RAIN STOPS GOLF

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 183, 1 May 1936, Page 2

RAIN STOPS GOLF

New Zealand Women’s Foursomes FINAL POSTPONED Keen Contests in the Semi-finals Never before in the history of the New Zealand Ladies’ Golf Union autumn foursomes competition has thvre been such an ending as occurred on the Miramar links yesterday afternoon, when a southerly storm, with half-gale force and heavy rain and sleet, caused the final to be postponed after two holes had been played. The finalists were Mrs. D. A. Crombie (Titahi) and Mrs. W. G. Turnbull (Wellington) and Mrs. R. Wilson and Mrs. W. B. Russell, the Miramar pair. Keen interest attached to the meeting in the semi-final yesterday morning of Miss Una James (Masterton) and Miss Mollie Jeft’erd (Hastings) and Mrs. D. A. Crombie (Titahi) and Mrs. W. G. Turnbull (Wellington), two of the strongest pairs in the contest. They set out at 9 a.m., with Mrs. Guy Williams, of Masterton, as referee. As so often happens when strong opponents clash, the golf was by no means of the best. They started nervously, Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull taking the first hole in 6 to 7. The provincial pair squared the match by recording a bogey 4 to 5 at the second Hole, and drew 1 up by recording a bogey 5 at the third (456 yards). Both Miss Jefferd and Mrs. Turnbull played faulty tee shots -at the fourth, which was won by Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull iu 4 to 5. . Miss James hooked her drive off the fifth tee into the rough, but this was equalised when Jlrs. Turnbull played her second into the bunker to the right of the green, a half in 5, one over bogey, being recorded. A Brilliant- Shot. It looked as if Miss James and Miss Jefferd would score a win at the short sixth (106 yards) when Mrs. Turnbull popped her tee shot into a pot bunker short of the green, while Miss Jefferd •was nicely on the green. To add to Mrs. Crombie’s tribulations, the ball was buried in a hole in the sand at the bottom of the bunker. Studying the difficult problem carefully, Mrs. Crombie played a magnificent shot, which not only got her ball out of the deep pit, but landed it within two feet of the pin, a half in 3 going down on the cards. Steady play saw a half in bogey 5 recorded at the tricky seientii (420 yards). Miss Janies and Miss Jefferd had a good chance of winning the eighth, but better work on the green enabled Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull to get a half in 5. Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull ieceived a stroke at the ninth (433 yards), - but Miss Janies and Miss Jefferd played so ably that they secured a half in 5 to 6, and they were all square at the turn. Miss James and Miss Jefferd took 44 for the_ outward journey to their opponents’ 45. A perfect iron shot saw Mrs. lunibull lay her third two feet from .the tenth pin, and Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull drew 2 up by taking the hole with a birdie 4 to -a bogey u. Mrs. Turnbull failed to get on to het second .shot at the eleventh, lnlt “ g “ o . ( f recovery by Mrs. Crombie.enabled a bait in 5 to go down on the card Mrs. Turnbull and Miss Jefferd landed their tee shots on the twelfth green, but Miss James squared the game by running down a 21-foot putt for a birdie 2. . Mkis James had a putt for a win ou the thirteenth green, but missed and luckily laid her opponents a stymie, a halt in 0 being recorded. A good iron shot by Miss Jefferd enabled her side to draw I up by taking the short fourteenth in 3 to 4, Mrs. Crombie missing a o-foot putt. Two spunking drives were placed m gooel position by Miss Janies and Mrs. Crombie off the fifteenth tee and Mrs. Turnbull and Miss Jefferd placed their seconds o n the green. Miss James played a difficult downhill approach putt with perfect strength, and the ball came <_o rest four feet from the cup. Mrs. Crombie made a perfect approach putt, but Miss Jefferd, doubtless afraid of a downhill putt was short with her putt, and Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull squared the match by taking the hole in a bogey 4 to Both Miss James and Mrs. Crombie failed to sink puttable ones on the sixteenth green, and a half in indifferent a s was recorded. . . The seventeenth was a critical hole for Mis® James and Miss Jefferd, as they had to concede a stroke here. The hole was not well played, but a clßver pitch by Miss Jefferd enabled Miss James to sink an 8-foot putt for a half in o to 6. Mrs. Turnbull made a very faulty chip from the edge of the green, which did not travel halfway to the hole. Tragedy lay in wait for Miss .lames and Mis® Jefferd at the home hole. Mrs. Turnbull outdrove Miss Jefterd off the tee. Miss James failed to pick up het brassie second, while Mrs. Crombie hit u long wooden second. Miw Jefferd made a faulty iron third shot, and Misw James also ‘failed to pick the ball up cleanly with her iron. It took Miss James and Miss Jefferd five shots to reach the green, whereas their opponents were nicely on in four. Miss James went boldly for the cup,'but was too merry, and Miss Jefferd failed to sink the return putt for a <• There was nothing for Miss James and Miss Jefferd to do but to walk across and congratulate their conquerors. Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull did the home journey in 42. which gave them Si for the round, while Miss James anil Miss Jefferd did the run in in 44, which made their full journey BS. The winners owed their victory to fighting spirit, as they never faltered throughout a gruelling contest, and finished strongly. A Doughty Pair. Mrs. R. Wilson and Mrs. W. B. Russell the Miramar pair, pursued the eten tenor of their match-winning way py accounting for Mrs. L. A. Davis and Mrs. 14 C Wiren in the other semi-final by the wide margin of 6 and 4. , , _ 'Though conceding six strokes, MrsWilson 'and Mrs Russell combnied well to be 3 up at the turn. A 2 at tnc {.weKth. wViere Mrs. Russel! P aceil her tee shot on the green, and Mis. M isxin •an down a fairly long putt, helped them ■ilon". The end came nt the tourtoenth. where Miw. Wiren and Mrs. Davis struck dire trouble, and Sirs Wilson and M« Kussell took the match by b and 4. Final Called Off. Seldom have golfers in New Zealand been asked to play in more impossible weather conditions than prevailed when Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull and Mrs Wilsou and Ml®. Russell set out at 115 yesterday afternoon, with Mrs Guv Williams as referee, to contest the final. A strong wind from the south was blowing with half-gale force, and bringing continuous heavy rain, interspersed with hailstones. A hardy band of about 20 followed the finalists, and saw some weird golf nt the first hole. It was almost impossible to stand up against, the strong wind, and the rain also hampered the players. In turn tbev smacked (he balls along the first fairwav, each shot going about 30 raids. Meanwhile the gallery was having an exciting time. One man’s umbrella was blown inside out. and a woman’s hat

