GOLF

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 260, 1 August 1939, Page 14

GOLF

Watt Cup Contest TITAHI CLIMBS TO TOP OF LADDER Shandon’s Prospects

Niblick.)

(By-

By scoring a grand slam over Paekaknriki oil the Titahi links on Saturday, Titahi climbed to the top of the Watt Cup ladder. Their 12 wins to ml gave them 401 points for the S ’S one point more than Manor 1 ark h scored in the same number. of matches Shandon, however, are lying in a hanilj position, as they have 31 P°>” ts slate for only four matches. . Shane lon plays Paekakariki at Paekakariki on Sunday next and should at least break e;eu with the seaside team. Everything Pmmts to an exciting finish to the competition this year, as Shandon have to play two ot the crucial matches away from home—against Waiwetu on September 2 and against Manor Park on September 10. The positions of the teams are now as follows: — Matches .played Points Titahi 6 40J Manor Bark .. 6 ov Shandou 4 31 - Paekakariki .. 6 -oj Waiwetu .... 4 201 The form of the players in the Watt Cup teams is steadily improving all round. Young players are pressing to the front and compelling .the old hands to keep up to concert pitch to retain their P1 As S an instance of this it is only necessary to state that W. Marchant, who a few seasons back was No. 1 for Titahi, now plays in No. 12 position ,I'or Manor Park. . . , . > it How hard the going is has been brought home to the Paekakariki team in the last two matches, in which they did not win a single game against Manor Park and Titahi. These reverses, however, will do the Paekakariki players good, as they will spur them on to intensive practice to improve their play in order that they may have revenge some fine day.

Titahi’s Spearheads. .Titahi has two good players, X. W. Parker and D. A. Uacre, at the head of the list. Parker played really good golf in the fairly stiff westerly wind on Saturday to defeat I'rank Kember by 4 and 3. The Titahi No. 1 started off in auspicious fashion by notching a birdie 3 at the first hole (380 yards), where he landed his iron second eight feet from the pin, and ran down the putt. Playing good golf, they halved the next three holes in bogey figures. Both slipped a stroke at the short fifth (148 yards), which had to be played into the teeth of the strong westerly wind. Parker was pin high to the left, and Kember short to the right. They chipped up cleverly and Parker stymied his opponent, and then missed a 6-foot putt, the hole being halved in 4. Parker hit a firm iron second to the sixth green (394 yards), and drew 2 up with a birdie 4to a bogey 5. Both found the seventh green (319 yards) with iron seconds against the wind. Kember had a tricky downhill putt, and his opponent's ball was lying just on the line of borrow. He was too strong and missed the return putt, Parker drawing 3 up with 4 to 5.

A Pretty Birdie. Prank KemJber got one baek with a birdie 4at the eighth (407 yards.). He made an indifferent drive with the wind, but hit a long brassie to within 10 yards of the green. A neat pitch and run approach gave him his birdie. The ninth hole at Titahi requires judgment. The green lies 237 yards below the tee, with a hill on the left, tiger country on the right, and a fence beyond the green. Kember was a trifle merry with his iron, and Parker took a deepfaced mashie, and only got halfway to the green-, a half iu 4 going down on the cards. Out in 36 to 38, Parker was 2 up at the turn.

The Titahi man played the better , tee shot at the short tenth, into the wind, and drew 3 uj> again with 3 to 4. Kemiber hit the longer drive off the eleventh tee, but Parker- hit a spanking iron second to the middle of the green (437 yards). Kember pushed his iron second out, and only reached the edge of the green with his chip, but he then electrified the gallery by running down a 32foot putt for a half in 4. Parker was going strongly, and drew 4 up by taking the twelfth (444 yards) in bogey 5 to 6. Neither played well at the short thirteenth, which was halved in 4, one over bogey. Kember here badly shanked his approach putt. The next two holes were halved in 4 and 3, which gave Parker the game by 4 and 3. To this stage, the Titahi man bad one under 4’s for the 15 boles which had been played.

Good Card Spoilt. Parker then ruined a good card by taking 8 for the sixteenth hole. Playing into the strong wind,'lie sliced his drive down a bank, and his ball pulled up close to this bank, which required an almost perpendicular shot. He did not open the face of his niblick enough, and only drove his bhll into the bank. It took him four to, get' back on the fairway, and four more to reach the cup. Notwithstanding this 8 Parker did the home journey in 39, which gave him <u for the round. . . Frank Kember took 79 for the lull journey, and played, well considering that he was suffering from a touch of influenza, and was hampered by too many pullovers.

