GOLF Tournament At Russley For Canterbury Titles

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27489, 25 October 1954, Page 12

GOLF Tournament At Russley For Canterbury Titles

to I P a * ch the sunshine and showers marked the first two days of ot n D erb y ry am ateur championt,?uss.lay yesterday and on Saty “ n °thing sensational occurred, H- as l s ? ma very pleasant golf, and a high standard of play. rhT^ e riL a „ St k £our Payers in the senior . are . sufflc >ently well ,fied . ‘ o mak « the issue today very Thla morning D. C. Watson, of ZMllnd W ? 1 mee J 016 Otag ° and New l - P,ayer .- A - R - Timms, and in spite o. ximmss undoubted skill, Watfho ™ very W ? U ca Pahle of rising to the occasion. In the other semi-final T e; ur fln . e mateh players will meet Tn ri W . ard and H - J - Cosset, both of the Christchurch Club

r “ ri l he , . sco "?« in ‘he qualifying h?oH d fh° f ‘l”’ ohampionship was fairly high, the players could not blame the looked °j tl ? €ir misadventures. It i2° ke ? and played exceptionally well b *rTk ys were often on the dry ;J de ’ b nt the greens invariably allowed IheS > =o„ pp utt f tt to drop. On Saturday J?® nh ange from the mild calm of the inorning to the blustering afternoon ™! nd • S u? t s . c^ soaring, and the overnight rain so changed the charmSjVl the courss that yesterday thl n was some tlme before many ttem P wST rs manag! ’ d ‘0 get up witfc

n°V th £ flnes ! . rou nds on Saturday R. Cl ®jnents s afternoon 71 two under *he scratch score. His hithJ S irAn S n? ften of P rod igious length, and nis iron play so accurate that he persistoutlanPUHed f ° r eaEles an d birdiesf-with 18-year oM* Vn OCEasional success. The >ear '? w J Durri. of Otago headed Which UWiUI tWO very fine rounds fleid h L blm . seven strokes clear of the field. Among those who qualified was a tion ng ß P L y ri™ Orn >, the i nterme diate sec--I°”’ • C l ej j § ’ w ho shows considerable promise in style as well as performance Among those who failed to qualify were dulcew the who inanrffhl ,n n * or 2P of fierce hooking, and another outstanding young plaver, R D Kearns, who sliced his way to a morning ♦ ’ Cromb and N. M. Fowke failed KS i’n’tS SCOTed a Dnrry’s Promise , two outstanding contests Wa^/rtrf-V 11 ? yesterday. These were . defea ‘ 25 Durry, and Clements's fine game with Timms, which was watched Th?™ he end by a sallery of almost 300. - to become an outstanding golfer. The experts allege his grip is unortnodox, in that his right hand is turned too far over the shaft, as if J E ,'t Ere deliberately attempting to slice, out there is a rare touch of quality about his golf. For so young a player, Durry is wonderfuby equipped. Even when he 4?, der extreme pressure in his game Si 1 m h «.w ard ' , h ? , alw . a y s played well within mmself, and his stylish, leisurely exhibipotentfa? Ued an extraordinar y golfing txr A^ air i? t 1116 imperturbable, consistent Ward, Durry held command at first. A very well-played birdie at the sixth gave film a lead, and at the ninth Ward «c fn r innX get h ‘ m Self “*> P Ut h ‘ S ’™n'd m long grass, and from there remove the nail to a bunker—rather as if Jeeves had just dropped a plateful of buttered toast over the young master’s new bags. At the turn. Durry was 2 up, and looked a win- ?, r ; 1 . W 1 l rd 'AfS olutc “ ever - had ° ne back twelfth, and when, at the long 3?'£ t , eentb ' putty drove into trees on the w d J OO , 11 three ™°te to get fully fdok.. Ward slammed the door with two lovely long shots up the middle and a Cfa rP’ up dead - for his birdie. m ?S e a .y ef y bold attempt to win the fifteenth with a long putt, and he S? med K . to J he game under control when his third found the green at the is. X^eerip h» and Ward was bunkered. Out Ward came, however, a lovely recovery, and Durry three-putted to lose a hole he seemed certain to win. At the eighteenth, Durry's drive was slightly hooked, and his view of the hole all but obscored. His three-iron was played with masterly control, but a slight kick to the right left him barely on the green, and again he three-putted. Clements, playing L. A. Watson In the first round, won a small lead on the first ♦ J? - Up after 12 h oles. Then at the 459 yd thirteenth his ball was 4ft frorn the hole after he had played a drive ap y i? 5-iron, the sort of performance which almost smacks of unfairness. This eagle was followed immediately by a birdie, and for the seven holes played on the second half Clements was three

