GOLF TITLES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 238, 9 October 1933, Page 8

GOLF TITLES.

TIE IN THE OPEN.

DOUGLAS AND MOSS.

KEEN CONTEST IN FOURTH

SHAW AND BLAIR NEXT.

When the fourth and final round of the open championship began this afternoon, the contest appeared to have resolved itself into a duel between E. J. Moss and A. J. Shaw, but a. spectacular round by E. S. Douglas gave him an aggregate of 300, level with Moss.

E. J. Moss (Auckland) and E. S. Douglas, both professionals, this afternoon tied for the open golf championship, each having an aggregate of 300.

Douglas played a truly spectacular round of 71, and in bis outward journey of 33 he had a 2 at each of the short holes, the fourth and tfic seventh, followed by an equally splendid effort nt the ninth, where he played two woods to the green and sent a putt for 4. His 33 was the nioet brilliant nine holes of tho tournament. It put him level with Moss, who had taken 38, and a stroke ahead of Shaw, whose nine holes took 30.

Coming home he played faultlessly and wanted three 4's for a round of 70. He

got two of them, and when faced with a shortish putt at the eighteenth stuck on the lip of the hole, to take live. He had a similar experience at the tenth and thirteenth holes, where he missed his putt for 4's by the merest fraction. Moss and Douglas tied with 300 each. Moss and Douglas will play off 18 holes to decide the open, probably next Saturday. The day is not yet decided.

Blair 'was two strokes behind Moss, but as lie took 79 for the fourth round he dropped back to five behind.

Moss Draws Level. There was a tense atmosphere abot the eighteenth green when it becan: known that Mo*s wanted a 4 to tic wit Douglas for leading place with a aggregate' of 300. He was 50 yard short with his second, and lay on th edge of the three-tiered green, the pi being on the top tier. He Hit his chi badly; too badly, it appeared at firs' but the ball stopped pin-high eight fee from the pin. The Middlemore profes sional was equal to the test, severe a this stage of the contest. He wa heartily applauded when he found th cup with a firm putt. Moss was out in 3S and home i similar figures. His last nine hole showed a mistake at the twelfth hole where he took (3, while at The Wrecke he missed a four-footer for a 4. Get ting the bogey 3 at the short four tee nth, he wanted 4's for the remain ing four holes for a 75, which wouh have put him one stroke ahead o Douglas. However, at the fifteenth h> was short with his second shot, a; nearly every player was to-day, in fea of trouble which lies in the rough behinc the greens, and took 5 there, at bogey ' hole. The last three holes he finished in 4"s. Shaw Takes 77. Shaw took 38 for the final nine holes of his last round, and this made hjit a total of 304 —four strokes worse thai Moss and Douglas.

Moss, with 224. started the fourth with a lead of two strokes ever Shaw, holder of the title for the past four years. The next best was the Shiiley professional, H. Blair (227). Their nearest rivals were a quintet, with 229, comprised of B. 11. Menzies, B. V. Wright (two amateurs), and E. S. Douglas, C. C. Clements and N. Bell, nil professionals, but unless the two leaders make many mistakes there is little chance of any of this five overtaking them. Tuenzies is not a competitor in

the open. The beet round of the morning wae Moss' 72, while B. V. Wright, the Balmacewan amateur, played brilliantly for one stroke less.

The conditions were ideal. The rain had a beneficial effect on the course, and while it took the run out of the fairways the greens were, more holding, and players, were ai>le to pitch their seconds with moie confidence, while putts could bo more uoldly struck. There was a stiff southerly breeze,-for which the course is designed, and although it called for full strength second shots when against it, the players had the compensation of extra length when it was behind them. This was the case at the long holes, such as the fifth and the final four coining home. The scoring was reflected by the conditions, and of the first two dozen cards half were better than SO.

Trouble For Mclntosh. Doughis anil Bell returned the best cards of the morning, each with 74. until Moss arrived with 72. Mclntosh, one of the: leading other professionals, paved the way for a good round when he went out in 30. He broke up on the home journey. He hooked his second shot at the tr'nth into the rough, and after making a splendid recovery he was not able to make a sft putt for four. The next hole cost him five when his spoon shot rolled back into the bunker below the green. His troubles had only started, for lie took three putts on each at the 12th and 13th greens. At the loth he wns again in tl.o roivjh, seven being registered against Ism. He completed a disastrous nine boles, which took 40, making the round 82. Perfect Round by Moss.

