Southpaw Inducted

Carterton-born golfer Sir Bob Charles, 72, has been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in the veterans category – the Hall of Fame’s first New Zealander, and its first left-hander. Charles won the 1963 British Open. It is the highlight of a lengthy career that is still ongoing – he finished T-20 in the 2008 Russian Seniors Open in Moscow. “I’ve actually lost count,” Charles said when asked how many times he has equalled or bettered his age. “I started bettering my age at 65. I’ve been able to [do it] every year since then.” Charles has six PGA Tour victories, 24 international titles and 23 wins on the Champions Tour. As an amateur, he won the New Zealand Open at the age of 18 in 1954. He was knighted in 1999, “a fitting honour for a member of golf royalty.”