GOLF IN A GALE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 185, 4 May 1936, Page 16

GOLF IN A GALE

New' Zealand Women’s Foursomes SENSATIONAL FINAL Win For Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull The final for the New Zealand Ladies' Golf Union’s autumn foursomes was played, on the Miramar links on Saturday morning in one of the most severe storms which has been experienced in 11 ellington for some years, and resulted in a \ictotj for Mrs. Crombie (6) and Mrs. 11. G. Turnbull (14), who defeated Mrs. IV. B. Russell (5) and Mrs. R. Wilson (12), the Miramar pair, who abandoned the matcn on the thirteenth fairway when 4 down to their opponents. The final for the 1936 women's autumn foursomes will be talked of for many a long day to come whenever women players forgather. An attempt to piay the final was made on Thursday afternoon, but .1 had to be abandoned after two holes had been played on account of a severe storm. Despite 'the unpromising weather prospects a hand of some 20 hardy golfing enthusiasts, mostly women, were on hand at 9 o'clock on Saturday morning to see the play-off. Anxious eyes were east at dense masses of leaden clouds to the south, and ‘•Will the weather hold?” was the question everyone was asking, as tae finalists, accompanied by Mr. It. CButters as referee, moved out to the first fee. The answer came in au appreciable drop in the temperature, a steadily-rising wind from the south, and heavy rain. It was clearly evident that the finalists were going to be in for worse weather conditions than they had had to face on Thursday afternoon. Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Wilson got good drives off the first tee into the teeth ot the half-gale, but the boisterous conditions caused work along the fairway to be erratic, and a half in 7 went down on the. card, Mrs. Crombie lying her opponents a stymie when they were sitting dead for a 6. ■ . It was easier going with the wind at the second.. After they had reached the green a heavy hailstorm set in, and the green had a mantle of white before Mrs. Russell could get to her ball. A half in a followed. . Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull played the third hole well, against the gale, reaching the green in 4, while their opponents bad a stormy passage through the rough to the left. Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull drew 1 up by taking the hole in 6 to 8. Mrs. Russell and Mrs. Wilson squared the match by taking the short fourth m a begey 3 to 4. , Mrs. Wilson topped her drive off the fifth tee, while Mrs. Crombie hit a good one. and Mrs. Turnbull placed their second shot on the green, the hole going to Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull with a bogey 4to 6. Mrs. Turnbull was short off the sixth tee, while Mrs. Russell played a gem of a pitch, which landed a yard from the pin, gently tapped the flag-stick, and came to rest a couple of feet from the cup, the Miramar pair squaring the match with a birdie 2 to 4. They played the tricky seventh (420 yards) well; but. just as Mrs. Russell shaped up for a two-foot putt, the wind gave her a buffet, and the hole "went to 'Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull in 6 to 7 Meanwhile the wind was shrieking about the course like an angry demon, and heavy rain and sleet was lashing the faces of players and spectators. The referee s umbrella was blown inside out, and oilsheets, hats and wraps went careering with the gale. Mrs. Russell and Mrs. Wilson managed to square the game agaiu by taking the eighth (295 yards) in 6 to 7. The gale increased in fury as they struggled to the ninth hole. Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull received a stroke allowance at this hole, but they did not require it, as they won the hole off the stick in 6 to 7, both playing well. Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull, who had taken 49 for the out journey, thus headed for home 1 up. Mrs. Russell and Mrs. Wilson took 51 for the run out. A Birdie Four. Mrs. Russell and Mrs. Wilson strucka bunker going to the tenth, Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull drawing 2 up by taking the hole with a birdie 4 to 6. A tragically missed putt of less than two feet saw Mrs. Russell and Mrs. Wilson lose the eleventh (353 yards) in 8 to 7 and Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. Turnbull were 3 up. They drew 4 up by taking the short twelfth in 4 to 5, the Miramar pair placing their tee shot out of bounds here. , . , , The gale howled in fury as this hole was being played, and hats and wraps flew in all directions. Conditions were at their worst as they faced the gale going to the thirteenth. To give some idea of the force of the wind, it is only necessary to relate that it picked one hapless pressman up and hurled him through the air up against a colleague. Mrs. Crombie and Mrs. I urnbull hit good firsts and seconds, but Mrs. Russell and Mrs. Wilson fared badly, and, after they had played their fifth shot, they had a conference and signified that tm-y would concede the match to their opponents, who thus won the final 6 up and 4 to play. ~ , . . The finalists all deserve high praise for the plucky manner in which they faced the appalling weather conditions. It was almost impossible to stand up on the links, let alone play golf, but the four women engaged played most creditable golf under the conditions. Back at the clubhouse, winners and runners-up came in for hearty congratulations. . Miss R. E. Gambrill, captain of the Miramar Ladies’ Golf Club, said they were heroines. The committee were very sorry that the final hail had to be played in such atrocious weather, but this sometimes happened when one entered com petitive golf, as Mrs. Guy Williams and she could testify. Mrs. Guy Williams, in handing over the cups to the winners and runners-up, complimented both on the way in which they had played throughout the tournament, and the display of stamina they had shown in the final. The tournament concluded with cheer.-, for the winners, the runners-up, and the Miramar Ladies’ Golf Club. Everyone admired the sporting manner in which the finalists took the trying ordeal they had to face. The quartet saw the humorous side of things, and simply laughed whenever wind and rain caused them to play a particularly bad shot.

