GOLF CHAMPIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 90, 18 April 1927, Page 5

GOLF CHAMPIONS.

THE AUCKLAND TOURNEY. LAST SIXTEEN ENGAGE IN MATCH PLAY. KF.EX COMPETITION". Amid evidences of keen interest and to the encouraging words of their reflective supporters, the last 16 players left in tlie competition for the honour of holding the title of amateur golf champion of Auckland Province started on the tirst round of the elimination play under | match conditions at Middlemore this | morning. The semi-finals will bo played to-morruw. The sixteen competing to-day earned that right by virtue of having returned the least number of strokes o\er the 'M' holes played on Saturday, when no less than players competed. The fortunate sixteen and their cards were as follow: — First Second. AccreKound. Round, jrate. H. B. I.usk t<; T'.i l.Vi K. I». Wrlßht 7" I".T U. M. George 7." s: K»S .1. W. Hunter ." 77 M Hll ii. V. Colbeck vj 7'.' 1«1 L. \V. Delph wi «4 HM R. Fairburn «-l «4 HV» W. S. Knlph « v: na W. Lonisson 7"> «'■ l<l.l .1. M. Ilorkin , Wβ T. A. «Jouldiug Wi HVi R. Rainier ..'. s-i M H?7 .1. M. Hussev M •»: i<l7 H. W. Tidmarsh... V! •«« l r -7 A. E. Robin«on M y 7 lt« J. MaK'orinlck v: K" 1«S IMiniil.y. Mnd'nrmlrk. Trice. Wi=cin«. and A. E. Knhiiison all lied with 1»>, ami in tbc l«lav-iiff Robinson and M:ut"urnii<-1; wnu. BEST GROSS SCORE. H I!. I.ii-k with a total of I", won Mr. K. i*. Morions trophy on Saturday. NET SCORE MEDAL. Saturday's play resulted : It. <". Jacobs, 14.!, 1 ; L. K. Ralph. 14f>. iv After the lirst round was o\er on Saturday several players expressed the opinion that the greens were very fast, and that this and the wind made play very tricky. Thero were, perhaps, more surprises than are usual at championship meetings. Several of the scratch men returned very poor cards, but the most astonishing returns of the morning round were put in by men on the sis and the nine mark. J. \V. Hunter, for instance, a handicap man of six, returned a card of 76 in the first round, just one more than R. M. Heorge, who went round in just one less, the best score of the round. Hunter was out in 39 and came back in 38. his 77 equalling the bogey of the course. Hie card was so good that the figures are worth giving. It read: —

Out: 5, 4, :>, "', i. :», 2. 4. :.—rw 111: 4. 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 0, 4, -i —TJB An ulea of his playiujrwill lie gathered from the fact that he had no less thnn six birdies. It was a wonderful performance. An equally astonishing return was that made by X. Louisson. His handicap is nine, and yet he went out in 42 and came Lack in 37. His card read: — Out: 4, 4, S, 5, 6, 5, 4, 4. .")—l2. In: 4, 4, 5, :i. .'), 4. 4, 4, 4—157 This score included four birdies, and the only blemish was a six at the fifth, it" a six at that fine hole can be described as one. H. IMumley. whose handicap is alf-o nine, returned a card of 81, which read: — Out: r.. :., 5, 0, :., 3. 3, 4, .V-41. In: 4, o, 4, :i, ti, ;., 4, 4. .">— M. R. M. George tnpped the first round with a score of 7."). two under bogey. He played a beautiful consistent game and had four birdies. His card read: — Out: ."., 4, 4. 4. 5, 4. 3, 4. 5—38. In: 3, 4, 3, 4, 4, o, 4, 4, 4—^7. H. T. Gillies, a six man, went out in 47, and came back in 38. He had a 7 at the fifth, and came back with fours at the 7th, Bth, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, and the 17th. Another nine man. L. W. Ralph,did the first round in 80. He went out in 42, and came back in 38. his card on the homo run reading: — In: 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, .">—33. H. B. Lusk went out in 40 and came back in 30, having threes at the 10th and 13th. His card coining back read: — In: .*?. 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, o—3o M. Macßcath took 47 to go out, nnd 44 to pet back. Bartlctt went out in 40, and returned in 41. His score included live sixes. (». F. Colbock was out and, 42 coming back. He had four at four holes. R. O. Gardner took 43 to go out, and 40 to come back. Four sixes were included in" this, and one seven. T. A. Goulding had a3B going out and 42 coming back. He had four, fives in succession when going out. H. \V. Tidmarth was out in 44. and back in 39.

