ON THE LINKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 150, 26 June 1936, Page 13

ON THE LINKS.

THE WEEK'S EVENTS.

WINTER TOURNEY FEATURES,

SUCCESS OF H. D. BRIXSDEX

An olil-timer came to light in Xorth Shore s Stableford when A. \Y. Short won the senior match with 31 points. Short played at Mamigakiekie some fifteen years ago, and off and 011 has kept up liis association with his old clubmates. His win was a popular one. A trio in E. G. Budding, E. H.'Foot and A. Halve.v disputed the junior honours, and Dudding, 111 particular, would appear to be coming into his own in the game. A good card of all square afforded I. McOwan the easiest of wins in Mamigakiekie s A grade bogey, and in view "of tlie nature of the weather 110 fault could be found with the score. McOwan has an enviable match record, and continues to show the way to a younger generation. In the B grade F. Aldred's win with one up supplied the logical outcome of a gradual improvement in his game. Even better cards than that returned by him should soon be well within his scope. Obtaining the verdict on a count back, G. .T, Park and W. A. Taffe annexed Middlemore's president's foursomes from H. V. Coverdale and X. Louisson and R. O. Gardiner and F. Macky. The match is a time-honoured event at Middlemore, and invariably gives rise to keen competition. Foursomes exercise a sound influence in golfing strategy, and club programmes would be the richer for the inclusion of more matches of the kind. Titirangi's Ballin Cup. Titirangi's Ballin Cup has boiled down to essentially a battle of the rank and file, as with the exception of A. Harvey the low-markers have suffered elimination. L. H. Xorton, whose recent form lias been good, found the conceding of a liberal sprinkling of strokes to T. I\. Impcy beyond him, but the match was a good one, finishing only at the seventeenth. Playing right up to handicap, A. Harvey was for the most part comfortably placed against L. F. Faram. but tlie latter answered the good golf of his opponent 1 in taking the match to the sixteenth. T. Stone had little or 110 chance against H. Thomas, who capped his performance by finishing 3 up on bogey. Thomas got in some very effective work over the first nine, but this in .effect led to his undoing in the bogey, in which R. E. Alpe played yet another good round to win 011 the I count back.

A fancied candidate in A. E. Saunders was decisively beaten by G. H. Birch, who used his strokes to advantage. H. 0. Wiles, giant-killer of one ot' the previous rounds, had his run of success interrupted when F. A. Browne .showed the way at tlie seventeenth. Browne is capable of pretty solid , golf from . handicap, and has played several good rounds this season. Of the remaining matches, Jf. M. Speer's win from G. Bartleet was not unexpected, as he has effected considerable improvement in his game, while, last but not least. W. ID. Holdgate rather overwhelmed Club President R. F. Ward. Length from the tee, under the prevailing conditions, materially helped Holdgate to success. Winter Tournament. Qualifying rounds invariably hold terror for competitors, and though there may be all kinds of fancy scores prior to a tournament, the test of card and pencil invariably results in . a lengthening of scores. It was so in the Akarana winter tournament, 'when, with one exception, ordinary to poor scoring prevailed. The honours of the opening day lay with S. S. Wilson, who, though he commenced badly, and possibly entertained but a fleeting hope of leading' the qualified, recovered excellently for a 73, and set an official record for the course. But for his opening lapse Wilson played really fine golf, and thoroughly earned his success. In view of the fact that there was a full representation of local talent, Wilson might well have permitted himself a chuckle at his performance. J. H. Yoinfc was responsible for a rather remarkable performance for 33 for the last half, and A. Iv. Hawley almost equalled the feat after having, like Young, ■reached the turn in figures which left the chances of qualifying in anything but a rosy hue. Alan Browne, F. L._ Bartleet and L. Bryant were the mo6t solid of the others in finishing with cards of 7". As for the rest' of the field, the least said the better. To have qualified is one thing, but in the classic words of one observer some of the number would be licking their sores following the blood matches on the second day. \ . Fine Performances. And so it proved. H. Brinsden was chief destroying agent in this sphere, and R. M. George and R. B. Carr were the two early victims. Carr had put up a ■most meritorious morning battle in defeating Bartleet at the twenty-second, but lie might possibly have been less keen of success could he have but sensed what lay in store for him. As it was, Brinsden won both matches -with ridiculous ease, playing golf of particularly high standard. Carr, however, revealed himself a player of possibilities. He has splendid length from the tee, but might well consider whether it would not improve his game both in scope and direction • were he to derive full use of his height physique by standing more erect. P. G. Smith, though displaying artistry out of the common, was slightly disappointing, in performance. He had a wonderful opportunity against B. H. Menzies, but dwindled away along the, hard road of ■ experience. The foundation is there,, however, and it he is content to keepronjswingihg correctly and amassing his fund of match play tactics through hard experience, he should win out. 1 am a firm believer that criticism Of our youngsters should be friendly rather than harsh, as the development of a sound gaiiie is essentially a gradual process. Tlie Bryant, brothers were, also amongst those eliminated' in the first round, but L. Bryant had a particularly hard row to hoe against Alan Browne. We saw Browne at his best in this tournament, and though his swing is as yet a little extravagant, he hits the ball with refreshing vigour and displays admirable determination when confronted with difficulty. Probably the most meritorious performance of ''the tournament was that of Motrisoh, of Warkworth, in taking -iouiig to the eighteenth green. He was unfortu-, nate to be beaten, and lie all but effected a dramatic entry into Auckland golf. Headlam, of Tasmania, relative of a line of famous players in his home country and the South Australian States, played well, but met Jacobsen when at his peak. Jaoobsen's golf is very effective, and he revealed abilities which have not perhaps been generally appreciated. line lie would not beat Young very often, but the worth of his game is the better sized up on his winning sequence this season. The Semi-finals. In the semi-finals the only match of real interest lay between Menzies and Browne and it could be characterised as hugely one of missed opportunities. >i either player showed the accuracy of earliei rounds but, generally speaking, this is inevitable as a tournament proceeds. Browne recovered what looked to be developing into, certain defeat, when at the ninth he played a grand mashie shot to .turn "a. likely-looking loss into a wn . He squared the match at the tentli through « bold, if fortunate, approach, ai«l thereafter play alternated till Browne failed to negotiate aihalfc sty, * ins -it fifteenth to become 2 down. His wins tlie sixteenth and seventeenth arc now liistorV and he made, it three on end ,when && failed 37 " bunker's at the eighteenth in 37 - Brinsden ."--was always sailing . ° mS against Jacobsen and lie finished the match at the thirteenth, shot lav within a few , feet of the pin. Strangely enough, to this stage in the tourney, Brinllen had defeated all Ins opponents at this green. It was evidence of the excellence of his ,golf. Browne's Strong Finish. Tlie final was a homeric struggle, and Browne displayed true fighting spiut in hanging on against Brinsden s of 4 4, 4, 4, 2, which paved the way for a 36 outward, and then initiating the attack to I become only one down at the eleventh 1 and square the with a gem of a -

