ON THE LINKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 205, 29 August 1936, Page 21

ON THE LINKS.

ROTORUA CONTESTS.

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP.

WON BY H. G. DAVIES,

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

ROTORUA, Friday.

The open championship of the Rotorua Golf Club was won by H. G. Davies, of Napier, who defeated A. A. Harvey, of Titirangi, 6 and 5, in a match played over 36 holes. The Thermal Cup wag won by R G Rainger,,of Auckland, who defeated G. Dodgshun, of Gisborne, 4 and 3. The conditions were excellent, and there were many spectators. Playinjr with the greatest confidence, Davies at no time a loser, and never lost the lead which he had gained in the early holes. Although at times he was outdistanced on the drive by Harvey, he rarely deviated from a direct line, his only bad holes being at the eighth, where he took two to clear a bunker, and at the 27th, where he gave the hole away after unsuccessfully attempting to recover from a bad lie in the sulphur pit. His putting generally was accurate, but on several occasions carelessness. in short putts cost him the hole.

Harvey Uncertain. After the splendid exhibitions of sound 'golf that Harvey had given in the earlier rounds his uncertainty was disappointing. Although at times the direction of his tee shots was faulty, in the long game he equalled that of his opponent, but around the greens he lacked confidence and his nutting was generally weak. He had perhaps the- worse of the luck, but there was little excuse for the many eliort putts which failed to find the cup. Temporarily, in the afternoon round, after Davies had conceded the 27th, he appeared to regain some of his lost confidence, and he played excellent «olf on the 29th to bole out in three, and reduce his deficit to six. This confidence, however, was short-lived, and when dormy six on the 31st lie topped his drive and relinquished any chance which he had of polling the game out of the fire.Even Play. The Thermal Cup contest between Rainger and Dodgshun was. more evenly contested than the championship final. Both .players played consistent golf, but occasional lapses by Dodgshun on the green resulted in his being three down at returning home in bogey figures, 30, etuning home in bogey figures, 35. = er a<rain won on the 19th, and four holes in succession were halved. A three on e 94th reduced Dddgshun s deficit to tlnee, and at the turn in the afternoon round he was only two down. Rainger did the Sentinels in three and the next m four, ar A eventually won the 4mp fl-nu. 3*-