Golf: Grange squeeze their way into pennants final

By BOB PEARCE

The Grange Golf Club will have a chance to make amends for last year when they play Maungakiekie in the final of the Auckland pennants at Remuera next Sunday.

The Papatoetoe-based club, beaten in the final by Titirangi last year, squeezed past the strong Auckland Club 8-7 in the semifinals on their home course yesterday.

Auckland fielded a top four of former national representatives in Chris Johns, David Somervaille, Michael Barltrop and Brent Paterson, but Clark Osborne beat Paterson and Glen Goldfinch downed Barltrop to seal the Grange win.

Maungakiekie beat Akarana 9-6 with strong performances from their veterans, Arthur Parkin and Mike Leitch.

New Zealand hockey gold medallist Parkin, playing at number one, beat Auckland representative Blair Dibley in a very tight match which ended in near-darkness. Both were short of the green on the par-three final hole. Dibley's second went over the green into the back bunker, and Parkin won with a par.

The final of the president's grade will be between Manukau and Aviation also at Remuera on Sunday.