STIRRING BATTLES

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 16, 13 October 1933, Page 10

STIRRING BATTLES

Nearing Golf Finals

PLAY AT TITIRANGI Ross Goes Round in 70 YOUNG’S GREAT VICTORY By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland. October 12. The playing of the semi-finals of the New Zealand professional golf championship and the third round of the amateur championship at Titirangi links to-day reduced the fields to two in the former event and four in the amateur. The final of the professional championship will be decided to-morrow over 36 holes between A. J. Shaw, the holder, and A. H. Dyke, Lower Hutt. The semifinalists in the amateur championship are J. H. Young. Titirangi, H. A. Black. Miramar. K. Ross. Dunedin, and B. V. Wright, Dunedin. In to-morrow’s contests, Young will play Black, while Ross will meet Wright, both matches being over 30 holes. The winners will meet in the final on Saturday over the same distance. The tie in the amateur foursomes resulted in a win for H. D. Brinsden. Titirangi, and P. J. Smith, Akarana, who defeated T. B. Ferguson and B. V. Wright, both of Dunedin, by three strokes. Weather conditions were again ideal, there being bright sunshine and very little wind.' The course was, if anything, in better order than on the previous days. This was illustrated by the fact that Ross completed his round in 70, this being the best to date. He took 35 each way. X Results are:— Professional Cltampionship. Semi-finals. A.- J. Shaw beat C. W. Woodroffe, Titirangi, 9 and 8. A. 11. Dyke. Lower Hutt, beat H. R. Blair, Christchurch, 5 and 4. Amateur Championship. Third Round. . J. H. Young, Titirangi, beat B. J. Smith, jun., Akarana, 1 -up. H. A. Black, Miramar, beat J. M. Coleman, Titirangi. 3 and 2. K. Ross, Otago, beat J. P. Hornabrook, Masterton, 4 and 3. B. V. Wright, Otago, beat A. D. S. Duncan, Wellington, 5 and 4. Amateur Foursomes Play-off. H. D. Brinsden, Titirangi, and B. J. Smith, jun., Akarana, 76, beat T. B. Ferguson and.B. V. Wright, Dunedin, 79. By far the largest gallery elected to follow J. H. Young, the 16-year-old player, and. prior to the start, the prospects of the competitors were regarded as being very even, each having numerous supporters.*’ The contest proved to be one of the finest struggles even seen in Auckland golf. Their play over the first half was not quite up to standard, but from the turn thrill followed thrill as the players continually beat par figures, and four was not good enough to win any hole. Young was one up at the turn; and that was how the match ended. The excellence of their return journey is indicated by the fact that both did it in 34, four better than the scratch score. Young, who is very small, certainly appears to be a golfing prodigy. Wright came strongly into favour for the championship by the manner in which he accounted for Duncan. Out in 35, he was 4 up. his score including a five nt the eighth. He took three at the short holes, the rest being fours. Wright became five up when Duncan sliced on to the road at “Wrecker,” and he won the match with a perfect two at the fourteenth. Ross’s Fine Card. The golf played by Ross and Horflabrook was the best of the series, Ross being out in 35, one stroke less than his opponent. Hornabrook caught the green bunker at the twelfth and became 2 down when Ross holed a nice four. “Wrecker” was halved in 4's and Hornabrook took three putts on the fourteenth. The game ended when Hornabrook’s drive to “Temptation” failed. Ross completed the course in 70, his card reading:— Out: 4 4 5 3 4 4 3 5 3—35. In: 4 4 4 4344 4 4—35. H. A. Black played some wonderful recovery shots against Coltman, so successfully on the outward journey that on five occasions he was able to hole out in one. Being 3 down at the turn, Coltman won the tenth, but threw away “Redan,” losing to a 4. He had three putts on the twelfth, which halved in s’s, and he became dormy four down at the fourteenth. Coltman holed a ten-footer at the fifteenth to keep the game alive, but. the end came at the succeeding hole, which was halved in s’s. Shaw Reaches Top Form. Shaw, holder of the professional title, was in his best form to-day, hitting alt his shots crisply and putting confidently and well. He was 4 up on Woodroffe at lunch, and outplayed his "opponent in the second round to finish the match at the twenty-eighth with a brilliant eagle 3. Blair’s putting let him down in his contest with Dyke, who was 4 up at the conclusion of the first round. Blair started badly with three putts on the first and by finding the roadway at the second, these mistakes appearing to unsettle him. He did a little better early in the second round, in which the playerS stymied one another at successive holes. The match finished at the thirtysecond when Dyke’s ball wobbled into the hole. The final of the amateur championship foursomes was followed by a large number of spectators. Brinsden and Smith went, out in 35 to the southerners’ 40. The leaders gained single strokes 'at the tenth and eleventh to hold a commanding lead of seven strokes. A great iron shot by Wright finished three inches from the hole at the long twelfth where lie and Ferguson recorded an eagle 3. A stroke at each of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth holes saw the Dunedin players reduce the leeway by three, imt the last hole was halved in 4’s, so Brinsden and Smith won by three strokes. YOUNG-SMITH GAME Thrilling Struggle Seen END ON LAST GREEN Dominion Special Service. Auckland. October 12. A. D. S. Dunean, ten times winner of the championship previously, was eliminated by B. V. Wright. 11. A. Black, who won the title at Palmerston North three years ago, defeated J. M. Coltman, Titirangi. He is the only previous winner still in. K. Ross, who reached the semi-finals by defeating J. P. Hornabrook. Masterton, is the veteran of the party competing in the semi-finals. He has been one of the foremost golfers in the Dominion for years, and he was beaten in the final for the 1920 championship at Hamilton by Sloan Morpeth. Both semi-finals are expected to produce splendid competition. It will be interesting to see how Young shapes over a longer journey against a more experienced opponent. His knowledge of local conditions, however, should go a long way

toward counter-balancing Black’s experience. Although Wright has been recogised for years as being one of the finest shot players in the Dominion, this is the first time he has reached the championship semi-finals. His match with Ross, the other southerner, is bound to command a good deal of attention. Young and Smith were all square at the eighth, but Smith was. outplayed to the ninth, Young winning in 4 to 5, to become 1 up. Young went out in 40, Smith taking one more. Smith was level at the tenth, but. after a delicate approach to the eleventh. Young holed his putt. Smith’s effort to halve failing narrowly. . . , , , . ■With the pair playing shot for shot in flawless golf, the following seven holes were an obiect-lesson on how -the- game can be played. At the 453-yard twelfth both reached the green in two. and. after Young had putted dead. Smith raised applause bv holing a 12-footeY for an eagle 3. Playing ns one inspired. Young placed his second to the sixteenth four feet from the hole, and he sank the putt after Smith had got his four. The seventeenth was halved in birdie fours, and they both drove beautifully to the eighteenth, with Young 1 up. Both approached on to the green. Smith twelve feet from the hole, and Young 30 feet away. Young ran up a nice putt, and Smith made a gallant attempt to save the match, his putt for three falling away from the lip of the hole.