CLUB GOLF TITLES CHANGE HANDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 246, 18 October 1939, Page 16

CLUB GOLF TITLES CHANGE HANDS.

SEVERAL FINALS OVER.

A. E. BROWNE AT MIDDLEMORE

RULES BROKEN IN A GRADE PENNANT.

(By RUBBERCORE.)

The Middlemore championship, while not productive of the quality golf anticipated, held a lively interest until the middle stages of the afternoon round. Savage retrieved the position of 3 down at the fifth in the second round with good wins at the seventh and eighth, but missed an opportunity to hold his opponent in failing on a short putt at the ninth. The tide then turned rapidly, Browne winning the twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth holes in excellent figures, 3, 3, 4, to end the match. Savage experienced a bad day on the greens and was too often short with his seconds to the greens. Browne has made an auspicious debut at Middlemore, and is to be warmly commended on his win. Savage, as runner-up in successive years, has failed only in the final test. When his putts are falling he can be irresistible.

W. L. Wiseman, in winning the intermediate championship, vindicated the progress his game has made. Last season he proved himself one of the most promising juniors, and it is a distinct achievement to have so quickly attained intermediate honours.

I The Maungakiekie final provided a striking contrast in styles, but in the end it was Stedman's steadiness which prevailed. As was the case at Middlemore, though longer delayed, the end was quickly written. Pelham, though always more potent in attack, had the greatest difficulty in breaking through Stedman's defence, and it was something of a travesty that at tile moment he appeared to have the mastery he should have approached and putted weakly at the sixteenth—the thirty-fourth hole. Finally, at the seventeenth, his magnificent 'drive went for nought when Stedman most resourcefully holed his putt for a birdie three. Stedman, of course, has had much experience of championship tournaments, and this was reflected in his excellent tactical play. Practically throughout Pelham was required to obtain good figures to win a hole. Though defeated. Pelham hit a number of shots which will live in memory. His iron shot at the fifteenth and drive at the seventeenth in the closing stages were the gems of the match. It is not to detract from the merit of Steelman's win to say that Pelham. on his golf this season, might justifiably have been champion.

Highly meritorious, too, was F. Aldred's win in the intermediate final. Both in the semi-final and final he had rounds of 76. and won by overwhelming margins. Also winner of the Bledisioe Cup final, Aldred has carved a niche for himself in golfing circles this season. In rounding off a remarkable winning sequence he wrested the bogey from J. H. Karle on a count back. Earle's 71—30 and 35 —was a fine piece of work. Glendowie and ftemuera. As was generally anticipated H. J. Aitken won out at Glendowie, but it was fitting that in the semi-finals and final there was scarcely more than a hole or two difference between the contestants. Ward had earned his right to be finalist in defeating H. K. Jolly, last /ear's winner, while Aitken had been hard pressed by Kildare. Ward throughout the 36 holes final gave Aitken no respite and there were times when it seemed that he might win. The course of events was different in the intermediate championship, N. Xinkie having soon obtained a more or less impregnable position against T. McCarthy.

Close by, at Remuera, a highly interesting junior event was decided when H. Duncan, of cricketing fame, narrowlydefeated Li. Cashmore, almost equally known in sport and like Duncan a most enthusiastic recruit to the links. As it turned out all hinged on proceedings at the seventeenth, where Cashmore threeputted from about eight feet and lost the hole. He was unable to obtain the three for the win at the eighteenth and so an excellent battle was brought to a close.

Mention of Remuera brings to mind the excellent win—their second successive one - —of Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Ralph in the Auckland mixed foursomes. Mrs. Ralph has played outstanding golf this season without gaining any of the real plums, so that the joint win makes happy reading.

A recruit to championship honours, W. ' • Thompson, at Pupuke, revealed fighting qualities at a critical stage, hie win from the well-performed O. M. Truscott" having been an achievement. Thompson, though the lower handicapped, has not the experience of match play that Truscott has. Like 1, Stedman at Maungakiekie Thompson pinned hie faith to relentless pursuit of bogey figures and the practice paid.

