GOLF High Standard Of Play In Shirley Tournament

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28471, 28 December 1957, Page 4

GOLF High Standard Of Play In Shirley Tournament

R. J. Charles, the 1954 national champion znd Canterbury’s leading player, M. W. Stanley and J. G. Scott, both of whom are Canterbury Freyberg Rosebowl golfers, and W. McGavock ‘Waitikiri? will contest the semifinals this morning of the Christchurch amateur match-play championship. Although the weather at the Shirley course yesterday was better than that on Thursday, the south-westerly wind made conditions difficult for players, who had battled in the teeth of the northwesterly on Thursday. It made scratch figures on several holes almost impossible, yet in general the golf was of a high standard. Yesterday’s play was not without its surprises. R. J. Ramsay had a 6 and 5 win over the usually consistent C. J. Ward; J. G. Scott was taken to the nineteenth by the 15-year-old Templeton player, R. Smith; and R. D. Kearns, the fine Otago and former Canterbury Freyberg Rosebowl player, was beaten on the twentyfirst green by McGavock. Stanley Beats Foxton

The highlight of the morning rounds was the. meeting of Stanley, winner of the Christchurch stroke championship on Thursday. and K. D. Foxton. After halving'the first three holes, Stanley took the fourth when Foxton went through the green with his approach. Stanley had one of his very few lapses at the next hole, and taking five, allowed Foxton to win the hole and square the match. The lead thereafter alternated frequently. Foxton met the first of the difficulties that were to cost him the game when he drove to the ditch at the fourteenth. Stanley took a the hole. The fifteenth went to Foxton, and the match was squared. By now, the match had attracted a gallery of spectators. Stanley won the sixteenth, and Foxton’s approach to the seventeenth —his approaches previously had been very accurate—lost him the hole and the match. 2 and The match Detween McGavock and Kearns drew the most attention in the afternoon. Holding the advantage at first, Kearns lapsed to allow McGavock to take the lead at the seventeenth. At the eighteenth Kearns holed a 20ft putt to square the match and the nineteenth and twentieth were halved. Kearns could not outdrive McGavock nor better his green play. The match ended at the twenty-first when McGavock’s iron shot went to within a foot of the hole for a birdie. Kearns’s tee shot landed in a green bunker and it took him three shots to get out. Results were:—

Christchurch Match-play Championship.—First round: M. W. Stanley beat K. D. Foxton, 2 and 1; R. J.

1 Ramsay beat C. J. Ward, 6 and 5: J. 'G. Scott beat R. Smith at the nineteenth: D. C. Watson beat F. R_ Marshall, 8 and 7; R. D. Kearns beat ICampbell, 6 and 5; W. McGavock bsat W. A_ Christian at the tewntyfizst; B. J. P. Ryde beat A. M. Leslie, 7 and 6; R. J. Charles beat A. J. McGillivray. 6 and 4. Second round: Stanley beat Ramsay, 1 up: Scott beat Watson, 3 and 2: Charles beat Ryde. 5 and 4; McGavock beat Kiaras at the twenty-first. Christchurch Match Handicap.— > First round: G. A. Mcßeath beat L ? Bi Cromb, 4 and 3; A. B. 800 l beat f J.: J. Corbett, 4 and 3; A. E. Benzie ? beat J. Richards, 5 and 4. Second £ round: J. Osborn beat L A, Charles, « 3 ‘and 2; Mcßeath beat 8001, 1 up; £ B 4 Townsend beat Benzie. 2 and 1; ? J’H. Scott beat F. A. Partridge, 3 £ .Christmas Plate—First round: K. f Di Foxton beat C. J. Ward, 1 up; F. s R’ Marshall beat R. Smith, 4 and 3; g W. A. Christian beat L J. Campbell. g 3 jand 2; A. M. Leslie beat A. J. Me- 5 GlUivray, 2 and 1. £ Junior Match Championship.—Sec- « o?»d round: L. J. Roy beat R. £ Geoghagen, 1 up: G. R. Day beat C. | N; Ellern, 5 and 4; P. Meier beat R. C C.' Day. 3 and 2; A. F. Ross beat ? Hf C. Smith, 2 and L f