Golf: Field put on scoring exhibition
A large field, unquestionable quality and soft greens led to low scores at the A1 Homes/IBM Omanu Legends Pro-Am held as a memorial to the late Allan Snape at the Omanu Golf Club yesterday.
The tournament - one of a number held nationwide drawing top senior players from Australia - was bolstered by a large field of 64 professionals from the NZPGA Senior Tour.
Australian Hugh Dolan took the honours with a bogey-free six-under-par 66 ignited by an eagle three at the par-five 10th hole.
Tim Elliot finished a further shot back, with Peter Fowler and Mark Sandri tied for third at four-under on a blustery day at Omanu.
And the winner was more than happy with his performance.
"It certainly was a good score so I am very pleased," said Dolan. "I made an eagle on the 10th which was our second hole, played steadily and made a few more birdies and didn't make any bogeys, so it was pretty steady work."
He enjoyed the format which paired two professionals alongside two amateurs in an additional Stableford competition, enabling the club's players to rub shoulders with some greats of the golfing world.
"It was good, I've been out here for a few years.
"There's a lot of good guys and we are all still competing, but it's a friendly competitiveness so it's good fun."
Colourful Australian Rodger Davis struggled by his standards but praised the condition of the course.
"I shot two-under which I'd have to say was disappointing - I played better than that but I just couldn't get the ball in the hole," said Davis. "I tell you what, the greens were great."
Some wild swings took Davis to diverse parts of the course at times.
From behind a tree in the left rough on the second hole, he fired a ball to the feet of his caddie standing more than 200 metres away on the other side of two fairways and across a creek.
He denied aiming at his guide.
"Not quite - I told him to go over there to keep an eye on it.
"It's great that they are having a seniors event here. I know they bend over backwards and do a good job, and we love being here. Hopefully they'll have it next year because I'll be back.
"I knew Snapey for a long time - he was a great bloke. I think I first met him in the 1960s, so we go back a long way."