went careering across the links. Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull, after laborious labour, managed to win the first hole in 10 to 11. Facing the southerly, they had a stormy passage going to the second. Both Mrs. Russell and Mrs. Turnbull found bunkers off the tee. aud eventually managed to square the mutch by taking the hole in 6 to 7. Wind and rain had increased by this time, and it. 'Vas evident that conditions were impossible. A eonference wats lield on the third tee by members of the council of. the New Zealand Ladies' Golf Union present, and it was wisely derided to postpone the final. At a subsequent meeting of the N.Z.L.G.U. it was decided to request the committee of the Miranrir I>adies’ Golf Club to fix a dale for the final to be played. Presentation of Prizes, After players and spectators had hivl n hot bath and changed into dry clothing, all present assembled in the lounge, where the prizes won at the tournament were presented ■by the president of the N.Z.L.G.U., Mrs. M. IL Godby, of Christchurch. Mrs. Godby expressed pleasure at the largo entry, and the high quality of much of the golf which had been played. The council of the L.G.U. were greatly indebted to the Miramar Golf Club for granting the use of their excellent links for the autumn foursomes, and to the members of the Mirimar Ladies’ (loll' Club’s committee, and particmlarly tn Miss Taylor and Miss Gambrill, for' the efficient way in which the tournament had been conducted.