From Jee Jo Green

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 150, 26 June 1940, Page 14

From Jee Jo Green

To concede 2S strokes in a 36-holc contest id an opponent who has been playing vound about his mark was tile task which faced J. Linton-at Akarajia last Sunday when he met H. Tipton in the final of the Coltman Memorial Cup. Linton, quite a diminutive player triumphed over this big hurdle, but only at the very last hole. And had Tipton made use of hie strokesgood eil'ort would have been in vain. Linton has been playing well during the past few wee.ks and when he made his best effort of 73 last Saturday weeU lie was dropped from 4' to 3. Tile next day ho partnered D. Coylo in winning the autumn foursomes at the Akarana winter tournoj. That was a count-back decision.

Against 'Xipton lie made his task of conceding 14 strokes to the 22-liamlic.ipper in the second IS holes o£ their match less formidable by obtaining a lead of S up in the morning. Tills came about In consenueuco of birdies nt the tenth, elovpntli ami twelfth holes. But when they reached this stage of tliu course in the afternoon Tipton had won six of the 11 holes and had become 3 up. With strokes to coino at the fourteenth and fifteenth, Tipton failed to press home-his advantage and the match turned against him when he lost three holes from tho thirteenth to Lintoii'e 8. 4, s—all square. Tipton was cqunl to his opponent at the next two holes, but made a fatal mistake from' tlic ■ too at the oijiliteoiitli from wliicli lie conltl not recover, his opponent to win the hole unci match with an. He is still the pacemaker ill the Rosklll Cup with an aggregate of 145, one better than his handicap.'The third and final round will be played next Saturday. Hard on Tipton's heels is another • longmarker, C. F. Macpherson.

At jriddlomore H. Plnmlcy's respite from tlic sji liio for a couple of son sous hns not greatly Impaired his match-piny ability, anil ho has entered the iinnl o£ the cuptata's prize which he previouslv. won twice. Lettins him ui) from a 1! mark to 5 whs literal Fluinlcy has been wayward 'through tlie fairways he had retained "what it. takes" when in difficulties. This his oppouent o£ last Satuvday, A. I. Johns, knows full well.

"I'lmu" muy be said to liave lniil the breeze with him, but he knows how to sail with it. A 5 at the first hole after being bunkered in three, a 4 from the third bunker, iiiid another 4 at the fifth after hooking his drive over the bank, were rather heartbreaking for,his opponent, -who found that two of" his strokes so early ill the 'guino had been countered by . Plumley's unexpected recoveries. Losing three holes in •a , row from the fifth. Johns could not make any impression on his opponent afterwards; his three remaining strokes were countered by Plumley's soundly-played 4's.

Though Plumley's success was anticipated it was considered that his rival in the final would be Jan Wilson. The latter, however, was beaten •by V. Wilson in n game iu which the figures did not approach Plumley's 75. This was the figure which I. Wilson had been equal to the previous ,weck off a 10 mark. A last-minute reduction was made in his handicap' (the only alteration during the course of the tourney) and he met V. Wilson off the stick, botli on 8. Through the fairways the younger player was consistently in error and this prinot until the fifth that a hole was won, I. Wilson's 3 there giving him- the honour, which ho immediately lost with a hooked tee shofat the sixth; he could not find the ball until he had surrendered the hole. V. Wilson then wcut on to outplay his rival and had the game in his keeping when he became 4up at the twelfth. Though this wan reduced to — by I. Wilson's sound figures at the thirteenth and fifteenth, V. Wilson settled the issue with a splendid iron to the seventeenth, which ensured his 4. The winner was only a couple of strokes- over his handicap, but may not find two strokes quite enough handicap from -Plumley. in the final.

H. B. Lusfc had a popular return to the I prize winning list nt Jliddleuiore when lie won the A grade medal with the best round of-the d.ay, a 70. It was not until the homo run that the "old-timer" got the scent of success in his nostrils. Starting off with the correct 3 and 4 lie got a "stroke up Ills sleeve with a birdie .3 at the twelftb and became three under fours at the short thirteenth with another 3. When ho stood on the last tee he was back to even fours, but a IH-footer for a final 3 .saw him home in, 33. Apart from holing some useful putts I-usk chipped, well to get fours at quite a few of the two-sliottcrs, which arc out'of reach ot. most players in the present conditions. It wns on a. count back decision' that- the honoure wont to T.iisk. ns '['. E. Cliirk pliiyrnl well for 7S. his halves feoiiig 40'nnd'3S. But for ii 0 at the .'fifth there may not have ; bccn a count-back.

Though the trees that break the landscape at North Shore are small as yet, they aro sufficiently big to penalise wayward shots. H. J. Preston reaHses this in consequence of his experiences at the last two holes: He had the best score in the first of the two medal rounds in the president's prize in his grasp until he lifted his head with a chip shot at the seventeenth. The ball ekurried across the green find under «i tree. Dropping clear with penalty, Preston carded a 7. Similarly at the last hole a hooked second found the shelter or the pines and again incurred the penaltjyand another 7. In the circumstances Preston did well to finish within two strokes Ol the leader, A. J. Weir. The latter, too. confesses to a 7 at the fourth hole, bo it was more or loss an even break. YV'eif, who has assumed the mjpomUbiHtk's or club captain in the absence of Sergeant B. L. Thwaites, bus been playing consistently latelv and the previous week won the Stableford.

After a few week-ends at Akarana W. C. Wheeler came back to North Shore and was hitter Wheeler may well take advantage of the advice given him by Pas- Smith when Wheeler woe, lashing a No. 7 to the fourth Jtrocn at Akarnnn, to play within himself. Wheeler, wilh the experience on other courses which he has been getting, will go further iu the game if bo will curb his rnnlt of under clubbing. The trouble at most jrolf holes is in front of the pin nnd not behind it.