Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

Burgess
leads
amateur
golf
SYDNEY, Thursday. — Barry '
Burgess finished with four birdies in a
row to take the first round lead in the
NSW amateur golf championship at
Monash today.
Burgess, who was surpris
ingly omitted from Austra
lia's ■ team. to go to Spain
for the Eisenhower Cup, had
a two-under-par 70.
Lance Mason, who is ly
inf; in second place on 71,
was the only other to man
age continuous sub-par golf.
Burgess started in great
style, being one under par
after five holes, but he was
constantly pressured by
Mason, one of the few play
ers able to handle the tricky
greens.
Mason shot three birdies
and a bogey to be two under
par with 34 after nine holes.
Although he played fairly
Isteady golf over the last nine
'holes he had a one-ovcr-par
37 for a total of 71.
Of the 126 competitors
who played today, only
four managed to shoot par
or sub-par golf.
Another leading contender
Peter Bennett, also is poised
to pounce on Burgess. Ben
nett returned a one-under
par 71.
Close behind is the Mon
ash club champion Peter
Headland. Headland played
consistent golf for a solid
round of 72.
Disastrous
day
Defending champion Don
Sharp had a disaslerous day.i
Sharp returned a seven-over
par 79.
"It is a tricky course",
Sharp said.
"The greens are impos
sible to manage".
Tournament favourite
Tony Gresham carded a
slightly disappointing 73.
Gresham is leading the Var
don Trophy averages with
an average of 70.21 for 19
rounds.
Eisenhower Cup player
Kevin Donohoe also played
poorly.
Gresham has twice been
runner-up in this event. Last
year he finished second be
hind Sharp and the year
before that he was beaten
by Jack Newton.
Another qualifying round
will be played tomorrow
then the leading 40 scores
plus ties will play 36 holes
on Saturday.
Following this the top 16
scorers contest match play
early next week. Each
match-play game will be
over 36 holes with the final
"iinr
being decidcd next Thursn
day.
First round scores.—
70: B. Burgess.
7]: L. Mason, B. Baker.
72: P. Headland.
73: P. Coupcr, A. Gresham,
74: R. Jones, P. Bennett,
D. O'Malley, B. Warren, D.
Preston, T, Wood.
75: K. Abrahamscn, P.
Billings, J. Ferris, R. Me
Cotter.
76: K. Pepper, K. Donohoe,
F. Johnson, N. Ratcliffe, C.
Mitchell, A. Jones, D. Brom
ley, A. Pringle.
$