Golf: From hockey sticks to golf clubs - Parkin's a champ

By BOB PEARCE

Arthur Parkin, who won a gold medal with the New Zealand hockey team at the Montreal Olympics in 1976, was in golden form at the national matchplay golf championships yesterday.

The 50-year-old from Auckland's Maungakiekie Club beat a former champion, Andrew Duffin from Brisbane, who had been runner-up in the strokeplay.

Parkin's blow for the oldies - Duffin is half his age - began on Wednesday evening when he holed a six-iron on the last hole for an eagle which put him into a playoff for a place in the matchplay championship.

He birdied the first playoff hole to earn the right to play Duffin and he quickly showed it was no fluke by racing to a three-hole lead over the Aussie after nine holes. He faltered a little on the way in and the pair were level after 18.

Parkin looked to have ruined his chances on the first playoff hole when he put his tee shot into a bunker. But he played a magic nine-iron out of the sand, around a tree and on to the green.

Duffin was on the green for two, but three-putted, and Parkin rolled in a two-metre par putt to win the match. This morning he will play Glyn Delany from Nelson, who had nine birdies but only beat North Shore's James Davis 3 and 1.

Eight Australians were among the 32 qualifiers for the matchplay and four survived.

Gavin Flint beat fellow Aussie Paul Griffiths, but there were notable wins against Australian opponents for Rotorua's Mark Smith over Richard Moir, who was third in the strokeplay, and Hastings lefthander Guy Penrose over Chris Campbell, who won the foursomes.

Penrose was one down playing the last, but won it with a birdie and then clinched the match with a par on the extra hole.

The Australians did claim one prominent New Zealand scalp when Marcus Both, who partnered Campbell in the foursomes, beat former strokeplay champion Sam Hunt (Rotorua) 2 and 1, sealing the match with a six to a seven on the 17th.

In the battle of the Auckland clubmates and former champions, David Somervaille edged out Chris Johns one up.

The strokeplay winner, Brad Shilton, won well, as did his NZ team-mates Eddie Lee and Tim Wilkinson.

There will be two rounds today, 36-hole semifinals tomorrow and a 36-hole final on Sunday.