A Staunch Lieutenant. D. A. Daere makes a sound No. 2 for Titahi. He took exactly the same figures as Parker in defeating John Kember by 4 and 3. Out in 36, he was 3 up, and he did the home journey in 39. Kember took 39 out, and 40 home.

Close Contests. C. G. Swinburne (Titahi) had to keep moving to defeat Alec. 'Murray by 2 and 1. The Tit alii man owed his victory to good pi!tting. Frank Carr (Titahi) and Jack Craighead also had a hard battle. Out in 40 to 41, the Titahi man was 2 up at the turn, and botih came back in 41, Cantaking the game by 3 and 2.

Consistent Player. Ono of the most consistent players in the Titahi team is 11. C. Boon, who has not lost a match this season. By defeating A. G. Barnett by 4 and 3 on Saturday, he notched his fifth Watt: Cup win this season, his other game being halved. H. D. Gyles (Titahi) went out in 40 to stand 5 up on the colt, H. Bundle. The Titahi man came back in 39 to win by 7 and 5.

T. Johnston (Titahi) did the out journey in 39, to be 5 up on IL Brown at the turn. The Titahi man did the run home in 38, which gave him 77 for the round, and the game by 7 and 5.

Five 3’s. W. 11. Smith (Titaht) also covered the course in 77. going out in 38, and returning in 39. He notched a 2 at the tenth (133 yards), and had five 3’s on his card, lie drove the fourteenth green (2,53 yards). No wonder Arthur Gollop was beaten by 6 and 5. Titahi has secured a useful recruit in J. Hobson, who hails from Sydney. He handled bi s clubs expertly, on Saturday to cover the coui>>e in 79. Ont in 40, be was 4 tip at the turn on R. Perkins, anti went oil .strongly to take the match by, l» and 5. Holwoti thought lie bad done quite well when lie notched a birdie 4 at the eighth (407 yards). but he lost the hole t,o an eagle 3 by Perkins. G. S. Lender is making a good anchor man for the Titabi team. In No. 12 position he usually manages to score a win, and his victim on Saturday was J Sn itb the margin being G and 5.

T. Hewitt is another consistent performer for Titahi, and lie scored another victory by defeating A. Smith by 3 and 2.

I. Parkes (Titahi) hails from Auckland where lie was a prominent cricketer aiid Rugby footballer. While farming in Taibape for some years he played regularly with J. Mortland, and in those days lie was on the 3 mark. He considers Moreland one of tho best amateur golfers in the Dominion, and says it is a pity he is not in a centre where he could measure swords with scratch players more frequently. Parkes accounted for W. Gollop (Paekakariki) by 3 and 2 on Saturday, doing the out journey in 40 to stand 2 up.

Solitary’ Hero. . , . , , Titahi won the Banish Cup match against I’aekakariki on Saturday by 9 games to 1, which meant that I’aekakariki only won one game out of 22. The solitary hero was B. Welch, who defeated J. Neale in the Ranish Cup match. Welch made no race of it. as the margin was 7 and 6. He received an ovation upon returning to the clubhouse, being toasted with musical honours. Next Weekend. The Watt. Cup battles will be continued next weekend. On Saturday Titahi will play Waiwetu at. Whakatiki, and on Sunday Shandon will meet. I’aekakariki at I’aekakariki. A Disastrous Putt. A-live-foot putt on The eighteenth green that found the hole eliminated the player, and 10 others, from the Britisli open golf championship at the end of the first 3<> holes. The rules this year provide for 44 instead of 40 players being able to qualify for the tinal day’s play, but the restriction remains that if there be a tie for the last place all who tie will be eliminated. There was absorbing interest in the closing stages of the second day’s play as a group of 10 players on file 151 jmtrk waited for other likely qualifiers to finish. 'Flic last, player who had a chance of beating them was 11. B. Rhodes, South Herts professional, who ultimately had a putt of live feel on the eighteenth green for a tola! of 151,

Unaware of the position and knowing only that every putt, counted. Rhodes holed this putt, and automatically put himself and 10 others out of the championship. If Rhodes had missed the putt the other 10. including Archie Compston. Charles Wliiteombe and Hector Thomson, would have qualified for the last day’s play. Instead, the total of competitors—34— was the lowest in the history of the event.