GOLF TITLES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 237, 7 October 1933, Page 10

GOLF TITLES.

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

MENZIES HOLDS LEAD.

Blair's Briliiant Effort. —

Moss Close Up

The contention that the true test at Titirangi as a championship course would be revealed when the conditions were less ideal than yesterday, was borne out this morning, A light northerly which sprang up in the early morning freshened to a light breeze when the second round of the open championship was commenced. Its effect was apparent as the progress of the competitors was reported. llie scoring was much more difficult than yesterday, control with every shot being essential, even to the greens, which were much faster than yesterday. When 50 out of the 117 players had completed their round, and they included practically all the leading players, only ten had broken 80.

The best round this morning—and it is not likely to be beaten—was 72 by the Shirley professional H. Blair. He was followed by J, D. Mcintosh, pro? fessional champion of 1020 and 11)27, with 74, while another professional, K, J. Moss, of Middlemore, was ojie stroke worse with 75. A big gallery watched Shaw, who followed half an hour behind Blair, as he was the only one who was considered likely to emulate Blair's performance. However, he took 78 for his round. The only amateurs to distinguish themselves up to this stage were C. Bidwill, Wairarapa, and B. H. Menzies, Auckland, who both played solid rounds of 78. Menzies, who topped the list yesterday with a brilliant 71, retained his position at tlie head of the qualifying list with an aggregate of 140. He was followed by Blair and Mcintosh with 151, and Shaw and Moss were the next, each one stroke worse. The Second Round.

The first card under 80 was that ot" Carne Ridwill, who played steadily for 37 outward and 41 home. Hp was partnered by T. H< Horton, whose card read 81, the first nine having cost him 41 strokes, which included a 0 at the long fifth. Horton does not appear to have quite accustomed himself to the course, his golf having been devoid of its usual brilliancy,

Basil Smith (82) set himself a formidable task by commencing with three s's and then, after a 3 at the short hole, adding two U's in succession. Hewas out in 43, but after a further lapse at Temptation (12tli) he commenced a brilliant run of 4's for the remaining sijt holes, He was home in 39, and with any luck in the early part of his round would easily have broken 80.

N. Bell commenced well with a 4, 3, -1, but was not equal to a 3 at the short fourth, where most of the player? were finding difficulty in stopping on the green. His tee shot at the long fifth found the bunker on the fairway, and this hole cost him 0. The next short hole saw two further strokes slip when lie took 5, and with two 4's ho was out in 39. At the Wrecker he negotiated the trouble from the toe but struck a tree in the middle of the fairway with his second shot and bounced back into the valley, lie took o to reach the green and w«s comforted when he holed a long putt for a (i. Again he missed hit; 3 at the next short hole, the fourteenth, but retrieved this with a trio of 4's; a 5 at the last made his homeward tally 40 and his round 79. Silk Never Happy. Silk made a disastrous start by topping his drive into the Donga in front of the tee and, getting an unplayable ;if, played his third from the tec, taking 7 for t{ic hole. He lost a further stroke at the short fourth but made amends at the next one shot hole, the seventh, where he played a glorious iron to the green. That he was not feeling at home under the conditions was evidenced at the eighth, where he played an iron from the tee. fie neutralised this precaution 'by duffing his second, taking a 5, and with a similar score at the

next he brought his outward tally to 43. He started better coming home with the orthodox 4 and 3, but the improvement was ephemeral, for G's followed at the next two holes, and at the last, putting downhill, his ball slid down the terrace and another 0 resulted. His round of 87 was distinctly disappointing.

Ralph ami A. D. S. Duncan, who were partners, attracted a small gallery in the morning, but the play of neither was consistent. Duncan started the better with three fours, but took another four at the fourth (3 bogey), and then got two fives, making him 2(5 for six holes. Ralph was a stroke worse, getting a three at the fourth, but a live at the second and third. At the short seven they both struck trouble and slipped two strokes each. Ralph made amends by holing a fiftaen-foot putt for a birdie three at the eighth, but Duncan played this hole poorly. He shipped his second into the bunker about ten yards in front of his tee shot, and this lapse cost him a six. Both got fives at the ninth, Ralph completing the outward journey in 40 and Duncan 42. Both took 40 to come home, Ralph taking three putts at tho twelfth and fifteenth for six and five respectively. At the eighteenth he was in the sen,' by the boundary fence with bis second, but recovered well, and an eight-foot putt for a four just eluded him. Moss Plays Consistently. As was the case with his round yesterday, Moss started oil with a brilliant three! He gave an example of his resourcefulness at the seventh, where he recovered from the bunker to hole a three. At the sixth hole he was a few inches short with a forty-foot putt, and at the eighth he stayed on the lip of the hole. With a five at the ninth he was out in 38. Sound golf was played by the Middlemore professional over the final nine holes, and when he completed them in 39 to make his card 77 his performance was the best of the day at that stage. It might have been improved upon with a little better fortune in putting* At the eighteenth, for instance, his second rolled dov, n the slopinn- green to within four fi'et of the pin. but Moss could not seize the opportunity on the tricky green.