A WONDKKFL'L Kl.u iykky. SEVEN BIRDIKS RV K. U. WRIGHT OOIN'G OIT. The champion was right off his game during the tirst round on Saturday, and returned the very poor card for a golfer of his quality of 84, but in the afternoon he excelled himself, and had his home-coming been anything like his going out the record for the course might have fallen to him. His golf was simply superb for the first nine holes, and indeed was without a blemish until the last three holes. Hi? tee shots flew like an arrow, long and straight, and his approaching was veritably uncanny. 'lime after time ho dropped his seconds dead on the pin, and when he did fail to get within a yard or two of the pin he never took more than two putts to hole out. When coining in he had not a great run of link at the 11th and 13th. At tlic fn>: mentioned he lipped the hole, and had to putt again, and I'c just failed to pi\e the ball a chance at tho 13th. Hie drives at tho last three holes were peaches, but he unaccountably went off «n his approaching, and, though he equalled bogev at tho ltfth and 17th, he dropped one at the last hole. Altogether he had seven birdies, all gathered on the wav out His card icad: —

Out: 5. 4, 3, 4. 4, 3, 3. 3. 4— XI In: 4. 4. :, 3, 4, 4, :.. ."., C—4o Total T-: R. M. George did not do fo well the second round, and returned a total of 138, just one more than W. S. Halph, who played very cor*isten?!.v H. R. I.ii«-k mpplemrnted hi* si>lendi«l first round 76 with a 79. and came out on top of the qualified with the excellent total of 155.

Other qaalifving rounds results on Saturday were : —

First Second Hound. U.rjn 1. Total. U. Plamley .. SI S7 l«s; J. S. Whyte .. jnj s s i;h» J. P. Aldrcd . . HO v< 174 I,. J. Croxeon sr, ;,» im> H. Tidmarsh .. sr> ss 174 P. J. Western Wi srj j-e G. F. Footc .. vs sr, 17.1 E. L. BarUcct sc, ■,* 17 1 M. McBeath .. !i] -.;« 1 si) H. T. Gillies .. ss 17 i H. Rees . . Ml <iS 177 C. A. BoTcern S." s.-! -i7n W. B. Colbeck .v* RV 17.' F. Trice so <s ir.s R. J. Hamilton s.'. >.;. 17u W. Bramlvr .. '.«.'» ;»« iv;» II. F. Buckley . S4 !'J 17r, I. F. Markeniip Stt hT IT*". W. J. Bromakrn S7 ss 17.1 W. Ij. Donogtauc it." '.'7 K»n A. Waller !«l .vr. 174 T. C. Kissling SS s7 175 A. C. I«nmbe .. HI s:t 1 C. J- Nathan . ss sr, 174 A. W. Gillies . . lil ss 17:i H. \.. Ilobson . s7 !"i 177 II. WiRKins ... sj sr, 1«S P. J. l"pton . . ss :■.: isi H. Horton »'l s", 17.'. A. H. Mapson S4 UJ 1T« H. D. Kobertson '.'•• i;»S. G. Western !«S s". is.: J. F. F.wen . . M !<•<' 1U4 J. F. Kwen . . !»4 jon I'.U F C. Bradley . m7 •.'".» -"« J. K. Lusk .. 1 ,M '« '-'S l!>» P. C. Savage .. '.••"■ »s T.i.1 E. Grlfflth« .. TH I'M -"•'> B. C. Jaoohe .. SH SG 17.". H. A. Joyce . . . '■>» I'j I s "'