big win against John Allin in the afternoon. Brown beat Allin in the morning, after a tense struggle all the way to the last green and Saunders was in great form against Paul Shearer, being level with the card for the 12 holes played. Nick Mclvor, of Coringa, showed a sturdy independence in his methods and his dress. His new golf shoes had been stolen a couple of weeks ago, but gym shoes seemed to be no handicap to this aggressive young medical student. He was disenchanted, too, with a new driver and for most of his matches used a 1-iron off the tees, with excellent effect.

He put up a very good showing in a grimly-fought match with Turner in the afternoon, going to the seventeenth green. If Beggs’s match with Saunders had an unsatisfactory ending, it had a ridiculous start. These twrj are among the most proficient of putters, but there was little evidence of it at first. The first green, saucer* shaped, had the pin at the crown. Beggs putted up from about 7m, breasted the slope, toppled over, and the ball ran on and on — about another 7m off the green. He had four putts to lose to a 5.

Saunders, playing more splendid golf, was three up after four but the resolute Beggs pegged him back slowly but steadily. Saunders was only one up when he had an extraordinary stroke of luck at 14. There, his approach went through the green to the heavy rough of the steep bank behind it.

His pitch putt was much too strong and would almost certainly have gone off the green and down the hill had the ball not struck the pin with a resounding report. Saunders holed a putt of little more than a metre for the half.

Brown played good and purposeful golf to beat the well-performed Bell. Brown was solid off the tees and accurate with his irons. Although he dropped shots at 13 and 14 he was only one over when the match ended. Vincent strengthened his claims to Freyberg selection with his two The

second one, against Frazier, spoke volumes for his calmness. Vincent is an impressive striker of the ball, with a relaxed swing. He never wasted time, being decisive and quick in making decisions. And for so young a player he was remarkably phlegmatic, with never a hint of triumph or despair. He had plenty of time to exhibit these qualities against the cheerful, outgoing Frazier, who represented Mid-South last year. The slow play of the field had these two — and the plate players David Marks and Chris’Barry — going on into the evening.

It was a great battle, with never more than a hole between them. Vincent took charge with a curving, long putt to win 16. But he came badly out of a bunker at 17 and there! Frazier had a remarkable win. His second was in thick grass, right against the fence. He could do no more than produce a vertical chop, but ran his ball safely to the middle of the green. Vincent had the better chance at 18, holed the longer putt for the half at 19.' and somehow holed a putt of considerable length in deep gloom at 19. The 20th, a difficult short hole, was lit, briefly and theatrically by car lights, after they had all hit off. Vincent put. his ball on the green. Frazier was well short, and failed to get there with his chip. The conditions i

were absurd: Frazier could not even see his clubhead. His third shot was too strong, and he putted back into the blackness too firmly — the lights, by request, had been turned off. And so he conceded. It was a sad day for Taylor, the Canterbury captain. He lost his plate match to the tenacious young Hanna. But there were glimpses of Taylor’s usual good form, and now he is back in the game regularly, it should not be long before he is at his best. Results. — QUALIFIERS 153— F. J. Paskett. 78, 75; D. N. Turner, 76. 77. 154— C. R. Barry, 75, 79. 155— P. Shearer, 76, 79. 156— J. L. AUan. 78. 78; N. McIver. 76, 80. 157— R. M. Vincent, 78. 79. 158— D. L. Beggs. 75, 83. 159— R. P. Bell, 79, 80. 160— B. C. Taylor, 83, 77: K. Frazier 80 80; G. C. Saunders, 76, 84. 161— M. G. Brown. 78, 83. 162— G. Hanna. 88. 74; D. Marks, 81, 81. „„ „„ 163— H. J. Henderson, 83, 80. First round.—Bell beat Poskitt, 5 and 4; Brown beat Allin. 1 , up; Vincent beat Marks. 4 and 2; Frazier beat Barry, 4 and 2; Saunders beat Shearer, 7 and 6; Beggs beat Henderson. 3 and 2; Mclvor beat Hanna, 4 and 3; Turner beat Taylor, 1 up. Second round—Brown beat Bell, 5 and 4; Vincent beat Frazier, at the twenty-first; Saunders beat Beggs, 3 and 1; Turner beat Mclvor, 2 and 1. Plate.—Poskitt beat Allin, 7 and 6; Marks beat Barry, at the twenty-first; Henderson beat Shearer, 4 and 3; Hanna beat Taylor, 1 up.