The golfing

New Guineans

Papua New Guinea’s men and women made a clean sweep of the golfing golds on Tahiti’s new, world class course, an hour’s drive from Papeete.

The superbly-landscaped course was opened in June last year, designed by Bob Baldock, of the US, and built at a cost of about 45 million French Pacific francs on plantation land owned by the Jean Breaud family.

Tahiti hopes to encourage its use as a course for international professional tournaments, and it deserves to attract the cream.

The course is tough, with long holes and wind and water hazards that kept the Games players on their mettle over the 72 holes, played over four days. The scores reflected the difficulty of the course. Weather was warm and dry during the four days.

By taking out the four golds in both individual and team events.

PNG duplicated its success of 1969 at the Port Moresby Games. And architect of success was again out standing PNG golfer John Wilkinson, far and away the best individual player, with 1969 gold medallist Jocelyn Munden again the women’s leader.

With Philip Frame also winning the silver in the individual, PNG’s seven players thus took five of the 12 medals offering. But, as in 1969.

Fiji breathed down PNG’S neck, with Laurie Graham only two strokes be hind Frame, and with even more pressure being applied by Fiji’s women. PNG had only a three stroke margin over Fiji in the women’s team event.

Competing were PNG, Fiji, Guam.

New Hebrides and French Poly nesia. The somewhat spectacular Guamanians would have had a better showing with more concentration and discipline.

Games photos used in this issue are by "Le Journal De Tahiti/ 7 "La Depeche de Tahiti," "The Tahiti Bulletin," A. Sylvain and Stuart Inder.