HOLIDAY GOLF.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 253, 25 October 1932, Page 11

HOLIDAY GOLF.

AUCKLAND TOURNEY.

REVIEW OF THE PLAY.

VICTORY SLIPS FROM E. D. WRIGHT,

Ttfith rain falling heavily and the greens covered with sheets of water the prpspecte veeterday morning of bringing the Auckland Golf Club's tournament to a conclusion appeared remote. However, about'half past ten, after a remarkably sudden change in the conditions, a start was made with the big programme, and It is a tribute to the organisation of the energetic secretary, Mr. A. E. M. Khind, that a splendid day's sport concluded just before dusk. Some excellent golf was played, despite the blustering northcaster, and the principal event of the day, the Hislop Cup, a medal championship over 36 holes, provided a .contest which concluded in an atmosphere of excitement and tension. In addition, the final of the Middlemore Cup provided an extraordinary finish in going to the twentieth hole, while the result of the afternoon bogey competition was not decided until the last pair finished their round. after In the Middlemore Cup, reduced from 87 players to eight, after the qualifying round, 11. l>. Wright and B. Elliot were left to contest the final, Wright having to give his opponent six strokes. Wright was dormy 4 up when they went to the fifteenth, and his return to form after several off seasons seemed assured to be rewarded with victory. However, Elliot won the four holes on end, Wright loosing the seventeenth in 4, where he concceded his opponent a stroke. On the eighteenth green he lay about 12 feet from the pin with his second, and a four and victory were apparent. From this short distance he took three putts to lose the hole, and the pair went to the nineteenth. Elliot dutt'ed his drive, but Wright got into the bunker guarding the green with his second, and the hole was halved. Elliot received a stroke at the next, but threw it away by slicing his tee shot out of bounds, and when Wright opened up the green nicely with his second it appeared that his unlucky run had been broken. Still he continued to make mistakes and took a six, the same as his opponent, to lose the match. While givinj? Elliot credit for his win, it must be acknowledged that Wright had an exaspef&ting experience over the final six holes, The field in the Hislop Cup was led in the first round by W. S. Ralph and B. H. Menzies, with a card of 79 each, with E B. Brown and J. Fisher next with 81, and N. Abbott and. E. L. Bartleet a stroke worse. llenzies was a couple of boles: ahead of Kalph in playing in the afternoon, round, and made the outward journey in 40 to Ralph's 43. The latter started home with , orthodox figures, 3 and a 4, and then sunk a 12-foot putt at the twelfth (bogey 4) for 3 and followed it with a longer putt for another 3 at" the' fourteenth. This effort made his total 60, square with that of Menzies, who, at this stage, was even fours on the •home journey. Both' took fives at the fifteenth, but the tide turned in Ralph's favour at the next hole. Here Menzies took 5 after being short with hie approach putt;' as Ralph had hooked his drive towards the fifteenth fairway he appeared to be in difficulties, but played a perfect iron on to the green over the trees, and capped it off by holing a twenty odd foot putt for 3. It was a fine effort, and gave him an advantage of two strokes. Both players struck trouble at the penultimate hole to take 6, and finished on the eighteenth in 5, Ralph thus being two strokes to the good, his round being 79 and Menzies' 81. Playing immediately behind Menzies was K. L. Bartleet, and ivlien he holed a 3 at the sixteenth, and .answered a query as to how he was doing evasively, but with evident- satisfaction,; it was apparent that lie had-improved on his morning round. Such was the case, for ie wanted two fours for a 77. Missing a : short putt at the seventeenth for his required 4, hie chance slipped, and he played the final hole loosely. Playing at the tail of the field was W. X. Abbott, and, when it was reported that he was out in 39, it .became evident that lie.had a chance of wresting the honours from Ralph. He was even fours to the thirteenth on the home run, and missed a 5 by four inches at the next, but found to his discomfort, that even such a putt is missable. He gave the ball a careless tap, and it moved but one inch. Even fours for the remaining holes would still have tied with Ralph, but the effort was beyond him. E. B. Brown was in the running at this hole, too, but a 6 lost him hie chance.

The beet round of the tournament was recorded by H. V. Coverdale, whose 78 and all square, won him the bogey tournament, when R. O. Gardner's card of 1 down, handed in solne time previously, looked a certain' winner. E. E. Beehan, who came in last with Abbott, missed his 4 at the eighteenth to tie with Coverdale, and shared the honours of runner-up along with Gardner and E. B. Brown. The prizes were presented by the club president, Mr. C. I. Nathan, and Mr. Ward, president of Titirangi, expressed the appreciation of the visitors for the pleasant and efficient manner on which the tournament had been run. The following are the results:— Hislop Cup—Best cards, W. S. Ralph, 79_70_ 158; B. H. Menzies, 7ft— SI—160; E. L. Bartleet, 82—79—161; W. N. Abbott, S2-50—162; E. B. Brown, 81—81—162; R. 0. Gardner, 84—80—164.' Middlemoro Cup.—R. D. Wright beat R. J. King, 2 up; B. Elliot beat H. Cullen, 4 and 3. Final: Elliot beat Wright at the. twentieth. Group Finals. —Ralph beat Coltman. 6 an<J 5; Jacobsen beat Tidmarsh, 6 and 5; Mageon beat Mc.C. Clark, 2 up; R. Martin beat Poison, 5 and 4; Plumley beat Baker. i and 3; A. W. Donald beat Gillies, 2 up; P. Elliot beat Gilmour at the nineteenth; Ballin beat Hunter, 5 and 4; Coverdale beat Horrocks, 6 and 5; Kirker beat'Keye, 8 and 6. : . • ■■]■ A handicap medal was won by *• Ballin with a card of 85—14 —71.