A barrage of birdies and eagles featured in the professional exhibition match played yesterday to celebrate the new layout of the Cromwell golf course.
Elder statesmen Greg Turner and Peter O'Malley took on young New Zealand professionals Ryan Fox and Nick Gillespie in a four-ball best-ball competition in front of more than 100 golf enthusiasts in calm and sunny conditions.
O'Malley was six under par when the match finished on the 15th green, while Turner made an eagle three on the 11th along with three birdies, giving the younger pair a golf lesson by a 4 and 3 margin.
O'Malley's consistency and lack of errors was a lesson for the junior golfers, while Turner's form was testimony to his abilities on the tour.
Fox chipped in for an eagle three on the first hole to put his team one up. But this was to be the only time he and Gillespie held the lead as O'Malley holed a 3m putt on the second green to square the match.
Turner sank a putt from off the apron of the par-three third to take the lead, with the fourth and fifth halved.
O'Malley's putter was again in the groove when he sank a 3m putt for a birdie three on the sixth to go two up.
Fox and Gillespie failed to recover from wayward drives on the seventh and pars by O'Malley and Turner increased the lead to three. Another birdie three by O'Malley, this time on the ninth, put the pair four up at the turn.
Gillespie won the 10th with a birdie three but Turner's eagle three on the next hole returned the margin to four.
Turner then birdied the 12th to go five up and the match looked all over when O'Malley gained a birdie three on the 13th.
But Gillespie chipped in for a birdie to halve the hole and keep the match alive, then sank a 6m putt for a birdie two on the 14th.
Turner and Fox made birdies on the next hole but a half could not prevent the inevitable.
