GOLF

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 29, 29 October 1928, Page 6

GOLF

MANAWATU CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP W. A. KEELING RETAINS HIS TITLE Palmerston North, October 28. Tlie Manawatu Men’s Club championship was decided at Hokowliitu nt the week-end, under pleasant conditions, and golf of a very high order was shown by both contestants in the final. The winner was W. A. Keeling, last year’s champion, who defeated H. H. Hutchison in the final, 1 up at the 37th. Keeling carded one hole below par, and 22 par holes, Hutchison sinking at four boles in one below par, and at 14 in par figures. The driving was, on the whole, excellent, both finalists getting long distances’. Both however, wasted putts on the greens. Hutchison was in a good winning nosition at the conclusion of the morning round, when he stood 3 up, and after the first hole had been played in the afternoon, which ho took to stand four up, it looked as if Keeling’s chances were small, indeed. Keeling, however, proved that lie is a match player, by “sticking to ’ his opponent, and after squaring the match at the 32nd, he went on to stand one up at the 34th, and to take the match and title for another year, at the 37th. Keeling’s figures for each nine holes are: 37 43 38, 37; total, 155. Hutchison’s are: 37, 40, 39, 38; total, 154. Hutchison and Keeling both dispatched good drives to the Ist hole, their approach shots terminating within seven yards of the pin, Keeling holing in 3 to 4. Hutchison took 3to reach the second green, Keeling won it. Fours halved the third hole, and threes the fourth. Both took 3 to get to the fifth green, where Keeling laid Hutchison n dead stymie, and won the hole in Keeling 1 up. The next three holes were-halved in 4,5, 4, respectively, Hutchison missing a less than a foot putt to win the eighth hole to square the match. But lie made amends at the ninth, and they turned all square. Wasted putts marred the tenth hole, which Hutchison won. Hutdhison reached the eleventh "Teen in two, and sank a 10-foot .putt for a. win in 3. Hutchison 2 up. At the twelfth both were in the rougli from the tee. Keeling took two to get out, and Hutchison won the hole, to become 3 up. Hutchison struck trouble at the thirteenth .first in the long grass, and Inter in a bunker. Keeling played soundly, and won the hole. A topped drive spoilt Keeling’s chances of taking the next hole. At the fifteenth Keeling made a good recovery from a bad drive, and, a missed putt by Hutchison allowed Keeling to halve it. The sixteenth was halveu in\ 4’s, and the seventeenth in s’s. At the eighteenth Hutchison missed an easy putt, ss’ halving the hole. Hutchison 3 up. Hutchison started the afternoon round by winning the nineteenth in 4, making him 4 up, but he lost the next, finding trouble in a bunker. He lost the twentyfirst through missing an easy putt. Bad putting lost Keeling the chance of a win at the twenty-second lours halved the twenty-second. Reeling won the twenty-third in 5 to 6. The twenty-fourth was halved in 4’s. Bogey s’s halved the twenty-fifth. Hutchison became again three up through Keeling’s indifferent putting at the twenty-sixth. Hutchison lost the twentyseventh through missing the easiest .of putts. Keeling followed this up. by taking the twenty-eighth, but Hutchison won the twenty-ninth. Threes halved tlie thirtieth, and at the thirty-first Keeling further reduced his deficiency. Hutchison 1 np. At the thirty-second Hutchison i struck trouble, and Keeling squared the match. Keeling had been playing soundly since the turn for home, and after the thirty-third had been halved Keeling went on to gain the ascendancy for the first time in the match at the thirty-fourth, where he made use of wasted putts by his opponent to take the hole. Keeling 1 up. Fours also halved the thirty-fifth, Keeling then standing dormy one. He struck a bad patch at the thirty-sixth, however. His drive terminated in a bunker, while his second was short. Another stroke had to be played to bring him to the edge of the green, and three putts were required to sink. Hutchison played safe, and after being on in 2 sank in four to square the match. Both Keeling and Hutchison were off the fairway with their drives to the thirty-seventh, both having bad lies ,for their seconds. Keeling found a bunker with his second, while his opponent’s third was too strong and went to ~the back of the green. Keeling had a good position with his third, but missed his putt. Hutchison made a good return with his fourth ball, ptopping within two feet of , the pin, but he threw away his chance for a half by also wasting a putt, Keeling sinking in 5—6 to take the hole and with it the match and the championship. Mr. J. R. Galloway refereed the morning round, and Mr. W. L. Fitzherbert the afternoon round. „ The final of the Barraud and Abraham Cup was also played, the winner being Mr. W. L. Fitzherbert (3), who beat R. G. Moore (4) 1 up. The winner was more at home on the greens than his opponent, but Moore held the advantage in the long game. Both players went out in 40, Fitzherbert then standing one up. Fitzherbert came home in 41, Moore taking 43. .7 ’