Kapi Tareha was going great guns to the ninth, which part of the course he completed in 3(1, the best at that time of the morning. He might easily l>»ve been three strokes better, putts having failed by inches to fall at the sixth, eighth and ninth. He got his three at the two short holes and fours at all the rest, except the long fifth and ninth. Kapi played beautiful golf through the fairwavs* coming home, but could not handle' the greens, and this accounted for three sixes in the last nine holes. His round was 81. Blair's Fine Effort. , From the mediocre scoring the round of 72 by the Shirley professional, H. Blair, stood out in brilliant velief. He played very sound golf, and w]icn lie made the outward journey in 3< it was evident from hie consistency that he would be one of the leaders, His homeward journey of 35 wan most meritorious, a sparkling start being made with two three- Had he holed an 18in putt at the thirteenth hole, he would have survived both the treacherous holes, "Temptation" and "The Wrecker," wjth fours, but the short ones eluded him. 110 finished with a string of four foursB. H. Menzies played another •sound round, antl hie 78 maintained his position at the head of the list. Although lie is not a competitor in the open championship, there is little likelihood of his being supplanted from heading the list of qualifying amateurs. He commenced with four* for the first four holes, and was out in 37. the next stage of the journey found him unable to clinch opportunities on the greens, and he had six fives out of the nine holes, which took 41. Mcintosh Takes 74. J. Mcintosh played beautiful golf to go out in 30 and ho started home with two throes, He obtained a fortunate five at the twelfth, and took six at the thirteenth after a good drive. Par figures followed to the sixteenth, at which stage he required two fours for a 72, hut he finished in poor five for a 74. Clements Out in 3fJ. A. Clements, open champion in 1908, 100!) and 1912, was out in 38 without a three on his card. Coming home he missed four putts of about a yard, to finish in 80. The Baby of the Field. The Titirangi youth, J. 11. Young, marred his round again to-day when the final pinch came. At tlj c last two holes, when the scratch score of the course, 75, was within his reach, he took sixes. A pulled second got him into trouble at the seventeenth, and at the last hole ho was through the boundary fence with his second. He then had to play his fourth from the fairway, and two putts brought liia tally to 70. His performance was fall of merit. Yesterday he had a six at the eighteenth, liia round being 80.

Scores: — Total. B. H. Menzies (Auckland) .. 71, 78—140 H. It. Blair, P <2> J. D. Mcintosh, P J4 —l*>* K. J. Moss (Auckland), P .. <o. <7 — A. J. Shaw, P 74, 78—15j XV. S. ltniph (Auckland) .. 74, 81 —lo4 N. C. Bell (North Shore), P 76, CJ —1<_>J I. McEwan (Auckland) .... • 77, iJ lo7 Kapi Tareha (Napier) .... <0. J. C. Bidwell ( Wairurapa) . 80, 78 —los J. D. G. Duncan (Wellington) n, o-— T. H. Kurton (Mastertoii) • • ' s » 10J J. A. Clements (Christchurch), P '9. SO—loJ J. Laniuie, P 'J. SA I Jin J. L. Black (Sliandoi)) 81, 79—1 ;<> B. J. Smith, juu. (Akarana) . < 0, »- — H. Plumlcy (Auckland), ... <•'. J'Jf I). Coylc (Pukckohe) ...... 8-, '•> *oi A. K. llawiey (Maungakiekie) hi, 80 101 Ci. W. Kitchie, P oT' uV ii!~ J. M. Colt ma li (Titirangi) . 81, 81 i"ii. li. Tallin (Titirnngi) .... 81. 83 l \,'r.11 (Hcretaunga), P .. 78, ll>-> V. H. Ferguson (Otago) .... 80, bo i K. L. Caldwell (Onewhero) . 8o, 8- io«j A. I). S. Duncan (Wellington) b_, brf i ;•> C. llaile.v (Whangarcij .... <0, •>! 1J;» K. D. Wright (Auckland) . 8o, 8*—107 ( B. J. Smith (Akarana), P . . 84, 83 1J>< W. A. Donald (Auckland) .. So, 83—10» B. M. Silk (Wunganm) .... 81, 87—1 » R. Hutchinson (Glendowie) . 8o, 8d li. li. Tall is (Titirangi).... 81, 8< —108 K. K. Beelian (Titirangi) .. 8->, 83—1 8 C. H. Geddis (Napier) 83, 8 —10. It. I.. Wilson (Titirangi) ... 81, 8.J— 1»0 13. (). Xlale:; (Wellington) .. 8o, 8o 170 J. It. llobhs (Napier) 8o, 80—1/0 S. S. Wilson (Auckland .... 8-', 2, UV I C. H, Stephenson, P 84, 8/ 11' A. D. Mcl/ean (Auckland) . . 83, 88 171 I,. J. Williamson (Titirangi) 8b, 84 —i<I*. Whitcombe (Wellington) . 88, 84 J7_ T. II. P. Itcnnie (Hagle.v) .. 83, 8 —17.1. P. A Id red (Auckland) .. 80, 8. — 1 (- D. B. Stratniore (Wellington) 83, 8.) 1<O. J. Wilson (Hagley) .... SS, 37—17o A. M. (iouldiug (Titirangi) . 80, 00 173 It. G. Havward (Klinndon) . 88, 8«> —It-* U. I). Horton (Auckland) . . 80, 80—17u A. -T. (*ood (Titirangi) .... 01. 87—178 W. O'Callaghaii (Hnwera) .. 80, 03—17,) G. W. Melviu (Hamilton), P 00, 01 —181