TOURNAMENT AT RUSSLEY

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27369, 7 June 1954, Page 11

TOURNAMENT AT RUSSLEY

M- W. STANLEY WINS STROKE PLAY

INTERMEDIATE PLAYER HAS BEST ROUND

Canterbury’s second player in the Freyberg Rose Bowl competition, M. W. Stanley, won a decisive victory in the 38-hole stroke play championship on the first day of the Russley Club’s open tournament on Saturday, and yesterday his form in the match play suggested that he has every prospect of winning this event today. Stanley’s two-round total was 147, one stroke more than scratch, and his winning margin was six strokes from another Russley player, D. C. Watson. The autumn-like weather and a field that included a good proportion, of the province’s leading players in its total of 108 have assured the success of a tournament that has already produced some good as well as interesting golf. Stanley’s golf on Saturday was thoroughly competent, but the scoring generally was not . nearly as good as might have been expected with preferred lies in force, with plenty of run on the fairways, and with the greens playing well. Indeed, the best rouiid of them all was by an intermediate player, R. K. Atkinson, who won his division handsomely. Atkinson has been playing golf for two years, and to be on a handicap of seven in so short a time is sufficient eyidence of hfc promise. On Saturday his afternoon round was extrOrdinarily good by any standards. For the first eight holes he kept on terms with the scratch score for the course, and at the ninth had a birdie four. Then

came seven more holes with par figures, and a five at the par-four seventeenth was the only blemish in the round. It might have been expected that so inexperienced a player, only 17 years old, would fall vict*.m to strain at that stage, but Atkinson, a stylish player, calmly recorded a birdie three at the last hole to finish with 72, one under the standard scratch score for the course. The; next, best rounds were Stanley’s 73, and a 73 from C. J. Ward, who was often in trouble in the morning, but who struck form properly in the afternoon and maintained it yesterday. Match Play The best golf in the first round of the match play championship came from D. C. Watson and N. M. Fowke. There was never more than a hole difference until the end, and at one stage the play reached Fowke went ahead with a birdie four at the thirteenth, but calm, confident putts by Watson gave him birdies and wins at the next two holes. Fowke played a beautiful approach at the 512yards sixteenth for another birdie to square the match, but Watson made it five birdies on end with a 15ft putt at the next green. Although both were in trouble at the last hole, Watson pitched up nicely for his four and a win. He was two under scratch for the 18 holes, and Fowke was within two strokes of him.

The defeat of H. J. Gosset by the young Ellesmere player, P. Lewis, was a surprise, but Lewis played well. Gosset missed three vital putts, all of them very short. Ward had scratch figures in his easy victory over W. J. Heenan, and Stanley, who also won very comfortably, was one under for the first nine.

The vicissitudes of the game were reflected clearly in B. J. Forrest’s game with L. A. Watson. Forrest won the eleventh with a birdie through a perfect pitch and a good putt, but he struck all manner of trouble at the twelfth. He hooked his drive just enough to put him under trees, and in playing his second his club struck a bough and he was able to propel the ball perhaps two yards. From here he sent a sort of cricket stroke scurrying into a bunker, and came out with a fulsome blow which left him a good 10 yards off the back of the green. His fifth stroke was good, but it gave him a far from easy putt for his six. Meanwhile, everything had not gone according to programme for Watson either. His second, was badly struck, and was prevented from racing into the rough only by the inadvertent intervention of a spectator who deflected it to a position

pnly a yard or so above a bunker. A heat chip put the ball cleanly into the bunker, and the recovery was more enthusiastic than skilful. So both had very awkward putts for their sixes, and both sank them, to walk off the green thankful perhaps that the damage had not been worse: Watson supplied the top layer of a delightful sandwich with a birdie at the next hole, and went on to win the match. There was some good golf in the match between two young players, C. H. Johnston and D. J. Ramsay. Johnston won, and in the afternoon beat D. C. Watson, a match which went to twilight and the twentieth green. Watson had been playing delightfully crisp and confident golf, but he succumbed finally to Johnston’s persistently good golf from tee to green. The match ended when Watson drove out of bounds at the twentieth and Johnston had a birdie. Another Easy Win Stanley had another easy win to the second round, L. J, James failing to maintain his morning form, and R. D. Kearns, perhaps the most stylish player in the field, beat L. A. Watson, who was never really at* home with any of his clubs. A beautifully-played birdie four at the sixteenth made Kearns dormie. Ward was two down after 11 holes against Lewis, but recovered to lead by one with three holes to play. Lewis seemed to be in trouble at the long sixteenth, where he was barely on the green for three, and Ward’s excellent approach had carried , a bunker and left him well inside his opponent. Lewis then startled everyone by rolling down a putt measured by awed spectators at 60 feet, for a birdie and a win, but the gods of the game were jqst trifling with him, for he lost the next hole through three-putting, and with it practically every chance. Ward played the last hole safely to win a most interesting match.

