ON THE LINKS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 27, 27 October 1926, Page 8

ON THE LINKS

(By

“Niblick.”)

NATIONAL FORM REVIEWED MARKED ADVANCE IN STANDARD OF PLAY

It has been patent to all who have kept in close touch with the game that the standard of play in New Zealand has been steadily improving during ’recent years. There has, iu fact, been a speeding up of the game generally, and in no way has this been more pronounced than in the improvements which have been effected in courses throughout the Dominion within the past few years. A few years back it was no uncommon thing to find a dozen players beating poor old Colonel Bogey by as much as 8 up on such courses even as Middlemore. This, of course, was very gratifying to members’ of the club, but it did not tend to improve their golf. The Auckland Golf Club, in common with other clubs throughout- the Dominion, have increased the length of their course, and also, in deference to the Colonel’s , injured dignity, sprinkled a few more bunkers about the course. From one end'of New Zealand to the other courses have been lengthened to beyond 6000yds., and bunkering systems have been adopted, which have had the effect of compelling players to place their shorn. Another thing which l.as made for improvement of ’ golf in this country lias been the cleansing of club handicapping. For many, years a great number of golfers played on handicaps which were at least half a dozen strokes below their true form. The introduction of more businesslike and progressive members on club committees has gradually placed players on their proper marks, and to-day there are not nearly so many plus and scratch players to be found as there were, say, fifteen years ago. The rapid strides which golf in New Zealand has made was reflected at the national championship tourney, which concluded at the Mirimar links on Saturday last. I have always considered that the Miramar course presented one of the best tests of golf of any in the Dominion, and it was pleasing to find that this view was shared by the majority of the large field who engaged in the tournament. True, some of the Australians contended that the bunkers were too easy, and did not penalise transgressing players as severely as they should do. This, to an extent, is correct. It was no uncommon sight to see players laying their approaches dead beside the pin from bunkers, and, in some cases, even taking their putters to do so. Plavers, again, not infrequently took their brassies and irons and got full-length shots out of bunkers during the course of" a tournament. This would not, be possible if. a good loft was requifelcl to clear the face of the bunker, j

Tn every other respect, however;: the course was in ideal order, and reflected the highest credit upon the officials of the Miramar Golf Club. The fairways were a delight, and when traversing them one felt as if walking upon a thick Brussels carpet. The greens, too, were as true as a billiard table. The general management of the tourney was excellent throughout, and reflected credit upon the Tournament Committee : Messrs. H. E. Aplin, T. N. Crease, M. J. Crombie, A. Erskine, G. StampTaylor, J. C. Webb, and F. P. Wilson. When the gale and drenching rain raged the week before the tournament started, it must have been an anxious time for those responsible for the preparation of the course. It had been the ambition of the Miramar Club for years to stage a national tournament, and the committee was naturally anxious to let the whole golfing world know how fine a course they had Fortunately, the gale, blew itself out in time to allow of the finishing touches being applied. In fact, it proved a blessing in disguise, as the prolonged tropical downpour cleared tjie atmosphere, with the result that the finest weather prevailed which has- ever been experienced at a New Zealand tournament..

In this respect the New Zealand Golf Council are to be commended for altering the date of the national tournament from September to October. September is too capricious a month-for so important a meeting, as players know who have had to plough round in the past in drenching rain and with casual water flooding the links, as occurred at Palmerston North in 1922. More settled weather can be looked for in October, and it can be taken for granted that the Golf Council will permanently fix the championships for this month in future years. Arthur Duncan’s Tenth Victory. New Zealand is justly proud of Arthur Duncan, who, for the tenth time, proved himself New Zealand’s ■ champion amateur golfer. Has any other amateur in the world, we wonder, placed as many national championships to his credit? In 1923, at Wanganui, •'Niblick” was gently chided by a golfing friend. “You have one fault,” remarked this friend, more in sorrow than in anger; “you are one-eyed. You cannot see any other amateur in New Zealand but Arthur Duncan.” This was at the start of the New Zealand amateur championship tourney that rear. “Niblick” promptly gave his friend the field, and offered a modest wager that Duncan would win. Arthur Duncan was beaten, but only by a putt on the thirty-sixth green in the final, after having been 3 up with 5 to play. The super-golf that J. Goss played over those last five holes to make himself champion that year is now golfing history. , In addition to having won the New Zealand open championship three times, and the national amateur championship ten times, it would be interesting to know how many times Duncan has been runner-up. When 11. E. Crosse, of Napier, won the title in 1919, it was Duncan who fought out the final with him. The Wellington veteran was again runner-up in El'IS, when Goss won at Wanganui, and T. H. Horton, of Masterton, had to beat Duncan last year at Christchurch, in th final before he was crowned king. The reason that Arthur Duncan has come to the top in New Zealand golf so often is simplv beepuse he is a great player. He is, in fact, so great a player that if he had happened, to reside’ in Great Britain or the United States, where he would have been tuned up by nibbing shoulders with the world’s best, he would assuredly have been as renowed to-day as are Jesse Sweetser, Francis Ouimet, C. J. H. Tolley or Roger Wethered. What are. the qualifications which have caused Duncan to attain the commanding position be occupies’ in New Zealand' golf to-dav ? The renly is simple—he is a great player. He has so many shots in his bag that he is rare’v at a disadvantage. brom an • '.-ward stance. Duncan will invariably get as long a ball as if his pill were on the level greensward. It is : ii~t the same whether he has to play the shot with brassie, spoon, iron, nibMck, or tnashie. This is what makes lint such a great player. If he does

