ON THE LINKS

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 195, 15 May 1922, Page 6

ON THE LINKS

WELLINGTON DEFEAT LOWER HUTT A WIN BY 19 GAMES TO FIVE A. DUNCAN OUTPLAYS BLACK The chief event in golfing circles on Saturday afternoon was the match between the Wellington and Lower Hutt Clubs. Twenty-four men a-side were played, divided up in A and B teams of twelve men each. The A teams met at Heretaunga, and the B teams on the Lower Hutt links. As was expected, the representatives of the older club proved much too strong for their opponents, Lower Hutt only being able to score two wins in the A snatch and three in the B match, Wellington thus winning the senior match at Heretaunga by 10 games to 2, and the B match at Lower Hutt by 9 games to 3. The weather was gloriously fine, and the matches, though one-sided, proved thoroughly enjoyable. Great interest centred in the meeting of the respective champions, A. Duncan (Wellington) and J.' L. Black (Lower Hutt), and an attentive audience of about 25 followed them round at Heretaunga. The youthful Hutt champion made a good fight of it, being one up at the turn; but Duncan here came on to his best form, and, playing as well as ever, took the match by the decisive margin of 3up and 2to play. “Playing Duncan is worse than playing Colonel Bogey,” remarked a Hutt supporter, as the Wellington champion heeled off holo after hole in bogey and better on the run home.

PLAY AT HERETAUNCA. The following are the results of the A games at Heretaunga, the Wellington players being mentioned first in each instance: — A. D. S. Duncan beat J. L. Black, 3 up and 2 to play. R. O. Chesney beat J. L. Chmio, 7 up and 6. P. B. Cooke Iroat A. Roberts, 2 and 1. 0. Wilson beat L. Speedy, 2 up. K. Duncan beat R. Wagp, 3 and 2. J. S. Parker beat L. Bridge, 1 up. A. Strang beat A. Treadwell. 5 and 4. D. M. Morgan beat P. Wagg, 4 and 3' ’’ „ , H. L. Blundell lost to R. C. Kirk, 3 and 2. R. Cooke beat J. A. Biss, 4 and 2. E. H. Rawson beat J. H. Wagg, 6 and 5. G. 0. Sutton lost to A. P. Matthews, 1 down Wellington 10 Lower Hutt .*... 2 B MATCH. The games in the B match on the Lower Hutt links finished as under, the Wellington men again being mentioned first in each case:— Reid beat Macintosh, 2 up. Kirkby lost to Speedy, 1 down. Griffiths beat Carminer, 3 up and 2. Morris lost to .To'hnston, 3 and 2. Kiely beat Godfrey, 3 and 1. Peacock beat Judd, 6 and>s. Buddington beat McKenzie. 4 and 3. Hales beat J. Wagg, 4 and 2. George beat Holmwood, 3 and 2. Ward beat McKenna, 3 and 2. Tolhurst beat Hanna, 7 and 6. Kirker lost to Homery, 2 and 1. Wellington 9 Lower Hutt 3 GRAND 'TOTAL. Wellington 19 Lower Hutt 5 BATTLE OF THE CHAMPIONS Black won the toss, and opened the battle with a full-length drive down the centre of the fairway. Duncan followed suit, and nice iron shots saw both on in two. Duncan’s approach putt was a good one, Black being a trifle short. The Hutt man failed to hole a four-foot putt, and Duncan drew 1 up with 4 to 5. The Wellington champion pulled his drive off the second tee into the bluegums guarding the riverbank. The ball rattled against a branch, and came back on to the fairway. Black drove a good one far and true, and following up with a beautiful brassy second squared the game again by taking the hole in 4 to 6. Both missed a chance for a 3 at the third, which was halved in 4 s. The fourth looked a good thing for the Wellington champion. Black failed to lift his brassy second, which struck the guarding bunker, but luckily hurdled over it. Duncan, with a beautiful straight iron second, found the green. Black was short with his mashie third, but faulty work by Duncan with the putter saw a half in 5. Duncan here missed a five-foot putt for . a win Both men were at sea in their short work at the «th (194 yards). On from the tee. they both took three to get down, Black’s effort hppmg the hole and popping out again. They had to be content with a half in 4. Both men had by now opened their shoulders, .and some fine golf was seen at the sixth (409yds.). Both got clinking good drives and fulllength seconds. Duncan, who is a past-master with the mashie, played a perfect pitch with his third, which laid him dead for a certain 4. Black, however, came to light with what the Americans call a. “pretty birdie. Only on the edge of the green with Ins third be found the cup with a 30foot putt, and thus halved in 4. Die advantage was again all with Duncan at the seventh (430yds.). After good drives, Black banged his brassey second into the bunker, but again he had the good luck to see his ball hurdle out. Duncan played a beautiful brassey second. Black was short with his approach, while Duncan, with a daintylittle pitch, laid his 12 feet from the cup. A good approach putt by the Hutt man and bad putting bv Duncan saw a half in 5. The Wellington champion could not get his putter to obey him. and it was letting him down badly. . , , j x Going to the long eighth (512yds.), Black got the longest ball off the. tee by fully 40yds. The Hutt man, however, was having some arguments with his brassey. and once again he slammed his second into the bunker, and once more the good little pill hopped out of the pit. Both were on in three, but Duncan’s inability to get the strength of the greens unexpectedly saw the hole go to Black in 5 to b. It is not often the Wellington champion takes three putts on the green. “It is encouraging to see the champions quite human at times, remarked . one of the audience. This put the Hutt champion 1 up. The >dnth was halved in bogey 4, and Black turned for home 1 up. Black had taken 40 and Duncan 42 for the out Heading for home, both started off strongly. They were on the tenth green in two, Duncan having the advantage. Black made a perfect long approach putt, but as his ball was coming along in perfect and requisite strength it struck a tuft ot firm grass a yard from the hoim and turned oil’ at right-angles. Duncan laid his dead, and Black failed to sink a sft. putt, Duncan thus drawing, all square again with 4to 5. Duncan was now swinging along ui his very best style. Ho boat troth bogey and

