FATHER AND SONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 243, 13 October 1936, Page 17

FATHER AND SONS.

THE GOLFING SMITHS. DOMINION" CHAMPIONSHIPS. AUCKLAND'S REPRESENTATION. In a record list of 14.3 entries for the New Zealand golf clianipionsliips Auckland. as is not unusual,-dias numerically a poor representation. However, it has the distinction of providing three contestants from one family—a' father and two sons. They are the Akarana professional, the veteran Basil Smith, his son Basil, now a professional at Ota'tara, Invercargill, and Pax,the 17-year-old amateur member of the Akarana Club, and one 6f the most promising youths in the province. .IK- : "I saw the first New Zealand amateur championship away, back in 1893 and participated for the first time in the tourney of IS9S," said Mr. Smith, sen., this morning. -"I have contested many since, and am looking forward to .another on Thursday week, 33 years' Jince I first took part." Golf is in the blood of the Smith family, and Mr. Smith states that his grandfather was a member of the first club started in New Zealand, and for that matter in the southern hemisphere. That was the Otago Club, which had its origin in 1871, he said. As Dunedin's pioneers hailed fro n Scotland, the recognised home of the game, there does not seem much reason to doubt the claim that the early Scots settlers pioneered the game "in the Antipodes. Four of Mr. Smith's brothers were keen devotees of the game, and one of them, H. C. Smith, won the amateur championship in 1908. The year after Basil, sen., made his debut, IS9S, Arthur Duncan, the doyen of amateur golfers in the Dominion, won the amateur championship for the first time, and he has won it nine times since. In addition he was in 1907 the original winner of the Open, in which both professionals and amateurs are eligible to compete. He again headed the list in 1910 and 1911. Last year this great player was third in the Open to the professionals, A. Murray and J. Shaw. Next month lie will again' be i taking part. Morpeth's Distinction. Only one player from Auckland has • Avon the amateur championship of New Zealand. The distinction is held by 1 Sloan • Morpeth, who as a member of the Mauhgakiekie Club took the honour in 1927 and 1929, after having previously won it in 1920 when a member of the Hamilton Club. In the list of entrants, , published there are only eight members ! of Auckland clubs. Auckland has B. 1 H. Menzies and I. MacEwan; Titirangi, H. D. Brinsden and G. Tallis; Akarana, j P. Smith, V. Salek and H. Wiggins; and 1 Maungakiekie, a sole- representative in j R. George. , In view of the poor showing of Auek- 1 landers in the history of the champion- , ships it would be a bold prophecy to f suggest that one of the eight will win J the amateur championship. But there \ is good-ground for espousing Brinsden's s chances. He has regained the form * which won him a place in the New Zea- i land team which went to Australia r several seasons ago, and has been the * outstanding local /. player in competitions this season. , "MacEwan reached i the semi-final at Wanga.nui in 1934, •' being defeated by B. Mf. Silk the eventual winner, whiles Menzies led the a Open field for two rounds when the '< national tourney ■ staged. Titi- ® rangi in 1933.,.? Last year at, Sliirley/he „ just failed to*'qualify; He should do o better at New Plymouth. Rex George is always likely to bieat players with n better reputations than himself. Young h Pax Smith will no doubt be the "baby" "j of the field, and his play in the Auck- n land provincial championship last Easter ni revealed }iim as one of the find's of the tourney.';' • v ' i> The Professionals. S Auckland is strongly represented in the professional ranks. The open and w professional championship holder, A. Murray will be defending his titles, a Serious contenders from this part of the island are E. J. Mo.ss, F. R ltter and ot possibly N. Bell. Their mo-t formidable rival from outside the province is A. J. oa Shaw. " A The performance of Basil Smith,' jun., M will be watched with considerable interest as' this is the first time he has di participated since the championship was tli held at Titirangi in 1933. In that year, }" when a member of the Akarana Club, 17 he was defeated by J. Young, of Titi-' rangi, then a lad of 16 years, whose '.performance of. reaching, the semi-final was the highlight of the tourney. Smith afterwards accepted a professional appointment with the Otatara. Club, at Invercargill, and while at New Plymouth will be making his debut as a professional. As an amateur he won the . iqursomes at the national meeting twice; first in 1929, with W. B. Riley, and again in, 1933, with H. D; Brinsden. This year he will partner his father an the ' professional foursomes. lift' ■?}' VX" HI- ■■■i- | % V'V ". COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS. • .... ■ ■ —: ■' YOUTHFUL PLAYERS EXCEL. Two • championship titles were decided .■at St. Andrews on Saturday over 36 holes. The intermediate grade was won by K. McLeod, who defeated W. J. King, 1 up. .. .'-/ The junior title was'rwon by R. B. Sea;;:'prook, .who defeated.G./Hovey; s.and 3. . ' The Senior; championship of : the Cam- ■ • bridge Golf Club, decided at .the,.week-end, K wis .won by R. Alford, who defeated H. N. 1 .i'reeman,-.4 and.Si was senior cham--A plon in 1930; while Freeman won the title > in 1932 and 1933/ , : : /M« Wooliey defeated S. Holdgatc, 3 and J55 in the intermediate championship over -. <SS holes.. AVoollejv who is onlv 16 years of age; won th&' eehior title of the Bar--dowie Club last year. In the junior championship W. Wood defeated... L.- Cornaga, 1 up; .The game went to- the thirty-seventh green. • " ' The Morrlnsville Golf Club's senior.and Junior championships were comple.ted' dtir'jng the week-end. In the senior event S. &. Cooper, last year's winner; won • from W. Foote, 1 up over 36 holes. In the junior. championship H.Soames; one of:tile most improved of the younger players, beat -.••Hi. A.. Wales-, comfortably. 1 . ;. IThe linal .in the Te Puke Golf Club's championship "resulted in L. Randeli beat--H. Hookey, 2. up. In the final for the captain's trophy, Davies beat'Sparkes, - 3vand 2. ' .The final of the Tauranga Golf Club's championship, R. I>. Johnston beat S. Randeli, 5 and 4. In the junior championship p. Woods defeated T. F. Kerridge, ~ up. The Thames ladies' championship finals resulted:—-Senior,'; Miss A. Boles defeated Kiss Kldd, 6 and 4 : junior, Mrs. W. Rigby beat Miss A. Nankivelle, 2 up. CLEVEDON LADIES' CLUB. .In the first round of the senior championship of the Clevedon Ladies' Golf Club the results were;— Miss F. 1 Burgoyne beat Miss Smith, 4 arid ; Miss McPherson beat Mrs. Nicholson,' 1 tip Mrs. Roberts beat Mrs. Henderson, 2 and .1: Miss D, Hyde heat Miss Z. Stephens, at tjie twentieth;?;, ■i-.: Best scores in. •button,'and star competij; tions:—Miss D. Browne; 103—29—74 ; Miss J. Burgoyne, 111—80—75: Miss B. Wells, .111—35—76; Mrs. Colqulioun, 113—30— 77: Miss Walsh, 110—31 —79., : The first round of .an eclectic compcti- ' tion will .-be-pjared atormprrow.. . ■ - , The second round of the championship will also be played to-morrow.