happen- to get off the fairway, his command ol shots enables him to tecoyer aguoi, anil he is sj dead!} with hs mashie that he is apt to lay his third or fourth shot deau beside the pm. Value of Preparation.

It is common knowledge that Arthur Dunean did not enjoy good health last year. Happily the trouble was completely removed, and this year Richaid was himself again. This was noticeable in his upright carriage and buoyant step as he strode round the links twice a day for seven days. The value of solid preparation for a long-drawn-out contest entailing physical fitness was made apparent in Duncan's tenth victory on Saturday. Just before the New Zealand championship tournament he visited Rotorua and placed two rounds a day for ‘ twelve davs, incidentally picking up the Rotorua Club’s championship. ‘ln addition to this, he took a course at the baths, and subjected himself to plenty of massage treatment to have the muscles working flexibly. Duncan qualified with scores in tne open championship of 7G, 78, /'J, and 78, which gave him an aggregate ot 311, two strokes behind Dr. K. Ross, of Dunedin, and one stroke behind I. FI. Horton, of Masterton. He had an easy victory over Dr. Sydney Jones, of Sydney, in'the first round of the amateur championship, the Australian being outclassed by the wide margin of I) and 7. Duncan had a harder fight in the second round, when he met that solid player, J. L. Black, who made a dour fight of if, and it was not until thev reached the 37 th green that the Wellington, man took the match by 2 and 1. He struck another Tartar in E. M. Macfarlane, of Christchurch, last vear’s o'pen champion, in the third round. Macfarlane is a good match player, but he had difficulty m keeping direction on. Wednesday* and was plugging awav in the rough for the greater part of the journey. He, however, made such brilliant recoveries that Duncan had to fight for every hole. .Macfarlane, too, showed that he is a finished golfer by twice brilliantly hopping over and screwing around stvmies for wins. Duncan, however, went steadily on his match-winning way, arid wore the Christchurch man down bv 3 and 1. A battle royal was seen when Duncan was called upon to face T. H. Horton, holder of the title, in the semifinal. Horton had played such brilliant golf the dav before when he defeated B. V. Wright, of Timaru, by 10 up and 9 to play, going round in the morning in 72, a record for the present Miramar course, that many people considered that he would prove too good for Duncan. It was remembered, too, that Horton had decisively beaten Duncan in the final for the title ‘at Christchurch last vear by 9 up and 8.. to plar. Duncan, however, early showed that he was in very different formto that which he produced at Shirlev. The veteran played sterling golf in the morning, doing the round in 74, which was good enough to place him 2 up. In a gruelling battle in the afternoon, it was the vounger man who broue under the’strain. The veteran played with machinelike steadiness and brilliancy, and went on strongly to take the match by 6 up and 4 to go. Some idea of the excellence of the golf Duncan played in this round can be gathered from the fact that he went .out m the morning in 37, ran home in 37, and went out again in. the afternoon in 37, and went out in the afternoon again in 37. To be only one over 4’s for 27 holes was wonderful golf, and no wonder the holder of the title had to render up his sword. The Final Challenger.

Until towards the latter part of 1919, Leo Quin, of Eltham, knew nothing at air about golf. That year a club was started in Eltham, and hired portion of Mr. Quin’s farm for; use as links. The Quin boys were rather amused when the golfers invaded their peaceful farm, clad in plus fours and armed with weird-looking implements. It was not long, however, before the Quin boys decided to have a shot at this funny game of golf. From the moment they took a club in their hand that was the end of them. Golf had them under its magic spell. In five years- time, Leo Quin was amateur golfing champion of New Zealand, winning the title from J. Goss, of Wanganui, the holder, at Auckland in 1924. . L. Quin qualified this year with rounds of 83, 78, 78, and 79, and then proceeded to show his quality by disposing of, in turn, J. T. Tucker (by 10 and 8), M. IL Duncan (5 and 4), N. H. Bell (2 up), and Kapi Tareha (3 and 1). This was a great performance for a player who has only , been in the game for seven years. The Eltham man went down to Arthur Duncan, in the final, as any other amateur in New Zealand would have done. Quin had difficulty in controlling his tee shots, and could not keep direction, even when employing his deck off the trees. On both rounds he got into dire trouble at “Hillside,” but-he used his irons and mashie so skilfully that,,he 'made a game of it. Duncan, however, played so consistently that he was 6 up when thev turned for home on each round, and’ eventually took the championship by 6 up and 5 to play. Quin never played so. well as when the position was hopeless. With 7 down and 7 to plav, he took the thirtieth by brilliant plav, and had hard luck in not winning the' thirtv-first (380yds.), where his,3oft. putt for a 3 just stopped on the lip of the hole. If Quin could get more regular practice, he would be a very fine golfer, as he has an ideal temperament, and can handle all his clubs skilfully. The grass grows fast and luxuriantly on the Quin farm, making golf out of the question in the summer months. As he has youth on his side, Leo Quin may yet add further championships to his’ credit. He is a good player, and a good loser. It was a brilliant performance he put up in the second round against Morgan Duncan. The Wellington colt was 3 up on the morning round, but Quin played matchless golf in the afternoon, doing the round in 74, and finishing the match 5 up with 4 to go.

