A GOLF DUEL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 253, 26 October 1938, Page 12

A GOLF DUEL.

WOMEN CHAMPIONS. TWO STERLING ROUNDS. MESDAHES ALISON AND JOHNSTON IN LEAD. Two of the thirteen competitors in the annual champion of champions contest at Msumgakiekie, for the Auckland women's golf clul>s, set a hot pace for their rivals hi the fiivt of the two rounds this morning. Tliev were Mrs •T. M. Alison. Titiranpi. and Mrs. H. y Johnston. Mattngakiekie, winner of the event last year. Their totals were 7S and 70 respectively. Trailing them with an 84 was Mrs. W. S. Ralph, Auckland, and she was the only other one of the field who was likely to enter into the duel between the leading pair when the second round was started after lunch. The course was in ideal order for good scoring, and there was an absence of the wind which troubled the contestants in the recent provincial championship on the same course. Then none of the competitors succeeded in breaking 80, though Mrs. Johnston had an 81 with a 9 in it. Mrs. Alison, too, on more than one occasion, was just over 80. Their jierformance this morning was full of merit and they rarely made a mistake.

Had Birdie Three. Roth players covered the first half of the course in 40. but Mrs. Alison came home one stroke better than the Maungakiekie champion. At the last hole Mrs. Johnston picked up two strokes with a birdie 3. Mrs. Ralph played the golf of which she is capable in patches. She ruined her morning chances with a bad start over the first five. The two short holes, the third and fourth cost her 10 (4 and' 0) against the standard threes. To make matters worse she required a 7 at the fifth. She made a good effort to pick up the leeway and actually -was a stroke better than Mrs. Allison, and two better than Mrs. .Johnston for the first six holes coming home. Then she slipped strokes against the other pair requiring fives. Her halves were 45 and The only other single handicap plaTer in the field was Miss M. Stevens, who is on 5. the same as Mrs. Alison. Her first half' was disastrous : —49 —the bulk of her trouble being a 9 at the fourth a bogey 3 hole. Count Back Decided. Mrs. G. F. F. Ferguson (Auckland) stole some of the limelight from the champions by playing a round of 78, same as Mrs. Alison, when participating in the open event run in conjunction with the champion's match. Her halves were exactly the same as those of Mrs. Alison, and it w-as onlv on the count back over the last six holes that she robbed Mrs. Alison of the trophy for the best gross score of the morning.

The scores of the competitors in the champions' contest were: — Min. .T. M. Alison, Titirangi .... 78 Mrs. H ; V. Johnston. Maungakiekie 79 Mrs. W. S. Ralph. Auckland 84 Mrs. F. French, Papakura 85 Miss M. Stevens, North Shore ... 88 Mre. H. H. bray, Glendowie .... 89 Mrs. F. H. Barnard. Manukau ... 92 Miss I. McCready, Otaliuhu 94 Miss L. Potter. Pukekohe 97 Mrs. T. H. Wood. Orakei 97 Mrs. W. Ohlsen. Waiuku 99 Mrs. E. Phillip. Akarana 99 Miss B. O'Xeill, Pupuke 103 Xot to be outdone by the title-holders some of the longer handicap players excelled in the net medal competition. Miss C. Stubbe, of Maungakiekie, carded an 84. off a 15 mark, and her net 69 is not likely to be beaten. Only a stroke worse was Airs. A. Milne, Maungakiekie. 86—16—70. Other good cards in this competition were Mrs. H. V. Johnston. "9 —B—7l, and Miss M. Haslett (Maungakiekie, S8 —17—71. The scratch -core of the course is 72. Lead Increased. With half of the second round plaved Mrs. A 1 ison's victory was practically assured. Out in 39 she had increased her lead on Mrs. Johnston, who took 43. while Mrs. Ralph's chance was gone, she having taken 45.