ON THE LINKS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 247, 1 August 1935, Page 7

ON THE LINKS

GOLF AND ITS DEVOTEES.

CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATION. (By “Silver King.”) Scoring on the whole was low on Saturday when members of the Ashburton Golf Club played the first qualifying round of the championship. In the senior division, V. TV. Russell, the holder "of this title, lead the field with a 73, which is considered a v6fy good effort.. G. cl’Auvergne and W. P. Anderson were the only other players to break 80.

D. A. Lawson handed in an 83 to top the intermediates. This is his best round for some considerable time, and a,feature of bis game was the extremely accurate putting from all parts of the green. T). F. MacDonald, who has shown considerable improvement this season, returned an 88.

The junior section saw G. I. Miller playing one better than his handicap, return an 89. W. It. Ryburn’s 91 was •another satisfactory round.

The cold weather apparently affected most of the players as the links were in good condition. The second qualifying round will be played on Saturday. The burden of private affairs and the advancement of one’s status in the home have, at times, an upsetting influence on one’s game, and members of the Ashburton Golf Club are chuckling over an amusing incident that took place on the links last Sunday afternoon. A member who had- been the centre of a storm of congratulation on his having become a grandfather has cause 1:o remember the day for a variety of reasons, but chiefly because his game was spoiled, in this way: He drove a ball from the fourth tee to a bad lie on the bank of the stream running across the links and, following it up, lie gaily leaped over the stream. When endeavouring to play his second shot his foothold, being anything but secure, be teotere.d on his toes for a second, lost his balance and landed in the deepest part of the creek. He rejoined his partners after a hurried run home for a change of clothing. f British W&men’s Team. - The British women’s team will have a strenuous tour in Australia before coining on to New Zealand this year. They will play a match at Perth on the very day they arrive, August 13, and will then go on to Adelaide. They will compete in the Australian women’s championships at Melbourne, and the programme also includes' a match at Canberra, on September .10, and two matches against combined New South Wales and Victoria players at Royal Sydney and Kensington. The finaj match wid be at Brisbane, and the British players will catch the boat for New Zealand on September 26. By this time the touring team should be at the top of their form and New Zealand players will be well advised to get in some intensive practice.

New Zealand Programme. The British team will arrive at Wellington on September 30, and will go on that night to Dunedin. The touiwill ' include matches at Dunedin, Christchurch, Wanganui, Rotorua, and Auckland. The visitors will then return to Wellington, and a match will be played on tlie Miramar links on October 16 between- a British women’s team and a New Zealand women’s team.

The British players will take part in the New Zealand women’s championship tournament, which is to be held on the Wellington club’s links at Heietaunga from October 17 to October 24. It is possible that' another match between a British women’s team and a New Zealand ‘women’s team may he arranged at Heietaunga before the visitors leave these shores.

Dominion Players. The former New Zealand golf champion, Miss Oliver Kay, was in fine form for the Hawera 'Ladies’ Golf Union medal competition last week, doing a gross 73. Her handicap of plus one made her score 74, one below the par of the course.

A. E. Ekstedt, the well-known Mamawatu golfer, has turned professional. Acknowledged as one of the best wooden-club players in New Zealand and a master of all his irons, it will not he for lack' of ability" if he does not do well in his new career.