Amateur Golfer Impresses

New Zealand geologist David Pocknall, 55, who is now based in the United States, is also an avid golfer winning a Texan club championship six times and now looking to claim the 2008 Men’s Greater Houston City Amateur Championship. Pocknall moved to Katy, Texas in the 1990s and was employed by Amoco Corp. Exploration and Production Technology Group in Houston. He learned quickly about the quality of amateur golfers in the Houston area. Playing in his ninth city amateur this year, Pocknall tied for third last year in this 72-hole event. “It’s a great golf course,” Pocknall said. “If you hit the ball straight, you get rewarded.” The American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists honoured Pocknall with a Distinguished Service Award in 2006.