If there was one unexpected happening it was the dethronement of 8. E. Chappell at Orakei by his own brother. The acknowledged champion of the club was for once out of touch on the greens and at the conclusion of the morning round his chances of retaining his title were of the remotest. The win should dispel the doubts entertained as to H. Chappell's temperament, or inferred lack of it, for match play.

h ls defeat of L. G. Minogue in the North Shore championship, second round, H. Stevens indicated that he will again be a serious contender for the title, -wttiieh. he has won on several occasions. Stevens started off with a-run which his opponent could not counter, and won five holes on end, and was six up at the turn. Then Minogue had a run and won the opening three holes coming back, though assisted by Stevens having a penalty on the tenth green and missing a back-hand putt of inches at the next hole. At the thirteenth Stevens stopped Minogue's attack by playing a resourceful shot off the bunkers for a half, while a stymie at the next settled Minogue's chances of pulling the game out of the fire. Stevens had an excellent round of 73, which had its reward in the winning of the StaJbleford from J. W. Morrison.

W. Wheeler and Morrison continued in winning form to enter the semi-finals, and Morrison will play the winner of the A. E. Browne-J. A. Penman match, which is being played to-morrow.

The revival of the A grade pennant for teanifl of four players, of which Maungakiekie was adjudged winners, was indeed colourful. Apart from being productive of golf of good and indifferent quality there were some extraordinary breaches of the rules.

Though W. J. Davidge had the beat individual score he did not play any better , an . J- Pelham, who experienced fewer breakp of fortune. It was Davidge's putte or almost the length of the green at the tourth and fifth holes for a 4 and 2 respectively in the afternoon round which turned the scale. They were indeed heaven sent.

. r ■ Smith at few stages was convincing A tendency to hook both in wooden and iron play proved disconcerting to him. Earlier in the week he had a round of 69, 38 out and 31 home, but his golf on Sunday did not reflect it. The amateur champion appeared to be facing up to hi 6 shots with his left hip pointed far to the right of the flag rather than facing it. This stance may have had the effect of bringing about the swing round, rather than through, which was apparent in his game.

But- it was the actual result of the series of matches which held most spice. One member of the successful team when asked his score replied "Eighty." His card, signed by his partner, so it was stated, read 7!). A hole had been marker! 4 instead of n. and the card duly handed in and 80 posted on the board. If the facts are as reported then the player is disqualified under Rule 8 (2). But more was to follow.

•T- M. ('oHman, of Titirangi, who had had a 0 at the comparatively short fourth, was left with two fours to give his side the winning total by one stroke. Getting the four at the seventeenth and being on in two at. the eighteenth, he had every chance of retrieving a disastrous day's play. Smith, of the opposing Akarana team, was also on in two when it was discovered that the wror»; balls had been plaj ed.

By some means the balls had become interchanged. Following a council of war Goltman. obviously upset, three putted to effect the tie with the Maungakiekie total. So far as could be gathered neither player was prepared to swear how the interchange had happened. The upshot of it was that neither Goltman nor Smith officially returned a card for their second round.

The curious position tlien arose that the Auckland Club, whose total was 29 pointe behind that of the leaders and the worst of all, would be winner. But a member of the Auckland team had complicated the position by picking up two balls on the green and then confusing tbe issue in replacing them. The result was that a member of his side holed out with the wrong ball. Quite inadvertently he forgot to mention the happening. Enjoying to the full the humour of the mix-up as between Maungakiekie, Titirangi and Akarana, he suddenly remembered his own incident of the round! No doubt considering discretion the better part of valour he remained silent so far as the majority was concerned.

Who win is the question at issue? If the facts are stated Maungakiekie must be the first eliminated. In the case of Titirangi and Akarana they did not have an official second round.

The Auckland member in replacing a "dead" ball may, or may not, have incurred a penalty, though the breach should have been reported at the conclusion of the morning round. It is a fine point in golfing law, though possibly is the subject of a ruling by the Rules of Golf Committee. So the A grade pennants have been reintroduced in curious circumstances. On the facte as represented, a Gilbertian situation indeed!