Golf: Left-handers set pace in strokeplay champs

CHRISTCHURCH - Australian Andrew Webster had some ominous news for his remaining 68 rivals after surging to the front in the New Zealand amateur strokeplay golf championship in Christchurch.

Relishing the calm, warm conditions, Webster transformed his first-day 76 into a seven-under 65 yesterday to gain a one-stroke advantage over another left-hander, Tim Wilkinson (Palmerston North), with first-day leader Matthew Ballard (Australia) two off the pace in third position.

"Now that I have played the course a few times I would like to be more aggressive off the tees," said Webster, while revealing his game from tee to green was already measuring up to his self-imposed high standards.

Some of the other contenders might consider Webster has already done enough in this tournament. The young man from Melbourne shared the 36-hole foursomes title with Scott Strange on Sunday.

While Strange only just clawed his way into the third round by matching the 153 cut-off score, Walker had the course at his mercy. He had eight birdies and faltered only at the 13th, when his third shot landed on the wrong level and he three-putted.

Wilkinson is about to go where his golf had failed to take him in three previous attempts - into the last 32 of a national amateur championship.

His was an eventful day, embellished by seven birdies, furrowed by two bogeys and blighted by the hazard which caused him to use five strokes on the par-three sixth hole. It all added up to 69.

Knowing New Zealand's Eisenhower Trophy team will be named on Saturday night injected power and precision into the play of several prime contenders.

Gareth Paddison (Manor Park), one of the three left-handers in the top five, might already have booked a passage to Berlin and shares par figures with Chris Johns (Auckland).

Carl Brooking (Christchurch), 149, and Eddie Burgess (Tauranga), 150, improved markedly on Monday's efforts.

Among the non-qualifiers was Jay Carter (Manor Park), a semifinalist in 1997 and last year.

- NZPA