Results:— Senior Stroke Championship.—M. W. Stanley, D * C - Watson, 78, 75—153; R. D. Kearns, 77, 77—154; C. J. Ward, 82, 73—155; W. J. McGavock, 75, 80—155: ™ R ?.2? sa & Z 7 ” 156: J - B - Forrest, 79, 77—156; H. J. Gosset, 79, 78—157; R. lUmsay, 78 , 81— 159; N. M. Fowke, 77, 82— 159; F. Williamson, 80, 80—160; W. J. 5?®“??’ X B, S 2-? L. J, James, 85, 76 161; C. H. Johnston, 82, 80—162; D. A. Watson, 80, 82—162; P. Lewis, 76, 86Match Play Championship.—First round: Stanley beat R. Ramsay, 5 and 4; James beat McGavock, 3 and 2; L. A. Watson beat Forrest, 2 and 1; Kearns beat Williamson, 3 and 2; Ward beat Heenan, 5 and 4; Lewis beat Gosset, 2 and 1; Johnston beat D. J. Ramsay, 1 up; D. C. Watson beat Fowke, 2 up. Second round: Stanley beat James, 6 and 5; Kearns beat L. A. Watson, 3 and 1; Ward beat Lewis, 2 up; Johnston beat D. C. Watson at the twentieth. Intermediate ™ St £? k e c Championship.—R. K. Atkinson. 72 —1511 B - F. Penrose, 81, 77—158: J D. Lawson, 76, 82—158; C. Cliff, 82, SO--162; W. M. Bullen, 80, 82—162; P. W Searle, 88, 78—166; F. R. Marshall, 86, 80166; S. E. Boanas, 86, 81—167; W. Strang, 84, 83—167; N. J. Forward, 83, 84—167: G. E. Sinclair, 82, 85—167; D. Lamberton. 84,, 84—168; A. N. Bailey, 84, 85—169; P. J. McLachlan, 83, 86—169; I. J. Campbell, 81, 88—169; R/ C. Garnett. 88, 82— 170. t . Match Play Championship.—First round: Atkinson beat Strang, 6 and 5; Bailey b . ea £ B « Uen > 5 and 4; Campbell beat Marshall by default; Sinclair beat Lawson, 2 and 1; Cliff beat Lamberton, 2 and 1; Boanas beat Garnett by default; McLachlan beat Searle, 3 and 2; Forward beat Penrose, 2 up. Second round: Atkinson beat Bailey. 4 and 3; Sinclair beat Campbell, 4 and 3; Cliff beat Boanas, 8 and 6; Forward beat McLachlan at the nineteenth. 1 Junior Stroke Championship.—N. M. Smith. 82 88—170; C. K. Watson, 85, 87—172; I. J. Souter, 87, 87—174; J. K. Dolan, 88, Bff—--175; R. Lane, 92, 84—176: R. C. Sweet, 87, 90—177; J. C. Wilkin, 89. 89—178; J. J. Corbett, 89, 89—178; D. Clark. 97, 83— 180; F. F. Dawson, 89, 91—180; D. P. Souter, 93, 87—180; B. T. Coburn, 91, 96 181; J. H. McGavock, 91, 91—182; E. H. Bowker, 92, 91—183; R. Garrett, 94, 89—183; L. E. Graham, 91, 93—184. Match Play Championship.—First round: Smith beat Clarke, 4 and 3; McGavock beat Lane, 2 and 1; Garrett beat Wilkins, 6 and 5; I. J. Souter beat D. P. Souter. 3 and 1; Dolan beat Cobum, 4 and 2; Arthur beat Corbett, 6 and 5; Booker beat Sweet, 8 and 6; Watson beat Dawson, 1 up. Second round: McGavock beat Smith, 1 up; Souter beat Garrett, 7 and 5; Dolan beat Arthur, 2 and 1; Watson beat Booker, 4 and 3. Plate Matches Senior.—McGavock beat R. Ramsay. 4 and 2; Williamson beat Forrest, 2 up; Heenan beat Gosset by default; D. J. Ramsay beat Fowke, 2 up. Intermediate.—Strang beat Bullen, 7 and 6; Lawson beat Marshall by default; Lamberton beat Garnett by default; Searle beat Penrose, 2 and 1, Junior.—Lane beat Clarke, 2 and 1; D. P. Souter beat Wilkin, 4 and 3; Coburn beat Corbett, 7 and 5; Sweet beat Dawson at the nineteenth. Flights Senior.—First round: L. Morris (2) beat K. D. Foxton (4) by default; B. W. Cleland (3) beat W. L. Fairclough (5), 2 and 1; I. Wilby (4) beat L. G. Harper (3), 3 and 2; J. Rennie (5) beat C. G. Penlington (4), 6 and 5; R. T. Lambie (4) beat W. D. Armstrong (scr), 4 and 3; R. G. Pen ling ton, a bye; L. H. Marshall (5) beat B. W. Johnston (4) at the nineteenth; P. R. Hadley (5) beat A. F. Green (2), 3 and 2. Second round: Cleland beat Morris, 5 and 4; Rennie beat Wilby, 3 and 2; Lambie beat R. G. Penlington, 1 up; Marshall beat Hadley at the nineteenth.