The Russley player, F. Williamson, held Timms with commendable tenacity, and had the match square at the twelfth., but Timms won fairly comfortably. D. C Watson was in early trouble against the promising Timaru player, G. P. Vesty but converted his deficit to a lead of two with some good golf. He came home in a stroke better than scratch to win. Au eyen more remarkable recovery was that of Gosset against P. Lewis. Two down after three holes, Gosset contrived to be 3 up at the turn. He had birdies at the fourth and sixth holes," and from that point kept down the middle and up to the pin with his usual relentless accuracy. Clegg was no match for the Russley champion. M. W. Stanley, and was 7 down at the turn, but he won valuable experience, rid later in the day had a good win against Lewis. SU>ut’s Good Finish In ttie quarter-finals, both Ward and Timms were thoroughly extended. Ward met the Wellington scratch player, T. M. Stout, who looks a golfer in everything he does. He has an easy but extremely powerful swing, and he hits the ball very purposefully indeed. In contrast with his vigorous style, he has a most unassuming, almost apologetic, course manner, and his presence has already added something to the tournament. Ward was early in the lead in this match, and after only five holes was three ahead. To wrest such a lead from him was a task few could face with confidence, and after a very few alarms and excursions, Ward duly became dcrmie 3. Stout then scored a birdie at the long hole, and another at the seventeenth. He seemed likely to keep the game alive when his second found the green at the eighteenth while Ward was short of the bunkers, but one of the golfing gremlins was on his shoulder, and he three-putted for a half in s’s. which made Ward a stroke over scratch for the round.

Although Gosset has a high reputation as a match player, his victory oven Stanley was achieved with surprising' comfort. Gosset was again down the geometrical middle of the fairway, and again his work about the greens was of admirable quality. The game started well •with the first hole halved in birdie 3’s, and then Stanley achieved one of the strangest feats of the day. His drive was viciously hooked and, after hitting trees, stopped some 20 yards to the left of the tec. He had to chip back to the fairway. He then had to play a spoon, and an eight-iron, which found the green. Without any outward sign of conscience, he holed a 12ft putt for a par 5. Stanley’s driving put him in repeated trouble, but he had his chances at the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth holes. Gosset. however, went serenely on and scored scratch figures for the 16 holes of the match. D. C. Watson had a surprisingly easy win against D. J. Ramsay, who, with his game Jjased chiefly on accuracy in his short work, slipped far below his usual standard there. Watson has played better gclf, but Ramsay was not himself. Timms and Clements Timms’s match with Clements attracted the day’s biggest gallery, partly no doubt because of the spectacular golf of which Clements is capable, partly because Timms did so very well overseas—he was the only New Zealander to win all his singles in the Commonwealth tournament. Timms, who has' a slightly open stance, does not seem to hit the ball very hard, but he has a very full turn of the shoulders, and his woods and irons, played with just a suggestion of a draw, were rarely far behind those of his opponent. Clements only occasionally opened cut fully, but by ordinary standards he was getting great length. There was practically nothing between them on the day. although Timms somehow suggested that he was less likely t© fall into -serious error. , . Their match began fairly quietly, but at the short third Timms’s tee shot finished just a foot from the pin, a truly beautiful iron. Tirrtms’s deadly short apS reaching and his dislike of wasting time etween shots were features of his game, but it was Clements who provided the next real highlight—a wood second from under trees the sixth fairway which earned the generous applause it was given. It was at this hole that Timms, with his second birdie, became 2 unefer and 2 up Just as Timms was swinging his club at the short seventh the calm was shattered by a raucous blast from a car norn nearby, and the ball went to the left of the green. Clements’s chip was of such delicacy that •'the bal: hung on the lip of the hole, and although it would not drop, the three won the hole. At the long ninth Clements’s second flew almost directly across the fairway to give a diabolically difficult approach to the green through trees ano ever a bunker, but he got there in a regulation 5 for his half. There was some real excitement at the par-3 fifteenth, where Timms was bunkered and Clements, who played an iron, ”as just short of the green. Clements t up to some sft of the hole, and

