GOLF.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 193, 14 August 1915, Page 16

GOLF.

The exhibition match played by the Chriarfcchurch professionals on Saturday at Timaru, in add of the Red Cross Fund, proved a very interesting game. Hood and lies beat Clements and Butters, 5 •up and 3 to play. The weather was absolutely perfect, and a fair number of enthusiasts followed the game round, and they were undoubtedly well rewarded, as some of the play, from a spectacular pointer" view, was unusually good. Hood started off very well, and proved to be in very good form. The game wa» an extraordinary one. especially in regard to the great number ot long putts which were holed. Hood was ■particularly "offensive" in this respect. His first nine holes he did in 33, a brdliant performance —3, 4, 4, 3, 5. 4, 4, 3, 3. lies was not playing at his best. His ■iron shots were very weak, and his. game, ail round, was erratic. On only one occasion did he he out ''best ball." Butters was not piaying well. lie never got going at all. Clements played a fair game, but lie was not up to form, and did not get going until the finish, when he was playing much better. The effort will mean the augmenting of the Red Cross Fund by about £35.

Tbe players were impressed with the condition of the course, which has greatly improved, and by next year should be very good, indeed. It is prettily situated, being in a valley, with a few of the 'holes c.p on the hills, and the greens are very fast.

Commenting on the championship of the Kew Club, the "Australasian" has it that "possihly more championships are won by accurate green work than in any other department. A player may be a powerful driv r and good with his long game, but it is when one is wtihin a short distance of tl c flag where a delicate touch is necessary that good results are obtained. Even when one reaches a perfect green in the orthodox number of strokes, it is a difficult matter to make certain when tbe strain is on to hole out in two, so one can imagine what has to be faced when the uncertainty of indifferent greens has to be overcome."

The well-known player. Mr. Chick Evans, was a competitor at the Panama Pacific international championship, held in connection with the - ig Exhibition. The winner. H. P. Davis, defeated Heine Schmidt, who had defeated Evans in the semi-final (30 holes). 4 and 3. Evans' own words on Schmidt's performance were: "As long as Heine lives he will never play a more perfect game than he did in the afternoon." A feature of the meeting was that Mr Evans quiet outclassed the field in the preliminary rounds, as has total of 143 for the two rounds was no less than twelve strokes in front of the score of the second man. Mr. C. Chandler. Heine Schmidt requiring no less than 167. or 24 strokes more than the man whom he subsequently de feated by a fair margin. Golf is an uncertain game we know, but this disparity of form is remarkable, not to say phenomenal.

Mr. Evans commenced the match play tourney in much the same electrifying mood as he had evidenced in the quaiifv.ng stage. He defeated his first opponent by 11 up ana 10 to play, his second by 13 ip end 12 to play, and then let off No. 3 comparatively lightly as the verdict was merely 8 and 7. Then he met his Waterloo. In nig account of the match in the "Golfers' Magazine" Mr Evans comments as follows in connection with the play to one particular hole: —

"I was nicely on the gTeen in 2; mv opponent holed out from the bunker ■ playing his fourth, it may be mentioned i. I took three putts.'' It is the old, old story. This class of incident has settled the destiny of many a match.