AUSTRALIA AND N.Z. DRAW

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26854, 6 October 1952, Page 8

AUSTRALIA AND N.Z. DRAW

GOLF

Singles Halved On Saturday WOON AND HORNE WIN A change in the weather affected! the result of the test golf match between- New Zealand and Australia, i which was completed on Saturday at l Shirley. As in the ioursomes on Fri-j day, the singles matches were halved, ■ and the test resuited in a draw, each side winning three matches. The, gusty south-west wind did not suit! W. D. Ackland-Horman and R. Stevens. and both were beaten comfortably. If the northerly conditions of Friday had prevailed, the Australian sioe might easily have won another singles. The singles, played over 36 holes, with New Zealand names first, resulted:— 3 D. L. Woon beat R. Stevens 4 and 1 B. M. Silk lost to H. Berwick 2 and A. Gibbs lost to J. Coogan 3 and 2 w. G. Horne beat W. D. AcklandHorman 4 and 3. The Christchurch Club’s course was again in fine order, but drying winds speeded up the greens, and when the wind was following, all players had difficulty in controlling the ball with lofted iron shots. The greens were much slower than they appeared and there was a tendency for some of the players to be short with their five and six feet putts. More than 700 followed the matches. Most interest was taken in the first two, between Woon and Stevens and Silk and Berwick. The standard of , play of Woon and Stevens, holders of the amateur championships in their respective countries, was disappointing, but anything this match lacked was compensated for in the match between Berwick and Silk. Silk staged a great fighting finish in an endeavour to gain the extra point or half point which would have given New Zealand another win in a test match against Australia. The third singles between Gibbs and Coogan was also a dour tussle, but three fine putts by Coogan at the critical stage of the match put the issue beyond doubt. The fourth match between Horne * and Ackland-Horman was one-sided from the start. Horne, who had played so poorly in the foursomes. held his game together, and his figures were too solid for the long-hitting Australian. Woon Erratic

Although the result of the match between Stevens and Woon was never in doubt after the first nine holes, the figures compiled by the two champions were poor. Woon had some fine holes, and also hit some really sound irons, but he was erratic with many of his shorter Iron s 'ots m«o ' e green. Some of thr~e he pushed out. others he hooked, and with others ne was often short of the green. Woon clinched the match over the first nine holes with his putting. It appeared several times that Stevens would win a hole, but V oon radvallv -oi-n oown by recovering with a long or difficult putt, his outward half of 35 in the morning round contained some rough golf, but it also contained some of the brilliance which makes Woon a great match winner. After a poor drive at the 450 yards eighth hole, Woon was faced with a carry of about 230 yards if he wished to get over the ditch with his second shot. From a tight lie, he played a magnificent low brassie shot, which finished only a few’ yards short of the green. He pitched up to get a birdie 4, which won him the hole. There were other similar instances, which might have distressed Stevens, and from that stage onwards the Australian was not impressive. _ Woon had every opportunity of completing the morning round in good figures, but he frittered away strokes at several holes. Their morning score were: Woon 74. Stevens 79. The bright patches in this round were Woon’s birdie 2’s at the short thirteenth and short fifteenth, where he played two perfectly controlled irons in the difficult wind. Stevens retaliated with

a birdie 4 at the long sixteenth, and although he won the seventeenth easily he •till finished the morning 18 holes 4 down. Stevens, with his full swing, * was not the compact player seen last Tuesday at Timaru, and in the foursomes on Friday.

His shots lacked the crispness which was necessary for control in the gusty conditions. He also had many opportunities for wins on the greens, but more often than not he was short of the hole. Although playing mediocre golf, Woon was content to coast along on the good lead he had established early in the match. Woon was out in 40 in the afternoon compared with Stevens's 41. They required scratch figures for a 78 and 79, respectively, when the matteh ended. Berwick and Silk With Gibbs beaten. New Zealand’s chance of winning the test hinged on the. match between Berwick and Silk. Little separated the two players, but in the later stages Silk was not able to make any impression on the steady flow of fine figures by Berwick. They turned for home with Berwick 1 up, and Berwick picked up another hole with a birdie 4 at the tenth. He held this lead until the match finish on the seventeenth green. Berwick’s last nine holes were immaculate golf, and his homeward half of 34. three strokes better than scratch, was too good for Silk, who completed the half in 35. Silk was perhaps unlucky with a grand attempt at the seventeenth. He lipped the hole with a putt for a birdie, and had it dropped, the match might have remained alive.

