A top 30

Press, 12 February 1986, Page 44

A top 30

While the last two rounds of the Canterbury stroke-play golf championship will not linger long in the memory of John Parlane, the Christchurch club player will not forget the first day of the 1986 tournament for some time. At the end of 36 holes on Saturday, Parlane was placed equal second, four shots behind the eventual champion, Brent Paterson, but at one stage in the second round he threatened to shatter the Waitikiri course record of 66 and establish of useful break on the field. Parlane had an absolutely brilliant front nine of 30 and it could easily have been 29: a long putt on the ninth green lipped out.

The 1984 Canterbury “golfer of the year” had no premonition of what was to come after hitting the first two greens in regulation figures and safely getting pars. Then the putter started working wonders and

Parlane’s card for the next seven holes went 3, 2,5, 2,3, 3, 4 which represented a birdie, birdie, par, birdie, birdie, birdie, par finish for the outward half. A successful birdie putt from 8m at the third gave Parlane confidence on the greens and his other birdie putts were from 2m at the fourth, 2m at the sixth, 11m at the seventh and 1.5 m at the eighth. At the ninth his 6m birdie attempt looked good, but the ball did a “ring of fire” around the cup and stayed out. It was Parlane’s best nine holes ever and he admitted that it was hard to remove thoughts of bettering the course record from his mind as he started the second half. The round did not have a fairytale ending for Parlane, however. He was soon down from the clouds, dropping shots regularly on the difficult opening holes on the back nine and he finished the homeward half in 41, five-over par, compared with his front nine of five-under par. The second day on Sunday brought no further joy for Parlane who failed to break 80 in either round and he disappeared through the senior field. Whereas Parlane could hardly lay claim to consistency, the same could not be said for the North Canterbury representative, Paul Mariu, who was competing in the intermediate championship. .

Mariu started with two 77s and when he came in with a third score of 77 on Sunday morning, several officials discussed what the odds would be on a fourth such score. While it will not be known what odds were offered, it can be recorded that Mariu was true to form, shot 77, and finished equal fifth in his grade. 808 SCHUMACHER