Mose wa.s in splendid form, and there was not a blemish in his round. When Shaw, his most dangerous rival, was still to come, he was leading the field by five strokes, Douglas and Bell being nearest. Shaw finished a quarter of an hour later with a 74. and was then in second place, two strokes behind th*! Middlcmore professional. Their tallies were: Mos.s, 224; Shaw, 22(5.

Moss gut bogey figures at every hole on the outward part of the course., his tally being 37. He started with three bogeys coming home and then ?ot a birdie 4 at "The Wrecker." The orthodox 3 at the fourteenth was followed by ji etring of four 4's, the final one being a birdie. At the eighteenth he placed beautifully, pitching his r-ceond within Gft of the pin. Holing the putt made 35 for the nine holes.

Thouffh Shaw was two strokes worse than Moss over the first nine holes—3o to 37 : —lie regained them with two birdies in succession at the first two holes coming home. At the eleventh, a spoon shot to-day, he capped off a perfectly hit ball with a 15-foot putt for a 2."

Douglas made "one error in the first portion of his round. At the fifth, the longest hole on the course (500 yards), he played a weak approach, and, not reaching- the green, a (i resulted. However, he had a 2 at the short fourth, and the orthodox 3 at the other onesho'ttcr (the seventh), while at the

eighth a birdie 3 assisted him in out in 36, one bettor than the seratcf score. Another 2at Redan (eleventh? was a brilliant effort, but a 6 at,"Xh Wrecker" and a 5 at the fifteenth (bogey 4) prevented him from havin! an even better card than 74. He finish with three good balls. m "Wright's Good Round. Most of the amateurs rose to H occasion and played very sound o-olf J.I when only 20 more of the players' ha I to complete their round 12 of the ama teurs had cards of 77 or better. The onlv one to slip back was B. H. Menzies w if played his worst round of 80, taking « for the outward journey. e

B. 'M, Silk gave the first taste of hireal quality by returning the best card amongst the' amateurs, 74. He sliprJJ a stroke at the first hole, where he took five, and his only other mistake in th first nine holes was at the 9th. His drive found a bunker on the fairway, and this hole also took him five, one more than bogey. He was out in 38. At the first hole coming home he hit two splendid woods to the green to obtain his four and thence on he never looked back. The Wrecker had no terror for him, as it had in the other two rounds, and this foorning he got a four there. Over the lafi live boles he played faultlessly, except for losing a stroke when his second shot wae a bit too strong, running throuoh the green. ° ,°.

The beet amateur round of the morning was 73 by B. V. Wright (Ota<m). Silk's honour for the. second best round was shared by J. p. Horna. brook, who completed his round, near the tail-end of the field. Xoted for bis brilliancy Hornabrook in his round of 74 had some spectacular holes. He commenced with a three, had a birdie two at the seventh and clinched his. round with a beautifully played three at the eighteenth. He had a turn of fortune at. the Wrecker, where he holed a 25ft putt for a four. .

e Total. E. J. Moss (Auckland), P .. 152, 7° oo. A. J. Shaw, P 152, 74—226 1 H. R. Blair, P ir,l t 7eZo.,j E, S. Douglas, P 15o, 74 <>o n B. V. Wright (Otago) 156, 73—">9 ; N. Bell (North Shore), P .. 155. 74 > B. H. Menzies (Auckland) , 149, SO—2»o C. C. Clements, P 155, 74i_o5n N. H. Fuller, P 153) 77—2$' J. H. Hornabrook (Masterton) 156, 74 030 ' W. S. Ralph (Auckland) .... 154, 77 231 I H. A. Black (Miramar) .... 156, 76—232 J. Weir, P 154, 78—232 A. H. Dyke, P 156, 76—232 J. D. Mcintosh, P 151, 82—233 J. Lambie, P lot), 74—233 ; G. Watt (Masterton), P ... 156, 78—234 , J. P. Mortland (Taihape) ... 150, 76—235 J. H. Young (Titirangi) ... 159, 76—235 1 J. A. Clements, P 159, 76—285 K. Tareha (Napier) 157 , 79—236 K. Ross (Otago) 160. 77—237 H. D. Brinsden (Titirangi) . 156, 81—237 R. M. George (Maungakiekie) 162, 75—237 .T. A. Pym (Titahi) 156, 81—237 A. E. Browne (North Shore) 157. 81—238 J. C. Bid will (Wairarapa) . 158, 80—238 A. B. Barnes-Graham (Gishorne) 162 , 76—238 I. MacEwan (Auckland) .... 157, 81—238 J. M. Coltman (Titirangi) . . 162 , 77—230 C. W. Woodroffe (Titirangi), P 159, 81—240 , T. B. Ferguson (Otago) .... 165, 75—t240 J. D. G. Duncan (Wellington) 159 , 82—241 G. W. Ritchie, P 162 , 80—242 H. Plumley (Auckland) .... 161, 81—242 F. Branch (Wanganui), P . 163, 79—242 A. K. Hawley (Maungakiekie) 161, 81—242 T. H. Horton (Masterton) .. 159 , 83—242 B. M. Silk (Wanganui) 168, 74—242 A. D. S. Duncan (Wellington) 165 , 78—243 R. F. Edmonds (Hamilton) . 161, 82—243 R. G. Rainger (Auckland) . 166, 77—243 T. E. Clark (Auckland) 159, 85—244 J. L. Black (Shandon) 160, 84—244 H. F. Buckley (Whangarei) . 164, 81—245 D. Coyle (Pukekohe) 161, 84—245 T. Morpeth (Titirangi) .... 160, 85 —245 B. .T. Smith, jun. (Akarana) 161, 84—245 R. H. Wallace (Te Awamutu) 166, 80 —246 H. P. Dale (Elthani) 106. SO—246 K. L. Caldwell (Onewhero) . 165, 81—246 R. C. Butters (Miramar). P .. 165, 8.1 —246 P. C. Savage (Auckland) ... 160, §6 —246 I_i. Quin (Eltham) .... 164 , 83—247 E. L. Bartleet (Auckland) .. 164, 82—247 T. A. Goulding (Titirangi) . 167, 80 —247 H. C. Stevens (North Shore) 162 , 85—247 E. Hutchinson (Glendowie) . 166, 80—248 R. Ft. McCrystal (Titirangi) . 168, 81—249 .Tames Watt (Heretaiwga), P 165 , 85 —250 C. Bailey (Whangarei) .... 1C6, 84—250 D. C. Collins .(Wairarapa) . 163, 87—250 C. B. Thomas (Pupuke) .... 164, 86—250 R. D. Wright (Auckland) .. 167 , 85 —252 ,T. S. Rankin (Maungakiekie) 167, 85—252 F. W. Lucas (Titirangi) . . . 165, 87—2o. B. J. Smith. P 167, 86—253 A. W. Donald (Auckland) .. 16S, 85—2o3 W. Morrice, P 167 , 86 —253 E. G. Tallis (Titirangi) .... 168, 85—253 L. W. Delpli (Auckland) .. 168, 92—.60 E. E. Beehan (Titirangi) .. 168, 93—261 H. Wiggins (Manukau) .... 168, So—-63 Final Round. Following are the scores in the fourth and final round, and the aggregates:— E. J. Moss E. F. Douglas itwj A. J. Shaw H. R. Blair i!/W. S. Ralph J B. V. Wright 'S— N. H. Fuller N. Bell J. D. Mcintosh 7S —311 H. A. Black SHjl: A. B. Barnes-Graham K. Ross 76—jl, T. McEwan 77—Sjj J. P. Mortland 81—JJS H. D. Brinsden SO—jJJ" R. M. George SI—3JS George Wntt S4— H. Plumley 77—"1T. Tareha „ J F. Branch 1— K A. E. Browne 82—J", | •T. M. Coltman' .... S2—li G. W. Ritchie 70—" a A. D. S. Duncan , TP—** 1 T. B. Ferguson '. 82—§js H. P. DnV .: 7C —'fg R. G. Rainier .SO : —'" , ' g| C. W. Woodroffe t : •T. n. fi. Dnncnn ' ! ■ F. Krinionds S 1 —F K. TTawlov .-... P"— nrt - | T.. r>,v>l . ..'. • 1 an- 1 .lifting!!!.!!!. s ' I