N.Z. WOMEN’S TITLES

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26886, 12 November 1952, Page 10

N.Z. WOMEN’S TITLES

GOLF

MISS HUDSON WINS IN QUARTER-FINALS

BRILLIANT DISPLAY BY MISS HUGHES

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN, November 11,

New Zealand’s two outstanding women golfers will meet in a semi-final of the national singles title tomorrow morning. They are Miss Margaret Hughes (Titirangi), who has never yet won the title, and Miss Zoe Hudson (Christchurch), who was successful in 1949 and 1950.

Both these golfers played outstandingly m the quarter-finals today, and won by wide margins. Their selection in the New Zealand team to tour Britain should be automatic.

Miss Doreen Blundell (Mount Maunganui) won a very close match against Mrs H. A. Murray (Miramar) and she will play the former Southland player. Miss Claire Smith (Manukau) in the other semi-final. Her chances of success cannot be underestimated.

The performances of Misses Hughes and Hudson did much to renew faith in the standard of women’s golf in this countrv. They played brilliantly, in spite of the conditions, and they have seldom proouced better golf during their careers. Miss Hughes was again first to go out, and her one-under-par 36 for the first nine holes was the result, of faultless golf. The course remained sodden after overnight rain, and there was little or no run on the ball. Frequent low-flighted balls stopped almost dead on touching the fairways in a particularly wet spot. The greens have remained in good condition, but have slowed up a little since the early rounds.

Miss Hughes’s Good Form Miss Hughes was in oevastacing form against Mrs R. F. Hutchinson (Poverty Bay) and gave her no chance from the first tee. The young Auckland player’s iron play was a feature of the match, and ? ft e used it to good advantage in finishing in 36 on the first nine holes. It was brilliant golf. She scored a birdie 4 at the first, after sinking her putt during a shower of hail Another b rdie followed at the third. Miss Hughes’s putting was to watch, but it could not equal the deadly accuracy of her close green iron play. She won, 9 up and 8. An incident at the twelfth hole was indicative of the deadly accurate golf played oy Miss Hudson. She was in devastating -? rr 2. . agai ?} st th ? Rangiora player, Mrs R. nin and a l that hole struck the ni?ni^rt h h u r * Secoi L d x, lt was a beautifully pitched shot, and the former national champion was unfortunate not to have en ivr d t ir e J? ole w ‘th a brilliant eagle 3. n^ ISS <=J Iu ?, S °? was out in 38, one over S'rt2Lrt ad par figures for the tenth, i " ££ match 8 and 6 McGlashan ’ s ’ to win the

Close Finish The match between the Wellington den m Sirt n 'n Y* rs Murray, and Miss Blunaell did not produce the golf exnected dPII tU b°J OW handi £ a P Players. Miss Zundel! had every chance to win thp earrt* w fi ir ee 7 th ’ when she was 2 up, but her Wellington opponent did not give ’"■and ma " Med to profit from her opP? c« miS + ake *L They were all square at the seventeenth, and Mrs Murrav bar! ™tch in her grasp on the finaYhoFe Miss Blundell just reached the green with ok 7 , sl 2 o j’ w hile Mrs Murray was about 14 fee t lrom the pin with was lent approach, Mrs Murray missed a twnfooter which would have given h°r the teenth. and the Same Went on to the r niie!

Mrs Murray, not a notable long hitter ,? oun Ser opponent off the tee Bo?h y h'S h lo r „ e s aC^ts th b e u t Br n e e e i?hi n looked of P the Mr eup M^ a : qu W a?l x Ut she missed. Miss Blundell Sinking a =£« i«s 1 ton-Sm th, took her into the quarterfinals, but she had to bow to her youn»eopponent, Miss Claire Smith. It wa s a cfo-ely-fought match, however, and Miss Smith had to play good golf to win. Her iron play was particularly good, and she tnn n <? *+i? Ch on the greens - Mrs Fuller-fon-Smrth was putting with accuracy that’^s%^ h O^ d w^\^g a e PP o r n OaC b h e? eSher th e ree-put a ted he gre6n ° n Which o^ lss .. Smith was 3 up at th = filteenth and regulation figures at the next hole gave her a win. At the ninth hole Mrs Fullerton-Smith’s bunker shot hZt - ! “ = le . l hole an,i deprived her of a ia 3 ' mf a win. At the previous hole Miss Smith s tee shot struck the direction the’tee'* She Was abl ® to play again from

Returning an outstanding gross score * -. the a «ernoon. Miss Hughes won the trophy awarded for the best score of the match and also the Mellsop Cup lor the best aggregate scratch score of r ?™ ds ot stroke Play. Mrs Joan Dolan (Otago) was runner-up for the th ,P d Wlth MrS R ’ GlandvHle (Hamilton)

~T he Jessie Reid rose bowl was won bv Mrs Dolan for the best aggregate net score m three rounds, with Miss Hughes runner-up, ahead of Miss A. Wilson (Auckland).

In spite of having played in the morning, Miss Hughes started off her afternoon. round as though she was going to smash the course record. She threeputted one green, however, and was one over par at the end of nine holes. Her second round was one of beautiful golf, and she again finished with 36 for a gross 76. Results:—

Singles Championship.—Quarter-finals: Miss M. Hughes (Titirangi) beat Mrs R. F. Hutchinson (Poverty Bay), 9 and 8; Miss Z. Hudson (Christchurch) beat Mrs R. G. Edward (Rangiora), 8 and 6; Miss D. Blundell (Mount Maunganui) beat Mrs H. A. Murray (Miramar), 1 up at the nineteenth; Miss C. Smith (Manukau) beat Mrs R. Fullerton-Smith (Marton), 4 and 2.

New Zealand Plate.—Quarter-finals: Mrs L. Hastedt (Auckland) beat Miss S Glendinning (Remuera), 1 up at the twenty-second; Mrs S. S. Wilson -Auckland) beat Mrs R. Cassels-Brown (Auckland), 2 up; Miss N. Beverley (Matamata) beat Mrs G. E. Glennie (Gore), 2 up; Mrs S. F. O’Connor (Hamilton.) beat Mrs H. A. Lawless (Otago), 2 and 1. Mellsop Cup.—Miss M. Hughes (Titirangi). 76, 83, 78—235; Mrs J. K. Dolan (Otago), 83. 81. 80—244; Mrs R. Glandville (Hamilton), 84 , 92, 82—258. Jessie Reid Rose Bowl.—Mrs J. K. Dolan (Otago), 79, 77, 76—232; Miss Hughes, 76, 83, 76—235; Miss A. Wilson (Auckland), 76, 78, 83—237.

Mrs Dolan won the Donnelly Cup, played in conjunction with the afternoon stroke handicap, and Miss N. Gilkison (Otago) won the trophy for the best net score in the second division with a 78. Mrs Dolan’s score was 76 in the first division.