Intermediate.—First round: N. G. Alston (9) beat A. B. Glubb (2) by default; C. '< S. Gibbs (6) beat R. F. Lafferty (8), 1 up; P. F. McNeilage (9) beat C. L. Sturge, 2 up; J. W. Loper (8) beat R. Bruce- ; Smith (S), 6 and 5; W. L. Wyatt (10) beat K. C. Kearns (6), 5 and 3; R. B. Grey (9) beat C. F. Evans (10), 3 and 1; D. .N. Carter (7) beat W. G. Ellis by default; A. J. McGillivray (8) beat R. G. Stead (8), 2 up.. Second round: Alston beat Gibbs, 3 and 1; McNeilage beat Loper, 3 . and 2; Wyatt beat Grey, 4 and 3; McGillivray beat Carter. 4 and 3. Junior.—First Round: L. E. Graham (14) beat H. H. Greenwood (19), 2 and 1; H. W. Wilkins (14) beat R. W. Geoghegon (20), 5 and 3; T. Stanley (18) beat G. G. Earnshaw (18), 4 and 3; D. R. Pitman (22) beat A. Umbers (18), 3 and 2; C. L. Smith ! (12) beat E. Ritchie (20) at the nineteenth; G. T. Cheney (18) beat P. F. Carrick (16) 4 and 3; A. Dyhrberg (19) beat A. Herbert (11), 6 and 5; B. Pankhurst (15) beat P. M. Jecks (13), 3 and 2. Second round<' Wilkins beat Graham, 6 and 5; Stanley beat Pitman, 2 up; Smith beat Cheney, 2 and 1; Pankhurst beat Dyhrberg at the nineteenth. Stroke Handicaps Senior.—Morning: W. J. McGavock, 75, 3—72; R. Ramsay, 78, 6—72; P. Lewis, 76, 3—73. Afternoon: K, D. Foxton, 76, 4—72; C. J. Ward, 73, 1—72; M. W. Stanley, -?3, scr—73. Intermediate.—Morning: J. D. Lawson, 76, 7—69; W. M. Bullen, 80, 11—69; I. J. Campbell, 81, 10—71. Afternoon: R. K. Atkinson, 72, 7—65; D. F. Penrose, 77, 8—69; S. E. Boanas, 81, 10—71. Junior.—Morning: L J. Souter. 87,16—68; J. C. Wilkin, 89, 20—69; N. M. Smith, 82, 11—71. Afternoon: D. ». Pitman, 92, 22—70; I. J. Souter, 87, 16—71; A. Dyhrberg, 90, 19—61; J. C. Wilkin, 89, 18—71; D. Clark, 83, 12—71; A. UmbeM, 89, 18—W; D. F. Souter, 87, 16—71.