WINTER CUP GOLF

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 26, 25 October 1938, Page 11

WINTER CUP GOLF

Ewen Beats Graham In Final PLAY ON HUTT LINKS previous Holder Beaten In Semi-Final The concluding day’s play in the Winter Cup golf tournament oh the Hutt links yesterday was a triumph for young players. I. A. Ewen, the 23-year-old Hutt player, beat It. G. Holland (Waiwetu) in the semi-final in the morning by 5 and 4, and J. B. Graham, the 21-year-dld Wellington club player, accounted for 11. A. Black (Miramar) in the other semi-linal by 3 and 1. In the final Even took his first open title by outplaying Graham by 4 and 3. The wind veered round to the south yesterday and the day turned out beautifully fine. The Semi-finals. Perfect weather prevailed for the semi-finals in the morning and the links had been nicely refreshed by the rain on Sunday night. Ewen played very steady golf to account for Holland, who'won the Winter Cup last year, by 5 and 4. Holland started off very unsteadily. He was short off the first tee and popped his second shot into a bunker. After two attempts to dig out he abandoned the hole. The Waiwetu man ballooned his drive off the second tee into the pines and took three shots to reach the fairway. He took 8 for the hole. Ewen hit ji good drive against the wind off the second tee, and crashed a magnificent spoon second to the centre of the green, but missed a 3-foot putt for a 4. Holland got one back at the short third, where Ewen missed a 3foot putt for a half. Even drew 2 up again with a birdie 4 at the fourth, where Holland was much too strong with his second. They halved the next two holes and Ewen then drew 3 up with 4 to 5 at the seventh, where he was far through the green with his sec-, ond, but played a dainty chip and run shot to within five feet of the pin. Holland found a bunker with his second at. thia hole. They halved the eighth in 4, and Holland got one back at the ninth in 4 to 5, after Ewen had found a ounker with hia second. Ewen, took 39 for the out journey, while Holland took 38 for the eight holes he played out. Ewen drew 3 up again with 4 to 5 at the tenth, where Holland popped his second into a bunker. They halved the short eleventh in 3 and the twelfth in 4. Slamming a firm iron second into the wind, Ewen was on the thirteenth green in two, and drew 4up with 4to 5. The end came sensationally at the fourteenth (392 yards). Ewen hit a spanking drive with the wind, but Holland hooked his into the rough. His iron Second landed in rough to the right of the fairway, and he took three to reach the green. Ewen ■was on the edge of the green with his second, and startled the gallery by running down a 72-foot putt for a birdie 3, which gave him the match by 5 and 4. Ewen was two under 4’s for the five i oles played on the homeward journey.

Graham’s Win. - Youth also triumphed in the other semi-final, which saw Graham outplay H. A. Black (Miramar) by 3 and 1. Both played steadily over the first nine, which Graham did in 3Sj to Black’s 39, and they headed- for home all square. Black was too strong at the short eleventh, which Graham took in 3 to 4. The Wellington colt was playing really well. He recorded a birdie 3 at fhe fourteenth to be 2 up, and won the long fifteenth in 6 to 7, both having a stormy passage through the fairway. Black took the short sixteenth, when he stymied his opponent. The end came at the seventeenth. Graham hit a good drive with the wind, but Black failed to pick up his iron second, and took three to reach the green. Graham settled the issue by landing his second within eight feet of the pin, and running down the putt for an eagle 3, to take the match Jjy 3 and 1. Graham did the home run in 30, which gave him 74 for the round.. The Final. A gallery of about 20 followed Ewen and Graham as they set out at 1 p.m., with Mr. Jjlarry Green, professional coach to the Hutt Golf Club, as referee, to contest the final. They halved the first hole in 4, but Ewyn drew 1 up by following a long drive' with a firm iron second to the centre of the second green. Graham was a trifle strong with his spoon second, which travejled through tfie green, and his putt for a half in birdie 4'rested on the lip of the hole. They halved the short third in 3, both missing short putts. They halved the next four holes, and Ewen then drew 2 up by running down a 48-foot putt for a birdie 3 on the eighth green. This appeared to be the turning point of the game, as Graham played wildly at the next hole, which weig to Ewen in 4 to 6. The Hutt player thus headed for home with a comfortable lead of 3 up. Ewen went out in even fours, to 40 by Graham. They halved the tenth in 4, and Ewen drew 4 up when Graham missed a 3-foot putt on the eleventh green. A perfect high pitch to the twelfth green landed Graham’s second shot a foot from the pin, and .he took the hole in 3 to 4. Graham had a chance to get another hole back when Ewen pushed his second shot out at the thirteenth close to a clump of gorse bushes, but Graham’s chip was short, and the hole wag halved in 5. Both were on the fourteenth green in two, and Graham’s putt for a 3 stopped on the lip of the hole. Ewen then caused another mild sensation by running down a 24-foot putt for a win with a birdie 3 to 4. This placed EwenMormy 4 up. They played the long fifteenth well, both being on the middle of the green in three. Graham made valiant attempt to keep the game alive, but his 15-foot putt lipped the hole, and refused to drop. Ewen missed his putt for a 4 by inches, and a half in 5 made him holder of the Winter Cup for 1938 by a margin of 4 up and 3 to play. Both played good golf. Ewen was even 4’s for the fifteen boles playCdj and Graham wag five over 4’s. Flight Competitions. The finals of the flight competitions resulted as follows:— Group 1: L. Whetton (6) beat L. D. Hurst (5), 2 and 1. Group 2: E. J. Moriarty (7) beat D. G. Marchbanks (7). 3 and 2. Group 3: J. Bogers (10) beat J. T. JI. Pike (10), at the nineteenth. Group 4: H. B. Craighead (12) beat O. L. Moloney (11). 3 and 1. Group 5: L. J. Christensen (12) beat A. N. Toss Will (12), 5 and 4. Group (’•: J. A. Jackson (14) beat K. B. Davis (14). 3 and 1. Group 7: M. T. McLean (17) beat A. J. Lovett (IB), 1 up. Group 8: E. W. R. Haldane (22) beat W. A. Br.vden (18). 1 up. Presentation of Prizes. There was a large gathering at the clubhouse when the prizes were presented by the president of the Hutt Golf Club. Mr. G. Copp, who exnressed the pleasure it had riven the club to see so many members of sister clubs competing at the tournament. He cnnrratnlnted the winners, and said it was plons'hg to see voting nl”voru nressing to the front.