Peter Williams: Seniors test in game for all ages

The legendary Arnold Palmer has finally discovered there comes a time when even the great players can no longer be competitive. The 77-year-old withdrew from a Champions Tour event in Texas last week after hitting two balls in the water on the same hole. He completed the round but didn't hand in a card and says he won't play seriously again.

The fact that Palmer, who did more than anyone to make golf a game for the masses, was still competing, confirms golf as a game you can play seriously for decades.

The thirst for competition has brought about the first New Zealand-Australia test match for amateur players aged 55 and over scheduled for Sanctuary Cove on Queensland's Gold Coast next July.

The impetus has come from Australia where there is a nationwide circuit of tournaments. Some New Zealanders have played in the Australian Seniors and various state events and, after a few successes, the idea of a Ryder Cup style 12-a-side teams' contest was conceived.

The New Zealander pushing the case is Rodney Barltrop, the 1974 national amateur champion who has twice won the Australian Seniors title and this year took the Queensland 55 and over championship.

New Zealand and Australia already play team golf at various levels. The under-19 men have the Claire Higson Trophy and women play the Tasman Cup and its junior version. The elite men's Sloan Morpeth Trophy was discontinued some years ago.

As golf's playing base (like the population at large) ages, there would seem to be a sizeable potential following for a seniors' international. But there are two problems - cost and team composition.

New Zealand Golf, like Golf Australia, will sanction the contest but say they can't help financially. New Zealand team members will have to pay for the privilege - not the first time national players have had to do this.

The Australians want to complicate matters by insisting on two players aged between 60 and 64, and two more 65 and over, in each team, obviously because they have good players of those vintages.

New Zealand doesn't. Barltrop is 60 and one or two others like Titirangi maestro Ken Hankin are in their early 60s, but most of the really top players of that generation, like Geoff Clarke, Ross Murray and Ted McDougall became professionals. Those promoting this concept should just keep it simple and pick the best players over 55.

But a match like this needs a trophy bearing appropriately famous names to recognise great players. As cricket has its Chappell-Hadlee series, there should be a similar New Zealand-Australia golf contest.

So for this proposed contest, how about the Thomson-Charles Trophy?

Surely Peter and Sir Bob, as well as their old rival Arnold Palmer, would love the idea of middle-aged men still wanting to be fiercely competitive for as long as possible.