ON THE LINKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 238, 7 October 1932, Page 11

ON THE LINKS.

VARIOUS CLUB TITLES.

UPSETS AT MIDDLEMORE,

EVEN CHANCES FOR HONOURS.

(By RUBBERCORE.)

In commenting on the qualifying rounds of the Middlemore championship the view was expressed that the chances of many of the players were equal. t That the view was something of a prophecy has been amply borne out as the matches have progressed. First we had the elimination of strong players in Ralph and Lusk. Now it is the fate of Menzies and MacEwan to have met with defeat.

As regards the former, the fates would eeem to have been against him from the first, as, following a duffed tee shot and an over-strong second to the first hole, Alan Donald, his opponent, got down a good putt to win in 4, after Menzies had reached the green in the orthodox two shots. Menzies, however, appeared to play his third defensively instead of endeavouring to push hie advantage, and so was recorded the first disaster. On in two at the second, Donald deserved his win in 4, and at the third, following a good approach, he again ran down his putt for 4, ito become 3 up. Menzies then dominated the game to become square at the seventh, but, Donald immediately returned to the attack in holing a long putt ait the eighth, while he also won the ninth in 5, to become 2 up. Menzies' two at the' lentil gave him a brief respite, but a grand approach at the eleventh gave Donald the hole in 3.

Each won a hole_ to the fourteenth, where Donald ran down another long putt. The end came when Donald negotiated the tricky fifteenth the better of the pair. The result can be summarised in Donald's initial ascendancy, Menzies never having been able ito get, as it were, on an even keel and play with his customary confidence.

MacEwan and Rainger Out. Next, one may touch on the game between MacEwan and Plumley, wherein the golf, if report be correct, was below standard. In struggles of the kind—and a struggle it was —good golf is frequently subservient to the demands of generalship and opportunism. Each player gets drawn into the vortex of error, and peculiarly enough emerges into bright play only when a crisis demands. Ws have seen it over and over, and will see it again. Plumley's reflections on the result are probably that any figure that won was good enough. Against R. G. Rainger, R. D. Horton was more or less irresistible, much of his golf having been excellent. He has some delightful shots, and, even though his bursts of good golf are spasmodic, is always a dangerous opponent. His play in the championship to date has been sufficiently good to afford him an even chande of reaching the final. In having continued successfully, W. INT. Abbott is displaying the form that made him club champion some three seasons ago. Ho played well in the recent Rotorua tournament, and should prove a worthy opponent to Donald.

The Intermediates. In the intermediate event, following his last week win of 2 up over C. H. Archer, H. A. Joyce was again successful on the last green, this time against A. Boddington. It was a good match, and in doubt to the last. The match between B. G. Thompson and J. F. Brown may be described in like terms, but in the remaining games Club Captain A. M. Howden and G. H. Abel had assumed useful leads at the twelfth green. This event has as open an appearance as the championship, though one would not favour Abel's chances were a wet day encountered. So far as the C grade is concerned, H. Y. Cameron's margin over W. M. Bell suggests J. Farrell's task is far from over. Farrell, however, is playing quite steadily, while the fact of his having played quite a lot of golf amongst low markers wilj be anything but detrimental to his prospects. Maungaklekle Matches. In the senior championship at Maungakiekie the, untoward incident was the defeat of R. O. Gardner by F. Laurie, the margin of success of the latter having been quite unanticipated. Though Laurie's game was fairly steady, Gardner did not play well, his putting, usually a reliable feature of his game, having been inconsistent. Though roubd in 78 and 1 up m the concurrent bogey, D. R. Garrard's figures were not good enough for A. K. Hawley, whose 75_ represented good golf. Hawley is playing particularly well, scarcely ever hitting an indifferent shot. He now meets J. S. Rankin, who, after having won the first three holes from J. H. Earle, led practically all the way to finish 2 up. Earle made a fine recovery from a 2-down position by winning the fifteenth and sixteenth holes in fours— excellent figures—but a pulled second to the bunkers at the seventeenth spoiled his chance. Finally, his tee shot to the eighteenth somewhat unluckily kicked into the reservoir, and Rankin clinched matters with a second, which was on the pin all the way. Rankin's match with Hawley promises to be a good one.

In the juniors L. B. Schnauer rather easily disposed of E. Henton and followed it up with a win from F. Wiseman in the semi-final of the Elliffe Cup, in which peculiarly, enough he meets the donor to decide the winner. Schnauer is the present junior champion, and with the lowering of the scratch score for the course again became eligible. D. E. Cou'tts, who won from T. H. Nixon, and J. D. Shanly, also formerly a senior, promise to be his most serious rivals. The C grade tournament also has its claims to mention, in that surprisingly good golf marked the semi-finals. R. S. Newcomb and F. Rostgard had a very close game, the pair having reached the turn in just over 40, with only 1 up in favour of the latter. The game between J. S. Milne and R. M. Heywood can be summed up in "the tragedy of thci fifteenth," where Heywood, after having been in a winning position, suffered n collapse in his short game. Needless to add, the proffered opportunity was pounced on, which term, I think, only adequately describes the occasion.

