CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 211, 7 September 1927, Page 10

CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF.

THE ELIMINATION PROCESS.

SECOND AMATETJB ROUND.

BUTTEES AND McJNTOSH "PRO." SEMI-FINALISTS. The weather changed again this morning for the second round of the golf championships after two or three fine days. Sain set in again, malrlng conditions rather unpleasant and green work heavy. Still some wonderfully close finishes have been witnessed and great golf recorded. There have been also some thrilling finishes on the 18th, Horton and Goes went to the last stroke, and also at the end of the day the veterans, Duncan and Lusk, settled their match in the same hole. Notwithstanding the heavy rain various couples had good galleries, notably Duncan and Lusk and also Horton and Goss.

While Bell won his match with Donald Grant, the young Hamilton player had to fight for every hole, still he played faultless rounds against a Scotchman who never gave in till the last stroke. In the morning Bell made a 76, m*yrng him four up at luncheon time, and the same high standard was maintained during the afternoon. At the turn Bell still had his lead of four, then Grant laid a stymie at the 10th, winning that hole. The Christchurch player then

got a pretty two at tbe abort fourteenth, reducing Bell's fead to three up with four to play, and the next was halved in fours. At this stage the players had even fours. But the fifteenth saw Bell take it in four and with it the match.

This year's open champion has been ooted by Macintosh in match play. At the dose of the morning round Mclntoeh was two up on Moss. He opened by taking «"* hole in 3—4, and halving the second in s'a. Hoes struck trouble, taking six to bole out the third. Tfec next was halved in one under bogey 5, Macintosh played a perfect three at the sixth. Moss won the seventh in 5—6. By great golf Macintosh took the ninth, his journey out taking 37 to 41 for Moss. A 30 foot putt gave tbe eleventh to Hose in Z— 4. Tbe letter's short work seemed to be failing him. On the short hole up the hillside tbe Mastertoa pro. got a pretty two, and finished up the morning with two up. The afternoon proved somewhat the same, with Macintosh driving a long ball, and then putting with deadly accuracy. That skill which Mosa displayed in the open event was missing, perhaps be was a little stale. The match finished on the 16th, where Macintosh was on the green in two, and sank for three to five, winniog three and two.

NOTES ON THE PLAT.

George, playing against Grey during the afternoon, m having a hard tune. His strokes were lacking that usual map of Mβ, and at tie 14th he failed to me, and found the banker guarding Uμ green, then, using an iron, tapped the ball rather hard, and it shot Dp the banker—the- wind not holding owing to having been beaten down by the heavy rafn— -and Tan right through the green, taking two to putt out. Horton found the same bunker a little later, and it cost him the hole.

Morgan Duncan laid Rana Wagg a beautiful stymie at the 13th. Wagg waggled round Duncan's ball, and, resting on the lip, half-stymied Duncan, but the latter, with a clever ahqt, found the "can" without touching Sana's ball.

Hbrton sad Goss, playing to the lefh, both got into tie bunker down the hollow to the left of the green -within a few inches of each other. Goas came out deaorj, with m beautiful appro** putt to three inches of -Hie pin, but it eost Hortoa tb* hole, taking two to get out of the banker. Speakiig of bankere, in • four-ball gam* y**tord«y J» *• atcond frirwy. *>« P*?* B *'**** la Uμ *»»* buter lik» eggs u ft bird's BUA, «* jei«c Wellißgtoe pteyw, did w>l »Uri «oi wjtk «ep« £mH iMiMi th» W«tt CoMtcr, Sme, laad ihm UiUr wrtaialy played «M eat i «i th« box, the K»i W ku flayed *o fat during th« toanKT* Hβ v«ai out

after luncheon is 3s, and then the next three hole* in three and two foars, winning in seven and six. Black plavei nervily. * *

Morgan Duncan and Rana Wagg did not treat their game quite seriously enough. They were out for a holiday, and had it thoroughly. Duncan won the first four holes, but" by the time they reached the loth he was only one up. and then hooked his drive to" the 17th. Wagg took the hole in six to seven. The latter than failed with as easy put; on the ldth green to halve, and" lost the hole, and was oated from the championship. * A. D. S. Duncan and H. B. Losk were all square coming to the 18th. Lask. with his second, was right over the preen. Duncan was on edge, bat short. He approached to 12in of the "can," α-ixile Losk was short in his approach. He then made a great attempt to sink his putt for a half, and was a small inch too short, losing the hole and* leaving JL D. S. still in the running. During the day Duncan holed over ten putts of four yards. P. Grey, the man from New Plymouth, who works left-handed and who put Kapi out yesterday, was not quite s» good on his driving to-day. He finish*-.; the morning with two down to Rex