his opponent at tho eleventh by recording a perfect 4 (380yds.), finishing up with a fine putt of 12 feet. Black failed with his putt for a 4, and Duncan was 1 up again. The twelfth (410yds.) was halved in bogey s’s. Black had here a good chance for a win, but failed to sink a sft, putt. At the thirteenth (386 yds.) both lay within a couple of yards of each other off the tee. Duncan played a masterly brassey second, and had the advantage at the business end. Black lipped the hole, and came out again with a 4ft. putt, and Duncan thus drew 2 up in 5 to 6. The Wellington champion was now playing like a machine. He found the green off the tee at the fourteenth (188yds.), while Black pulled a trifle. The Hutt man made a nice approach over the bunker, but Duncan laid dead with a perfect mashie pitch. Black made a valiant effort to halve, his 12ft. putt lipping the cup. Duncan made no mistake, and was thus 3 up with 4 to go. Both were on in one at the short fifteenth, and a half in 3 resulted, leaving Duncan dormy 3. Both played perfectly going to the sixteenth (266yd5.), which was halved in 4, the match thus going to Duncan by 3 up and 2to play. They finished out the full round, but Duncan appeared to play carelessly on the last two greens, recording two s’s, while Black recorded two 4’s. It was capital golf throughout, in which the fortunes of the game fluctuated both ways, but the luck evened up on the full journey. The contrast in style between the two players was most marked. Duncan played his usual quick, decided game, while the Hutt champion was very deliberate, both on the tees and on the greens. Nevertheless, the young Hutt champion proved that he is a very able player by extending such an experienced and able player as Duncan in the manner he did. Both recorded 80 for the full round, the cards reading as follow:— Duncan — Out: 464544564—42 In: 445533455—38 80 Out: 544544554—40 In: 555643444—40 80 Two Under Bogey. R. 0. Chesney, who played No. 2 for Wellington, was in irresistible form, and gave J. L. Climie no chance whatever, taking the game by the wide margin of 7 up and 6 to play. The game was all over on the ’twelfth green, where Chesney was up on bogey for the twelve holes. The Hutt Winners. The veteran R. O. Kirk covered himself with glory when he camo in at Heretaunga with the first Lower Hutt victory to his credit. “How did you do it?” inquired .-a surprised Hutt supporter. “Old age and iniquity,” promptly replied the president of the New Zealand Golf Association; “my opponent couldn’t putt for nuts.” A. P. Matthews, the hon. secretary of the Lower Hutt Club, also came in for hearty congratulations when he came in to the clubhouse with Hutt’s second win on his card. He Heid a great fight with G. O. Sutton, which only ended on the home green. A BUSY WEEK. The Wellington Ladies’ Golf Club have a busy programme arranged for this week. A knock-out match play tournament will commence to-day. On Wednesday the Joseph Cup competition will be got off, while on Thursday the Miramar Ladies’ Golf Club will play a 12-aside match with the Wellington Ladies’ Club at Heretaunga. On Saturday a mixed foursome competition will be played on the Heretaunga links for the Ward Cup, presented by Sir Joseph Ward. MIRAMAR CLUB. Interest is becoming very keen amongst members of the Miramar Club. No fewer than 76 players competed in the qualifying round for the captain’s trophy competition on Saturday afternoon. Thirty-two qualified, and to show that the standard of play was high it need only be said that the highest score which qualified was 88. The best card was returned by H. Page, whose figures read 78—4 —74. This competition will be continued as a knock-out competition throughout tho season. Next Saturday, the first of the qualifying rounds for club championship will oe played. Four qualifying rounds are played, and the 16 players with the best gross scores in any two of those four rounds play off for the honour. A special meeting of the club will be held after next Saturday’s medal match, to consider alterations to the rules. Miss Gambrill, playing in a bogey match at Miramar recently, put up the fine score of 82. ISLAND BAY CLUB. About 20 members of the Island Bay Club took part in a competition for a ball on Saturday aftefnoon. The full ;18 holes over tho municipal links were played, the winner turning up in Henry Hind, whose card read 87 —16 — 71. J. S. Hunter was the runner-up, with a good card of 82 —7 —75. . Ths new nine-hole course on the municipal links has been much improved within the last fortnight The City Council had three or four men on last week improving the greens and the fairways, and the full course should soon be in tip-top order. THE CHAMPIONSHIP KIRKWOOD TO REPRESENT AUSTRALIA. Melbourne. May 13. The secretary of the Victorian Golf Association expressed surprise at Kirkwood’s statement that he had not been advised <ns to whether he is. to represent Australia in the championship, as a letter to that effect was dispatched shortly after his departure, and £4OO has been subscribed for his expenses.—Press Assn.