■it the short thirteenth. The clanger of an injudicious choice of the clubs and the bearing such may have on a match was never better exemplified than when at the eleventh Brinsden attempted, or was tempted, to nee his driver for his second from a cupped lie. The resultant six and loss of the hole was to prove the rock lie nearly perished on. It allowed his opponent to gain an attacking role which at that stage of the game was a thing at all cost to be avoided. Still, if ever a player deserved to win a title it was Brinsden. In his earlier matches his scores were 69, 69, 71, with his running shoes on. as another match was pressing from behind in the concluding stages, and lastly 72 in the final in a half-gale, and that including a 6 at the eleventh. Form worked out well as, apart from Brinsden, Browne played the most convincing golf of the other entrants. The pair arc to be congratulated onstaging possibly the finest fighting golf witnessed in a, championship final in these parts. AKARANA CLUB. BUSH TO PLAY TAYLOR FOR CL'F. The filial or the Swanson Cup handicap match play competition of the Akarann l_,uir Club will he played during the weekend over oti holes. The linalists are M. H. Bush (0> anil C. H. Taylor (11). REMUERA LADIES' CLUB. A nieilai match played by members of the Ileiiiuera Ladies' Golf Club yesterday resulted in a win for Mrs. R. 11. Chisholm who returned a card of 90—34—(>-. Next best cards: —Mrs. R. O'Kliea. 100—35—(15: .Miss D. Wilson, So —19 —OU; Mrs. H. A. Stedman, 95 —2!) —00; Mrs. I>. MacFarlane, 1oa —,'iO —07; Mrs. V. Cornaga, 104—30— 08; Mrs. I). McCrone. 98 —30 —OS; Mrs. 1). McDowell, 89 —18 —71 : Mrs. K. Denton, 107—30—71. MAUNGAKIEKIE LADIES' CLUB. Result of C grade match played yesterday by members of the Maungakiekie Ladies' (Jolt' Club:—Miss U. Collins 117, Mrs. J. Nicoll 122, Mrs. Fltzpatrick 129. PAPAKURA LADIES' CLUB. A Canadian foursomes competition will he played to-morrow by members of the Fapakura Ladies' Golf Club, play to commonce at noon. The Hccond round of the Fernais Cup handicap match play event will bo- concluded to-morrow, also a medal round. CLEVEDON CLUB. A match between the captain's and vicecaptain's teams will be held to-morrow by the Clevedon Golf Club. The last mixed foursomes competition resulted in a win for Wells and Mrs. Wells with a net score of 78£. GLENDOWIE LADIES' CLUB. Team to'represent the Glondowie Ladies' Golf Club in a match against Orakoi at Glendowic on Monday, commencing at 10.45 o'clock:—Mrs. H. V. McGinley, Mrs. L. J. Keys, Mrs. J. L. Campbell. Mrs. T. Taylor, Mrs. K. Montgomery, Mrs. C. W. DAuthreau. Miss H. Suter. Mrs. F. Hayes, Mrs. J. K. Ray, Miss E. Porter, Miss X. Stratton. Results of last bogey match : —Miss I?. Steven, 0 down; Mrs. R. B. Allen, S down ; Mrs. A. Howey Walker, Mrs. J. L. Campbell, Mrs. C. W. D'Authreau, Miss J. Lung, S down. QRAKEI CLUB. A bogey handicap will be played to-mor-row by members of the Urakei Golf Club. Partners will be arranged at the clubhouse. The second round for the Young Cup is to be played during tlie week-end. Players will go round in fours. The first round for the President's Cup must be completed this week-end. ORAKEI LADIES' CLUB. A Stableford ' bogey match played yesterday by members of the Orakei Ladies' Golf Club was won by Miss A. Graham, with a score of 39. Next best cards:—Miss M. Graham, Miss I'aterson, 35; Mrs. Marshall White, 33; Miss Tulloch, Miss Collinson, 32; Miss E. Graham, Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Stevens, Miss Morgan. Mrs. Robson, 30. • The C grade match was won by Mrs. Babbidge with a score of 128. NORTH SHORE LADIES' CLUB. Members of the North Shore Ladies' Golf Club will play a 1..G.1". medal match next Wednesday, commencing at 10 a.m.