GOLF N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIP

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 70, 19 September 1912, Page 4

GOLF N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIP

WEDNESDAY'S PLAY. 1 The sort ot day that competitors at Heretaunga have been dreaming about while the rain pattered on the roof came along yesterday when blue skies and a drying wind made conditions more pleasant. It was a drab day as far as golf was concerned, and the weather was the best thing about it. The two rounds of the day that proved the most interesting were those played between H, B. Lusk and A. D. S. Duncan in the first round of the Amateur Championship, and M'Cormick and Clements in the Profes-^ sionals' Match. In the amateur game Duncan, after a great struggle, pulled home with a score of two up on his opponent. As yet he has not reached his form, but there are indications that every round he plays makes him more at home. It is not hard to account for his lack of form, in the opinion of those who know, fie has been in the habit for a long while past of playing five and even six- ball matches in which he took oa the best ball of all the others. Ifi these "scrambles" he had to go, to use an inelegaht but expressive phrase, ''eyes out" and he could keep nothing in reserve. He also has undoubtedly suffered through a practice that prevailed a little while ago during the very wet weather-^name* ly, of teeing each shot through the green. No"? that he has to play them off the ground he is trying hard with every shot to get underneath his ball as if he were playing a 'cleek shot. Without doubt there are other reasons, but these seem to be in some way responsible. It must not be thought, however, that Duncan is done with as far as championships are concerned, fie will get on his g&me again, and that soon, from all appearances. The conditions have all been against him, for he has not often had his' links in this condition before. If the local 6hampion finds he has a difficult measure to tread, then it is no wonder that visitors, dven though they be of* the calibre of Wood, Lusk, and Clements, find the same. " To l'evert to the "match brtween Lusk and Duncan, it can safe!;* be called a good one. At the second hole the Wellington player wa« two up, with two fives to two sixes. The latter of these Lusk owed to trouble he met in playing for safety, short of the bunker in the hollow. He overdid his iron shot, and the ball went into the sand-pan, which was mbfltry full of water. He played it out neatly, but was four on to the green, where he took two puts. At the third hole Duncan duffed his tee shot, and it went short and to the left. I>usk landed his just on the edge of the cut green and putted for a two, but missed. He won the hole with a three to a four. Then Lusk met more trouble and pulled his drive on to a tree by the riverbank. It bounced in and. the hole cost him a six. • Duncan did a five after indifferent putting, and put himself two up again. The next Was halved in four, but the , sixth fell to Duncan with a really good four. His shots were none of them as straight as might have been wished, but he got there just the same. The seventh was halved in five* and the eighth Lusk won with a five to a six. Nine was halved, but ten brought Duncan's lead down to one up for the (Jhristchurch man, who went out in a perfect three. • He got a phenomenally long drive and landed a high mashie shot dead by the pin. Duncan was short with his approach and took a four. Eleven and twelve were halved in fives, and at the thirteenth Lusk made a great approach and putted out in four-— all square. Then he took a two out ofthe box, where he keeps these good things, and Duncan's three was no use to him. Lrisk was now one up. Fifteen was halved in threes, but then Duncan came to light. At the sixteenth he landed his approach shot dead and went out in three to> Lusk's five. The Christchurch man took another five at the seventeenth, and Duncan beat him with a three and got one up again. Ono up and one to play— at last the spectators were getting some little thrill for their train fare. Lusk tried hard, but could do no better than a six. Duncan i did a five, and won the match by two up on the last green. Lusk, "who had really put up A good fight, walked up | to the club house smilingj but saying i impolite things about his puttings One of the best players on the links had failed to break an eighty and Duncan just escaped. One player put dtneatly when.he said that every morning when he stood on the first tee he said to himself, "it's' a shame what I'm going to do to that ninety I put up .yesterday," and every 'time he came in again without making any redemption, M'CORMICK AND .CLEMENTS. Clements, "the. young Cliristchurch professional who won the open championship on Tuesday, was bumped out of the professional match to-day hj M'Uorrfiickj after a battle which lasted until the twenty-first hole had been played. The winner was putting very well indeed and but for the fact that he was twice laid a stymie he would have done an even better round. At the fourteenth and the fifteenth Clements put his ball on the lip of the hole and his opponent had to play for safety. A shot to go down would certainly have put m Clements' ball a* well. At the third hole M'Cormick was one up, ,«,t the next two square, at the sixth one down, at the next square, at the eighth one down again, and at the turn two down. At the tenth he was two down, at the twelfth three down, at the thirteenth two down, .at 'the fifteenth one down, at the sixteenth ' square, at "the seventeenth one Up, and at the eighteenth square. Then he halved the first and second and won the third and the match one up in twenty-one holes. Results of 'the Amateur Championship were as follow :—: — AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. 0. t. George beat H. R. Brittan, 1 up. J. Harold beat D. M'Cormick, 4 up and 3' to play. A. -9. Duncan beat H. B. Lusk, 2 up. Q/ Pharazyn beat R. C. Kirk, 1 up at 19th. . W. M. Horton beat L. -Seifert, "3 up and 2to play. > A. M. Kennedy beat J. Forbes, 1 up. J. D*. Harman beat 3s C. Burns, 1 up at 19th. : ) H. C. Wright beat W. Minefield, 5 up and. 4 to" play, P. C. Wright beat B. C. Rutherford, 2 up and 1 to play. J, Qoss beat 0. M. Dodgshun, 2 up and 1 to play. . s B. L. Taylor beat Kuntpo Tareha, 5 up and 4 to play. B. B. Wood beat W. B. Colbeck, 2 up and 1 to play. Kapi Tareha beat W. E. Reid, 6 up and 5 to play. K. D. Duncan beat A. F. Roberts, 1 up at 19th. R. Sejfert boat C. Gore, 4 up and 3 to pluy. H. Gillies beat R. L. D. Kidsjton, 3 up and 2 to play. ' BOdtEY HANDICAP.' j The best cards handed in yesterday in the Bogey Handicap Were : — B. L.' Taylor, all square. ' B. B. Wood, all square. .A. Myers, all square. JV< JSlasefield, 1 dowu &

H. Didsbury, 1 down. J. B. Lusk, 2, down. The leaders played off the tie in the "our ball handicap to-day.