Timms’s explosion left him a putt of fully 15ft. This he holed without change of expression, and Clements barely missed his. The golf was good, with the pressure on, and at the sixteenth Clements hit a superb second which left him 50yds short of the green on a hole 544yds long. Clements made a most gallant attempt at a birdie at the seventeenth, but he squared the match at the eighteenth when Timms for once chipped short. Clements had the better drive at the nineteenth, but Timms put his approach 12ft from the hole. Clements, playing his wedge a little loosely, put his ball, into a bunker and from there over the back of the green. So ended a fine game between fine players. Results:— SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP Qua!' ing Rounds J. Durry, 73, 72 —145; R. E. Clements, 81, 71—152; M. W Stanley, 78, 74—152; D. C. Watson. 74, 70—153; F. Williamson, 78, 70—154; P. Lewis, 75. 79—154; T. M. Stout, 78, 76—154; K. D. FoxV'n, 79, 76—155; L. A. Watson, 72, 83—155; C J. Ward, 76, 79—155; M. J. McNally, 77, 80—157; G. P. Vesty. 78, 79—157; B. L. Clegg, 79, 78— 157; A. R. Timms, 78, 80—158; H. J. Gosset, 80, 80—160; D. J. Ramsay, 79, 82—161. Match Play First Round.—Ward beat Durry, 2 up; Stout beat McNaHy, 4 and 3; Gosset beat Lewis, 4 and 2; Stanley beat Clegg, 8 and 7; D. C. Watson beat Vesty, 2 and 1; Ramsay beat Foxton, 3 and 2; Timms beat Williamson, 4 and 2; Clements beat L. A. Watson, 4 and 3. Quarter-finals. —Ward beat Stout, 1 up; Gosset beat Stanley, 3 and 2; D. C. Watson beat Ramsay. 7 and 6; Timms beat Clements at the nineteenth. Canterbury Plate First Round.—J. Durry beat M. J. McNally, 6 and 5; B. L. Clegg beat P. Lewis, 1 up; K. D. Foxton beat G. P. Vesty, 3 and 2; L. A. Watson beat F. Williamson, 4 and 3. INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIP Qualifying Rounds A. J. McGillivray, 80, 83—163; R. W. Jones, 81, 84—165; ,D. C. Watt, 81. 85—166; D. F. Williamson, 82, 85—167; J. D. Lawson, 82, 85—167; W. Strang, 84. 84—163; J. Rich. 86. 83—169; K. C. Kearns, 83, 86 —169; N. J. Forward, 84, 85—169; W. G. Smith, 85. 84—169; R. F. Lafferty, 82, 88— 170; A. E. Timms, 85, 86—171; S. C. Cliff, 83, 88—171; F. R. Marshall, 85, 87—172; J. Rennie, 83, 90—173; R. K. Atkinson, 84, 89—173.

Match Play First Round. —McGillivray beat Forward, 1 up; Williamson beat Cliff, 3 and 2; Rich beat Atkinson. 1 up; Lafferty beat Watt, 4 and 3; Timms beat Lawson, 5 and 4; Rennie beat S; uth, 4 and 2; Strang beat Marshall, 3 and 2; Jones beat Kearns, 6 and 5.

Quarter-finals: McGillivray beat Williamson. 3 and 2; Lafferty beat Rich, 1 up; Rennie beat Timms, 3 and 2; Jones beat Strang, 7 and 6.

JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP Qualifying Rounds A. L. Castle, 78, 88—166; R. G. Pool, 86, 85—171; D. Clark, 82, 90—172; J. G. Harkness. 87, 86—173; W. S. Bennie, 91, 83—174; F. R. Busch, 86, 90—176; R. R. C. Sweet, 89. 87—176; B. K. Franks, 89, 91— 180; M. K. Rodgers. 91. 90—181; C. L. Smith, 90, 92—182; D. R. Hicks, 90 . 94 184; S. Suckling, 92. 92—184; M. O. Holdsworth. 92, 93—185; M. J. Goodwin, 87, 98 —185; G. T. Chaney, 95. 91—186; A. Donaldson, 86. 10G—186. Match Play First Round. —Castle beat Rodgers at the nineteenth; Bennie beat Holdsworth; Busch beat Chaney; Clark beat Suckling; Hicks beat Harkness at the nineteenth; Donaldson beat Franks; Goodwin beat Sweet; Pool beat Smith.

Quarter-finals. —Castle beat Bennie, 3 and 1; Clark beat Busch, 3 and 1; Donaldson beat Hicks, 3 and 1; Pool beat Goodwin at the twenty-first. HANDICAP EVENTS Canterbury Handicap Senior.—First round: P. R. Harley beat A. F. Green, 5 and 3; A. W. Robinson beat I. B. Cromb, 3 and 2; C. H. Johnson beat J. P. Devine, 1 up; R. J. Ramsay beat L. Morris, 5 and 4; J. Mangan beat L. J. James, 3 and 2; R. D. Kearns beat T. A. Pannett at the nineteenth; D. Murdoch beat D. J. Mcßeath, 6 and 5; J. D. Bull beat R. Murray at the twenty-sec-ond.

Quarter-finals: Robinson beat Hadley, 3 and 2; Ramsay beat Johnson, 1 up; Murdoch beat Bull; Mangan beat Kearns at the twenty-second.

Intermediate.—First round: G. H. Owen beat N. M. Smith. 8 and 6; J. H. McGavock beat K. R. Kane by default; F. D. Eskrick beat R. Bruce-Smith, 2 and 1; D. S. Lamberton beat J. B. Prendergast, 2 up; J. W. Loper beat W. S. Bowie, 1 up; C. F. Evans, a bye; D. N. Carter beat J. Mitchell, 1 up; A. E. Lowe, a bye. Quar-ter-finals: Owen beat McGavock, 2 and 1; Eskrick beat Lamberton, 1 up; Loper beat Evans at the twentieth; Lowe beat Carter, 4 and 3.

Junior.—First round: J. J. Corbett beat R. F. Christie, 1 up; D. Pitman beat C. R. Weavers, 2 and 1; S. Wood beat R. Newton, 3 and 2; L. A. Watson beat J. E. Anderson at the twentieth; R. M. Rybum beat R. L Garrett, 7 and 5; A. D. Russell beat A. Dyhrberg, 4 and 3; J. T. Chamix -lain, a bye; R. Newburn beat D. H. Grigg, 1 up. Quarter-finals: Corbett beat Pitman, 1 up; Wood beat Watson, 4 and 3; Rybum beat Russell, 8 and 6; Chamberlain beat Newburn at the twentyfirst. Teams’ Match Net scores: M. K. Rodgers 75, B. R. Franks 79, R. G. Port 71, S. Suckling 77 total, 302. Bogey Match, Sunday Afternoon, G. T. Chaney, 1 up. Stroke Handicap, Aggregate _ Senior.—J. Durry, 145, scr—l4s; F. Williamson, 154, 8—146; K. D. Foxton, 155, 8—147. Intermediate.—B. L. Clegg. 157, 10—147; A. J. McGillivray. 163, 14—149; D. F. Williamson, 167, 14—153; R. W. Jones, 165, 12—153. Junior.—J. G. Harkness, 173, 34—139; R. G. Pool. 171. 28—143; A. L. Castle, 166, 22—144. Stroke Handicaps Senior.—Morning: P. Lewis, 75, 3—72. Afternoon: R. E. Clements, 71, scr—7l. Intermediate.—Morning: J. W. Loper, 82, 10—72. Afternoon: B. L. Clegg, 78 Junior. —Morning: A. L. Castle, 78, 11—67. Afternoon: W. ” Bennie, 83, 13—70; J. G. Harkness, ?6, 18—70.