Miramar Ladies’ Club

Following is the draw for the first round for Mrs. Mills s tropny, to he played on Tuesday by the Miramar ladies club, play commencing at 10 a.m. in order of the draw at four-niniute intervals:—Mrs. Banks and Mrs. Parmer, Mrs. McCarthy and Miss 11. Griffen, Miss E. Fair and Miss Bray, Mrs. Dalgleish and Mrs. Bussell, Mrs. Foreman and Miss Taylor, Mrs. Richmond and Mrs. Farr, Mrs. Wilson and Miss Gambrill, Mrs. Bond and Mrs. R. Stirling. Mrs. Maudsley and Mrs. Wright, Miss Muir and Mrs. McKillop, Mrs. Andrews and Mrs. 11. Anderson, Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Hunter, Miss Plimmer and Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Myers and Mrs. 11. Parkin, Mrs. Mcllroy and Mrs. Sutherland, Mrs. Mackenzie and Mrs. Albertson, Mrs. Hanson and Miss R. Thomson, Miss Davis and Mrs. McCaughley, Miss Jacobsen and Miss Van Staveren, Mrs. Brec and airs. Short, Mrs. P. R. Jackson and Mrs. Marsden, Mrs. Austin and Mrs. Chambers. Mrs. Sim and Mrs. Mcllraith, Mrs. N. Jackson and Mrs. AV. Parkin, Mrs •Parkinson and Mrs. Sage, Mrs. Day and Mrs. Long, Mrs. Hott and Miss Woodman, Mrs. Didsbury and Mrs. Manson,

Mrs. Menncer and Miss I. Myers, Mrs. Houston and Mrs. 11. Smith, Mrs. Grithn and Mrs. Laimhlan, Mrs. T. L. Ward and Mrs. Boielle, Mrs. C. G. Turner and Mrs. Roe, Mrs. Castle and Mrs. Rogers, Mrs. Kenney and Mrs. Millar, Mrs. Schneider and Mrs. Collie, Mrs. Boyes and partner, Mrs. Fret hey and Mrs. Hornibrook, Mrs. AV. J. Anderson mid Mrs. Pirie, Mrs. Bown and Mrs. Stephens, Mrs. Drake and Mrs. Combes, Miss Robertson and Mrs. Nimmo, Mrs. Osborne and Mrs. Telford, Mrs. Dentice and Mrs. Hamilton, Mrs. Stubbs and Mrs. 11. A. Gilbert. Mrs. Cramond and Mrs. lipham, Miss Brien and Mrs. Barr, Mrs. G. Dennis and Mrs. Griffiths. Miss M. Thompson and Miss Murphy, Miss Dennis and Mrs. Stock, Mrs. Oxley and Mrs. G, D. Little, Miss Danby and Miss Smith.