Out at Otahuhu. The Otahuhu final was a clear-cut victory for L; J. Croxson, as he had to make up considerable leeway to win. Levy had his opportunity in his 4 up lead on the first 18 holes, but since he had the excellent score of 71, it was significant of Croxson's chances of success that he had only four holes to recover. Viewing the fact that Levy won the nineteenth, Croxson's recovery was all the more meritorious. Levy is fully justifying his present rating of two, even though championship honours continue to be beyond his reach. The juniors had most interesting semifinals, and Hotson in particular has greatly improved his game. With F. Fearnley, whom he opposes in the final, is associated a name that has been foremost in sport in .Otahuhu and surrounding districts over a long period of years. Smith's Great Round. Next we come to Akarana —and to Basil Smith. It is difficult to know what to say of this young man, of the quality of whose golf I have long held golden opinions. I shall leave it to others, yet must pause to remark that it is a matter for satisfaction that the tantalising run of seconds to his credit in club events has been abruptly terminated. My experience is that it is much more satisfactory to read of a 67 than to have been pitted against it. Of the other matches, most excitement centred in that between F. Hazelden and L. J. Minogue, where the former's precision told at the nineteenth. At the moment it appears a doubtful privilege to have qualified to meet Smith. As one

of those in the top half of the draw rather waggishly put it—not, o,f course, that we think we can beat him. Still, we shall see. Titirangi Finalists. At Titirangi J. Murray came out of the blue to defeat A. M. Goulding in the senior semi-final. The margin, however, 4 and 3, leaves no doubt as to superiority on the day. Matters were much more exciting in the other match when McCrystal held on against Tallis, to win at the eighteenth. On the past month's play McCrystal has really appeared as a likely finalist and from the point of view of handicap has. every chance of repeating his success of three years ago. In the juniors, what was more or less the expected happened, and Jones aud Whitten should have a good match for the title. In the intermediate, experience played its part, but Lucas is entitled to congratulation for the fight he made of it. On the other hand, T. Goudie fairly earned his laurels, as apart from having come through several difficult matches, he lias throughout played uniform and forceful golf. Having found its champion, Glendowie carried on with the Howie Walker Cup, when E. Hutchison added one more for the season with a well-merited win. As has been usually the case, one of the Stedman brothers was in the offing, the family name having shared second honours wjtli C. A. Jarman.

NZ. LADIES I MEETING. . MISS O. KAY BfiEAKS SEVENTY. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) TIMARU, Thursday. The best cards returned in the first bogey handicap at the New Zealand ladies golf championship on the 1-lighfleld links this morning were :— First Division.—Miss O. Kay (Otago), 3 up; Mrs. J. C. Templar (Waimate), 2 down ; Miss M. Tizard (Timaru), 3 down ; Miss B. Gould (Christchurch), 5 down; Miss E. Bell (Wellington), 5 down. Second Division.—Miss O. Smith (Napier), 2 down; Miss N. Iloare (Christchurch), 3 .down; Mrs. J. Johnston (Timaru), 4 down; Mrs. Brady (Timaru), 4 down. In the bogey handicap in the afternoon Miss O. Kay (Otago) returned 09 for 18 holes. This is easily n course record and the first time Miss Kay has ever broken 70 Oil a championship course. She went out in 32 and home in 37, being over bogey only twice. Miss Gaisford (wlio beat her in the inter-Island game) did not compete. The first round of the championship Is to be played to-morrow.

TITIRANGI LADIES' CLUB. An open tournament was held by the Titirangi Ladles' Golf Club yesterday. With excellent weather and course conditions good scoring resulted. The best gross score of S2 was returned by Miss E. Culling. Results :— Senior Medal Match.—Mrs. Alison, 85— 13—72 ; Mrs. Shroff, 00—10—74; Miss Grierson, 89—14—70 : Miss K. Horton, 84—8 —70. Junior Medal Match.—Miss M. Graham, 93—10—74; Miss M. Bailev, Oil—l9—7o; Mrs. Spinley. 99—2.3—70; Miss K. Fouhy, !)9—23—70; Mrs. Ferguson. 97—20—77. Canadian Foursomes.—Mrs. Jerrat and Mrs. Baillie. 1 up : Miss L. Hall and Miss Thompson, 1 down ; Mrs. Close and Mrs. Beaumont, 2 down. Mrs. Goldwater won the putting competition. MAUNG AKIEKIE LADIES' CLUB. Results of the C grade eclectic match played yesterday by members of the Maungakiekie Ladies' Golf Club : Miss V. Roulston, 100; Mrs. R. George, 104 ; Miss A. Bevage, 100; Mrs. Truscott, 107; Mrs. Wilson, 108. NORTH SHORE LADIES' CLUB. Draw for the first round of an eclectic match to be played by the week-end players nf the North Shore" Ladies' Golf Club on Saturday next: Miss Willis v. Miss Batty, Miss Parr v. Miss Hunt, Miss Campbell v. Miss Monkton, Miss McDonnell v. Miss Wann, Miss Newman v. Miss Gordon Cumming, Miss Adams v. another. Drnw for a. flag match to be played by C grade: Miss Lewis v. Miss Minns, Miss Himinel v. Miss Black, Miss Corner v. Miss Esdaile, Miss Brown v. Miss Johnston, Miss Mulvaney v. Miss Colscn, Miss Bullimore y. another. CLEVEDON CLUB. The closing day of the Clevedon Golf flub will be held to-morrow, when a ladies versus men competition, on match play, svill be decided. Players will choosc partners. «