Golf: Heaven can't take it with him this time

by BOB PEARCE


Auckland amateur golfer Brad Heaven flies back to the United States tonight with only the honour of finishing second in the New Zealand Open at The Grange golf course in Papatoetoe yesterday.

Had he been a professional, he would be clutching a cheque for $71,400 from the tournament prize pool, of which winner Terry Price of Queensland took $126,000.

The beneficiaries are New Zealand professional David Smail and Aussie professional Peter Senior, who finished equal third, two shots behind Heaven.

They will divide the second and third prizemoney between them.

"It doesn't worry me," said 23-year-old Heaven. "The only pain was when the winner's trophy was handed over. My time will come for the cheques."

Heaven, who is in his final year of a business studies course at the University of Toledo, in Ohio, intends to try for his professional card on either the United States or European tours at the end of the year.

In the meantime he will play the British and US amateur championships and probably the world amateur as a New Zealand team member.

He lost to Price by just one shot after the two had exchanged the lead over the closing stages of the Holden-sponsored event.

Heaven wins just the trophy for top amateur, something he first won as a 16-year-old at Paraparaumu when he was playing his golf at the Remuera club.

Since then he has carved out a successful golfing career on the American college circuit.

A generous Price said he would not have been upset if Heaven had pulled off an upset.

"It would have been a great event for Brad to win 50 years after Sir Bob Charles won as an amateur," said 43-year-old Price.

"Much as I wanted to win a New Zealand Open, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have been disappointed if he had birdied the last hole and gone on to win."