THE GOLF MEETING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 258, 24 July 1908, Page 4

THE GOLF MEETING.

PLAYERS FROM NEW ZEALAND. . (FEOll" OUE' OWN CORRESPONDENT;) ' -• "» Sydney, July 18. . The Australian Golf Club's championship meeting now proceeding at Kensington is of interest to' New Zealanders, because of the presence of A. Duncan, the New. Zealand champion, and K. .Tareha, J. C. Bidwill, and W. Handyside, also from the Dominion. Though Duncan was defeated for the open championship, won on Monday by Clyde Poarce, of Tasmania, lie made a showing quite in accord-, with his brilliant .reputation as a . golf player,'finished, third, D. . C. Soutar, tho well-known New-South Wales player, gaining second place behind Pearce; .When play opened for the championship, the course was rather hoa.vy -from rain on the previous night, a notable difference in the conditions from the week before, and thus some of the scores of tho first day., were high. But Pearce found tho ground exactly - to his liking, and in the morning put up a record round for the course' 0f"75, a'scoro which he t equalled in the . afternoon,, thus establishing himself in'a' lead of seven from Duncan, who at the close of tho day's play was second. . l'earce's morning round, of 75 was made up of 37 out and 38 inland his score of. tho afternoon, was precisely,' similar. Duncan completed tho .morning - round in 76 —39 out and 37 in—whilst liis afternoon score was 81—41. out and '10 .in.'- "Carnegio Clark, of Now South Wales, scored 80 in the morning and SI in the afternoon. D. G.Soutar took 42 to go out 'in the-morningj tho fault being an eight for the third hole, but ho returned homo in 39,j a total-of ;Sl'for tho round. In-the afternoon ho did-a good outward journoy of 36,. taking tho tolithhole in four. But through having to wriit\on the teos for Duncan and Riddell,.-who ■woro iu front, and playing slowly, lie lost'; touch/ finishing with-42. for tho home' journey.' Tho' Hon. Michael Scott, of Victoria,' '.the .■ holder of the open championship, who has' been suffering from influenza, was nliln to mako rounds of only 87 and 82 ; while '0. 11. O'Brien, the holder of the amateur : championship of this State, played .in pouring rain in the morning,-and scored in tho.two rounds' 87 and 83. J. Carno Bidwill niado 83' and 89, and K. Tareha 86 and 89. ■ i'i ; Duncan did remarkably: well in-the ;'third round on.tho second day, Saturday, completing tho course in 76, or four strokes' under par, a record equalled by. 0. 11. O'Brien. In the afternoon, however; . tho, - Wellington player failed to maintain this standard, and aftergoing out in 40 he could do no. bettor than 45 coming home. He' failed at 1 the •16th hole,; which took seven, and approaching 'tho 18th lie •, sliced: into the rough, taking two strokes to get out., The second ,of these» was a reckless hit, but the ball fell dead on the edge 'of; .tho green; and .lie.',holed out in six, thus making 85-for tho round. This made his total 315,; and as . Clyde Poarce, who was following him two boles away, had to return a card of only 81 to. beat Mm, and was. playing good golf, ho -. was : hp fleet already as the winner. Pearce .completed, tho round in 75, or seven better ■than-Dun-can, so that it was recognised that ho would iriii unless Soutar could do the round in.72. This' lie failed to accomplish, .taking ' 70y tho result of getting into long: grass a t t]i o 15th and 17th holes. Hence Pearce won, with Soutar second,. and Duncan third. .A ■ecord performance was achieved in this round by the Hon. ,M.'ScOtt, who made it in 74; 37 out and 37 in.' ; Pearce, tho winner, who has been playing golf for tho last 'seven years, is just SO years of age.' He \vas second in the amateur championship here'two years ago, and again iii Melbourne last year, though fifth place was tho nearest lie'/Iml.been .able .to getin the open championship until-the'present victory.

The semi-finals for the amateur championship woro played on Tuesday, when'.Chnstoo' defeated J., C. .Bidwill, of New Zealand, after a hard fight, which 'lie won .at V.tho fifteenth hole' in the second round, '4 up'and 3 to play. ■ Tlioro was soino interesting play also in the semi-final between Pcarco-and Scott, tho': latter playing- erratically,- and then .'retrieving-"-himself by brilliant Strokes. In the end I'carcQ; who fonght steadily aiid stolidly throughout, -won--by 6 v up and* oto play. ■- sv: