Round Three Report:
Taranaki golfing legend Murray Martin proved the steadiest under pressure to win the New Zealand Seniors Championship on home turf today.
Martin, playing on his home course at New Plymouth Golf Club, managed an even-par 72 today to finish on one-under par 215 for the 54-hole contest.
The New Zealand Golf development officer for Taranaki won by three shots from two-time champion David Burton with a further shot back to Auckland’s Brent Paterson.
Overnight leaders Martin, Michael Barltrop (Royal Auckland) and Burton, the Australian-based Nelson club player, remained close after all shot even par for the opening nine holes.
Barltrop, a four-time Eisenhower representative, dropped out of the race after going out of bounds on the 10th, finishing with a five-over 77 and fourth place.
Despite bogeys at the 11 and 16th holes, Burton stayed in touch after a birdie on the 17th. Two behind playing the par-5 last hole, he made a mistake pushing for the much-needed birdie to drop a shot and finish with a two-over 74.
Martin had the luxury of a good buffer after a birdie on the 17th to coast home for an even par 72 and three shot victory.
Paterson made a run with two early birdies to close within one shot mid-round but faded on the back nine.
Leading scores:
215 Murray Martin (New Plymouth) 73 70 72
218 David Burton (Nelson)69 75 74
219 Brent Paterson (Royal Auckland) 75 71 73
220 Michael Barltrop (Royal Auckland) 71 72 77
221 Denis Dale (Australia) 75 75 71, Arthur Parkin (Maungakiekie) 74 73 75
Reg Fleet (Whangaparao) 74 75 72
222 Frank Borren (Paraparaumu Beach) 73 73 76
224 Stefan Albinski (Australia), Murray Brown (Russley) 73 77 74, John Batley (Titirangi) 77 78 69
Round Two Report:
Former Eisenhower representative Michael Barltrop and local legend Murray Martin hold a share of the lead after two rounds of the New Zealand Seniors Golf Championship in New Plymouth today.
Martin took advantage of playing on his home course at New Plymouth Golf Club to fire a two-under par 70 today while Barltrop (Royal Auckland) shot an even par 72 with the pair on one-under 143 after 36 holes.
They will take a one shot lead into tomorrow’s final round of the 54 hole championship from first round leader and two time winner David Burton (Nelson) who could only managed a 75 today.
Former international Brent Paterson (Royal Auckland) shares fourth place on two-over par with well known Paraparaumu Beach player Frank Borren.
Starting off the 10th hole today, Martin bogied his first hole but made three birdies in a row to turn at two-under. He made a further birdie but dropped a shot on his final hole for his two-under 70.
Barltrop (Royal Auckland) mixed five birdies with five dropped shots in his round, coming back from three-over after 11 holes with four birdies in his final seven holes.
The hard luck story fell to Christchurch’s Murray Brown (Russley) who hit the overall lead going into the back nine holes. After starting the day at one-over for the tournament, he was three-under after 12 holes. However got a hot lie out of the rough on the next hole to make a quadruple bogey and from there his round headed south, finally settling for a five-over 77.
Leading scores:
143 Michael Barltrop (Royal Auckland) 71 72, Murray Martin (New Plymouth) 73 70
144 David Burton (Nelson)69 75
146 Brent Paterson (Royal Auckland) 75 71, Frank Borren (Paraparaumu Beach) 73 73
147 Arthur Parkin (Maungakiekie) 74 73
148 Martin Holman (Christchurch) 71 77, Jeff Sims (Otaki) 75 73, Warren Steward (Mt Maunganui) 73 75
149 Rodney Barltrop (Wellington) 78 71, Reg Fleet (Whangaparaoa) 74 75, Stefan Albinski (Australia) 72 77
150 Denis Dale (Australia) 75 75
151 Chris Coats (Australia) 73 78
Round One Report:
Australian-based Kiwi David Burton shot a three-under par 69 to take the lead on the opening day of the New Zealand Seniors Golf Championship in New Plymouth today.
The two-time New Zealand champion mixed five birdies with two dropped in his round to take a two shot lead at New Plymouth Golf Club.
The Nelson player is two shots clear of Canterbury’s Michael Holman (Christchurch) and former Eisenhower Representative Michael Barltrop (Royal Auckland), with a further shot back to Australia’s legendary Stefan Albinski.
They were the only players to shoot par or better on the Ngamotu links course in excellent conditions today.
Six players share fifth place on one-over 73 comprising Alistair Smith (Carterton), Warren Steward (Mt Maunganui), Australia,s Chris Coats, local star Murray Martin, Kapiti’s Frank Borren (Paraparaumu) and Christchurch’s Murray Brown (Russley).
Holman had four birdies and two bogies in his 71 while Barltrop had three birdies and two bogeys, including a drive out of bounds.
Albinski was very solid with birdies on the first hole and the difficult 17th with dropped shots on the third and 18th in his even par 72.
The tournament has attracted a strong field with 138 players including nine from Australia and one from Hong Kong.
Leading scores:
69 David Burton (Nelson)
71 Martin Holman (Christchurch), Michael Barltrop (Royal Auckland)
72 Stefan Albinski (Australia)
73 Alistair Smith (Carterton), Chris Coats (Australia), Warren Steward (Mt Maunganui), Murray Martin (New Plymouth), Frank Borren (Paraparaumu Beach), Murray Brown (Russley)
74 David Headland (Whitford Park), Arthur Parkin (Maungakiekie), Richard Brooky (Titahi Bay), Ken Holyoake (Gulf Harbour), Reg Fleet (Whangaparaoa).
75 Denis Dale (Australia), Neale Pitches (Royal Wellington), Ken Hankin (Titirangi)
78 Paul Corrick (Australia), Rodney Barltrop (Royal Wellington)
81 Geoff Davey (Australia)
82 Alan Buckley (Australia)
Australian golfers have done well in the opening round of the 2011 New Zealand Men's Senior Amateur Championship being played at the New Plymouth Golf Club on the west coast of the north island of New Zealand.
Stefan Albinski (a previous winner of this championship) opened with a par round of 72 and trails the leader David Burton by three strokes. Burton, a two time winner of the title, lives in Australia most of the year but is recognised by most as a Kiwi golfer. Well placed after a round of 73 is Queenslander Chris Coats who played consistently and had three birdies in his one over par round.
Other Australians scores included Denis Dale (75), Paul Corrick (78), Geoff Davey (81) and Alan Buckley (82). Dale recovered from two lost balls in the first few holes and was happy to finish on 75. Corrick was also happy with his first ever senior event and looks forward to tomorrow. Davey reported that he had left his A game back in Australia while Buckley commented he was unlucky on at least 8 or 9 holes when poor shots failed to bounce on the green!