Berwick was 2 up after the morning round, which he completed in 76, to Silk’s 79. Their afternoon rounds of 72 were much better golf. The highlight of the afternoon round was at the 550 yards sixteenth. Berwick played a spoon for safety in the strong following wind, and playing the spoon, again for his second, found the green with this long shot. Silk, who was only 40 yards short of the green with his second, was faced with a difficult approach shot. He rose to the occasion with a perfectly pitched shot, which finished so close that Berwick conceded the putt. Berwick took two putts and the hole was halved in birdie 4’s. Neither was greatly troubled by the wind, although it created some difficulties for Silk in the early stages of the morning round. Both gave a polished display in the second 18, with Berwick a little more accurate with his iron shots to the green. He delighted with many of these delightfully struck shots, and there was no doubt that they would finish handy to the flag Berwick’s play did not impress as brilliant, but it was the, essence of steadiness.

Silk and Berwick were an ideally matched pair, with Silk playing a similar game to that of Berwick. If Silk had holed some of his shorter putts early in the match, it would have been closer than it was.

Gibbs and Coogan With a lead of 2 up at lunch time, Gibbs was confidently expected to gain a win for New Zealand. However, Coogan, the most dour member of the Australian team, turned the tables, and his afternoon round of 69 was too good for the Otago player. After winning the ninth hole in the afternoon round, from a seemingly impossible position, Gibbs did not win another hole until the fifteenth. He lost the tenth to a birdie 4, the short thirteenth to another birdie, and tre four’eent to eagle 3. He won the short fifteenth, and the sixteenth was halved, and the match ended on that green, 3 up and 2 to play. Coogan, in his fine homeward half, had the run of the game, starting with holing a difficult putt for a half at the twelfth. Gibbs had a few bad holes, but his play over the last nine holes was good arid he might have holed the few deciding putts. Apart from his few lapses, he matched Coogan in most departments of the game. He fa’tered early in the second round, and lost three holes in succession, the fourth, fifth, and sixth, to scratch figures. This brief lapse probably lost the match for Gibbs, and a birdie 3 at the seventh hole by Coogan worsened the position. Gibbs had cne of his few breaks in the round at th - * ninth hole. H” had dragged his tee shot into a sand trap, and Coogan was well placed at the back of the green. Gibbs recovered and holed an eight-foot putt for a three. Coogan, trying for a birdie 2, overran the hole and then missed his return. Horne and Ackland-Horman After a disastrous day in the foursomes on Friday, the New Zealand amateur champion of 1946, Home, of Wellington. battled grimly for his figures against Ackland-Horman. His driving on the previous day had been the cause of his failure. Against his Australian opponent however, he measured up to the ball, and there were few faults in that part of his game. Home still lacked confidence with his drives, but by sheer concentration kept his shots down the middle of the fairway. This improvement obviouslyrelieved him, and a noticeable improvement in other departments of his game was also seen. Home putted well, and his mastery round the greens was the contributing factor in his win. Ackland-Horman at times was well ahead with the drives but his approaching and putting were weak, and he allowed Home several opportunities, which the Wellington player readily took. Ackland-Horman missed several short putts in the morning round, and he persisted in using his putter from off the green. With those shots he seldom got anywhere near the hole, but was sue-

cessful at the third hole in the afternoon round, when he holed one from off the green with his putter. Ackland-Horman’s putting improved in the afternoon, and he holed some good length putts early in the round. Horne was 6 up at the lunch interval, but the Australian reduced this lead by winning the first three holes. Horne retrieved his earlier comfortable position by winning another two holes before the turn, one of them with a bri’liant eagle 3 at the eighth. Ackland-Horman won one more ho’e. the twelfth, with a birdie, but the remainder were halved, until the match ended on the fifteenth green, with Horne winning 3 and 2. Both were out in the scratch figures of 36 in the afternoon round. Horne was even 4’s and Ack-l?nd-Horman was one under 4’s at the finish of the match. In the morning. Home was round in 74. which was steadier and more consistent golf than was produced by any of the other players. Ackland-Horman’s morn-i ing round was 81. *