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Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 251, 22 October 1926, Page 13

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A. J. SHAW THE WINNER.

PLAY-OFF IN STRONG WIND.

MOSS HAS A DAY OFF.

(3y Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") . WELLINGTON, Thursday. A. J. Shaw won the open golf championship of New Zealand this afternoon fro splendid golf in half a gale. Moss had a lead by winning the first two holes, but Shaw recovered wonderfully, driving a magnificent ball whatever the direction of the strong northerly wind and putting as though he had not a care in the world. Special arrangements were made to control the crowd, which numbered the better part of a thousand, but at times it overflowed important points on the fairway, though it was kept well off the greens.

The contest ■ was 18 holes of stroke play, the total to telL Moss won the tose and drove a clean-hit ball, slightly outdriving Shaw, who pulled his. Mobs was on "the green in 3 and holed in 4, ' while Shaw's approach was short and he took 5. At the second, against the wind, Shaw hit a beautiful low ball, outdriving Moss by twenty yards. Both ■were- straight lovely ehots. Moss, taking his wood, played' a low skimming ball that struck just before the bunker and ran. over it on to the green, a lucky escape. Shaw's iron shot was pushed out a little and he was left with the bunker between him and the pin, but bis third was only three feet from the pin. He missed the putt and Moss, who laid his third dead, took a, pretty 4 to s—Moss 8, Shaw 10. The third was halved in 4. Both were through the fourth green with their tee shots,. Shaw with the woree lie, and he wag short against the wind with Ms approach. Moss made cure of being up and was eight feet past. Both missed the putts, halving in 4—'Moss 16, Shaw 18.

Shaw's First Hole. Shaw outdrove Moss by fifty yards at the fifth and the latter was ehort with his maehie pitch into the wind. Shaw laid his short mashie chip not three feet from the pin. Moss laid Ms third dead, but Shaw sunk his putt for a perfect 3. This was the turning point of the match—Mose 20, Shaw,2l. Shaw was in the bunker to the left at the ehort hole and Moss short on the edge of the green. Moss aU but holed his approach putt and had only an inch or two to tap it in. Shaw, lying well on the sand, put his ball a" foot from the hole, but missed the putt in a gust of wind—Moes 23, Shaw 25. Shaw hit a true low ball dead into the wind's eye at the seventh, Moss slicing into the sand bunker and. getting only fifty yards out. Shaw's second hissed straight and low towards the hole. Mose played a clever slice round "the hill for- 3. Shaw was past the pin with his mashie chip and Moss eight feet snort. Shaw's putt stopped at the hole and he knocked it in Tor 5, Mose also getting a 5.

Moss One up at the Turn.

J Moss carried the ridge at the eighth, but Shaw's 'ball landed well over and nearly reached the green. Moss was past the pin with his chip. Shaw had only a two-foot putt to sink, and again had the honour. Moss 32, Shaw 33.

Moss' second at the ninth was pushed out to the right, Shaw's was straight, but short also. Moss' chip was 20 feet short, Shaw's appeared to be untruly hit, and curved off to the right, though the strength was perfect, but he sank the putt for 4. Moss missed his and the next—Moss 38, Shaw 37. Shaw Gets the Lead. At the tenth Shaw pulled his second, but put his third out of the rough to within ten feet • from the pin. - Moss, playing his , third out of the bunker, lay a little further from the hole. Both were down in s—Moss 43, Shaw 42.

Shaw got a beautiful drive at the' 11th, but Moss topped his for only some 50 yards. His long second was in the thick grass on. the fairway, near the ditch, but his mashie shot was good, lying 50 yards short of the green. Shaw's second, a magnificent brassie. was 30 yards from the pin, and 'his third was an - easy putt, which he got, doing the hole in 4 to Moss , 6 —Moss 149, Shaw 46.

A Succession of Halves. ■ j Moss was short at the 12th, and Shaw through the green. Moss played a magnificent approach a yard from the hole. Shaw all but holed his with high pitch— 'Moss 53, Shaw 49. j i Both got a 4 on the 13th, and they halved the next in 4. At the 15th Shaw pulled his tee shot lin behind the 'bank, and had an awkward

shot for the blind green, his ball

.landing well behind the spectators and ■'.coming to rest on the 16th tee. He f. /played a cut pitch that only just stopped Jon the green for 3. Moss was short ; iwith his approach and short again with diis putt, leaving himself a five-foot one ! jto sink. Shaw was three feet from the

ihole with, his approach putt, with the [elope of the green across the line of •the putt, but sank it for 5. Moss also •got a s—Moss 66, Shaw 62. ' '

|I I Both got good tee shots away at the iieth. Shaw's second was half-topped, Shut with the luck that attends winners "!it skipped • merrily over the ditch and Iran on and on,, climbing the hillock" near the green and stopping within 20 -;feet of the cup. Shaw all but holed the Ithird. Nearly all hie putts were faultilessly gauged as to distance, and he iwae very seldom short. Moss, from a I 'beautiful second, also secured a £—

;Moss 70, Shaw 66. ■; ; Moss was short with his second at :the 17th, while Shaw was well up the :jfairway. Moss' long approach landed >;;well on the green, however, both taking >sß—Moss 75. Shaw 71.

:1 '•; The Last Hole.. PI ' Shaw outdrove Moss signally for the "'last, and his second was within 50 yards 'of the green. His third was a little ; strong, but lay on the green about 15 \jfeet from the cup. Moss' third found S the bunker, he was long past the hole ;with his fourth, and when Shaw had -jholfid his fifth, advanced to shake hands. -1 ■ The local man's win was very popular, . [*nd he was chaired, shoulder-high amidst ! acclamation. Shaw's card was 76, Moss' 180.-

'-$£'' Shaw is a long' way on thcright side ;of:30, a well-built, pleasant fellow, who -fJiits the longest tee" shot of any local ?|jgolfer. During his recent.illness he put ;"*n : a good deal of time practising his j i «hor t game, and this was apparent in ■jliis. excellent mashie work to-day. . He ■;Waa at one time professional at Shirley, '■■knit is now an unattached coach and

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