The Open Championship. E. J. Moss, the Middlemore professional, eschews anything in the nature of fireworks. Over a stated number of rounds’ medal play he would probably return a better aggregate than anv other man in New Zealand. He is consistently steady. He drives, for one so short of stature, and slimlj- built, a long ball. This he does by virtue of his very free action. With the chip sho-tt he is second only to Arthur Duncan, and on the green he is one of the finest putters in the Dominion. A. J. Shaw, unattached professional, who plays quite a lot on the Ranui Club links, is a vastly different player.

Like Moss, he is a stylist, with the difference that his is of the brilliant variety. ’ He hits one of the longest balls in the Dominion without apparent effort. His chief weakness is on the green, and there he is subject to nerves. Such were the two men who played over 18 holes to decide the tie for the open championship of New Zealand, and, contrary to expectations, Shaw won by the \yide margin of 4 strokes, doing a 76 against an 80. Moss started with more than his customary flaire, and soon had a lead that seemed to indicate that the result was as good as settled, and that there was nothing else for him to do but collect the money Quietly, almost imperceptibly, one noticed a marked improvement in Shaw’s putting, and his beautiful iron play was bringing him always within reasonable holing distance. It seemed almost impossible that he so quickly made up his leeway of 4 or 5 strokes, and was actually one in the lead as they turned for home. Much to the surprise of' all, it was Moss, and not Shaw, who first showed the signs of itrain, and it was fine to see the way in which, when he, on his part, had got a 4 strokes lead, Shaw quietly and confidently played safe. His win put the finishing touches to one who, although possessed of a somewhat nervous temperament, is a remarkably sound golfer with no real stroke weakness, unless it be an inability at times to putt.

The Professional Championship. The professional championship tournament showed A. -J: Shaw to be a better stroke player than a match player. Mclntosh' (the Masterton professional) had the “wood” on him right from the jump, and Shaw wilted. Mclntosh is a very confident player—almost too confident—who is irresistible when in a winning vein When he is made to trail he displays annoyances that sadly interfere with his golf. Last Friday' he could do nothing wrong. It he got into trouble he was quickly and satisfactorily out of it. If Shaw got within good putting distance with his iron piay, Mclntosh would hole out from the edge of the green. Long driver that Shaw is, l Mclntosh was ustfally outdriving him by a few yards and keeping a much better direction. To do 27 consecutive holes in 103, 5 under 4’s, was a remarkable ■achievement on the Miramar course. Twice did Shaw do a bogey 5 hole in 3, a great performance, but apart from that he could do nothing to stem the onsiwiglit of one who, in the language of the classics, “had liis tail up.” McIntosh proved conclusively that he must be classed* with Shaw and Moss as the finest professional in New Zealand. The New Lady Champion.

The surprise of the ladies’ tournament at Balmacewan was Mrs. E. G. Kerr’s well-merited win in the New Zealand Ladies’ Championship. Mrs. Kerr, whose handicap is 9, started well, striking better form on her short game, her weak point, than she has ever done before (says a southern writer). Her long game is very good, and she seldom fails to hit a good ball from the tee straight down the fairway. When Miss Chrvstall and Miss Shand, of the Christchurch Club, were put out in the first round, it was apparent that the standard was high, and that the winner would deserve the honours. It was generally expected that the redoubtable Mrs. Dodgshun, last year’s winner, and the winner of the Canterbury Championship of 1925, would carry it off, but she fell to Mrs. Kerr after putting uo a very gallant losing fight. At the end of the morning round Mrs. Dodgshun was three down and Mrs. Kerr increased her lead to five during the afternoon, but the holder made a great recovery at the end of the day, and at the finish the championship was won bv the narrow margin of one hole. Mrs. Dodgshun is a scratch player, the onlv ladv on that mark in New Zealand. What Mrs. Kerr’s handicap will be after her great win remains to be seen, but it is highly improbable that it will remain at 9. Mrs. Kerr has never before won a New Zealand or provincial championship, and was champion of her clnb. the Timaru Ladies’ Club, for the first time last vear. She was a visitor at the Shirlev links while the Canterbury championships were being played. She won one of the handicap events, but was not in the running for the championship, which was won by Miss Maberiev Beadel, of the Christchurch Club.