PROFESSIONAL GOLFERS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 88, 13 April 1923, Page 3

PROFESSIONAL GOLFERS

TOURNEY AT NEW PLYMOUTH HOOD AND MOSS OPENING DAY WINNERS. [tr TEIEOaAPH.—SPECIAL TO 188 POST.) (By "Bafify.") NEW PLYMOUTH, 12th April. A new chapter in golf history in New Zealand was opened at the New Plymouth link 6 to-day when the first Professionals' Tourney opened. Nine professionals entered, and their reunion last evening was likened to a (gathering of care-freg schjjolboye.' The same good I fellowship reigned on the links to-day. J when the more serious business, of the gathering commenced. Some of the players were here aome days before the tourney. Hood, who had little chance of practising at'Miramar, arrived last week, and Horn and Brooks ' early this 1 week. The Auckland representatives were unfortunate, as the steamer Rarawa started from Onehunga. and then Rot bar bound, and the travellers arrived last evening after three days' travelling by train. Consequently they went on to an entirely strange course this morning without practice. The tournament is being held at Ngamotu links, with which the visitors, including amateurs from Timaru, Christchurch, Wellington, Palmerston North, and Auckland, are delighted. They consider the links, with one or two alterations, would contain some of the finest holes in the Dominion. One hole, known as "Moses," is unquestionably the finest niblick hole in New Zealand. Though the course is only 5663 yarde, tne fairways are very holding, and the course is really equal at prosent to Bix thousand yards. The links are delightfully situated and have the very befit prospects. Players to-day found the fairways haTd to play the wood through, owing to the grass sward not having had time under proper treatment to establish itself. Yesterday's yactice games produced better scores than those in the tournament games to-day when conditions were perfect, with a good light. BUTTERS EQUALS KIRKWOOD'S RECORD. Yesterday an unofficial match was played, Wellington against Chrkstohurch, Brooks and Hood representing Wellington, and Butters and Shaw Christchurch. Butters broke loose, and despite inconvenience due to injuries, equalled Kirkwood's record of 71 for the course. He played a magnificent game in all departments. . Christchurch won at the seventeenth green, but in the afternoon Wellington, recovered the honour, winning four up and three to play. During the day the other three went round in about t3, and Ham, playing a practice match, also did the same score. COLONEL GOLF BALL MATCH. This morning the competition was a bogey handicap for Colonel golf ball prize presented by H. E. Partridge and Co. The handicaps declared at the commencement were Brooks (Hutt) ecr, Butters (Shirley) ecr, Ham (Heretaninjra) ser, Shaw (Hagley Park) 2, Hood (Miraraar) 2, Clements (Avondale) 2, Moss (Auckland) 2, Blair (Maimgakiekie) 4, Greig (Hawera) 6. Hood hoodwinked "Colonel Bogey" and finished six up. He plajted steady gold right through, making faults only on one or two greens, where his putting | w.as weak. His card showed 75. and would have been very good except for his putting. He did not takjs mor« than five for any hole, though there is one bogey six, and only lost one hole, taking four at the short seventh, after having every chance. Moss and Shaw halved the second prize, three up. Mobs played 78 for his first time on the linke. Ham was two up. He and Shaw played 'together, and both started poorly, being down ■ on the first four holes, but they brightened up and played good golf, with the exception of a couple of holes. Ham finished in 77, and Shaw in one more. Shaw had two sixes on his card and Ham one. Clements finished all square; this being his first time round, Brooke finished two up, after losing four holes in the round. At the fourteenth he wajj three- up, and then lost two holes in succession. Butters finished one. up, not reaching yesterday's form. He won the second and fifth, and then had an extraordinary run of halves until the last hole, whioh cost six, or one over boney. Butters did 39 out and in against bogey 41 out, 38 in. ." Brooks plays with, him, and did 41 out, includinb a six and seven; and then came home in 36, including a six. Greig finished all square, aiter splendid tee shots, but an erratic display otherwise. Blair was all square, though his gross for the round was 83.' He also played the links for the flr*t time. The best ball on the morninft round worked out at 65, being 34 out and'3l in. Three holes saw fives unbroken. aaw fives unbroken. STROKE HANDICAP .MATCH. When the afternoon draw wag announced the handicaps were alterejj. Hood joined scratch, Shaw, and Mom lent one, Butters was given one. It was appropriate that the prizes played for, presented by the Auckland "Herald," went to the Auckland player, Mo 8», whose one handicap etroko pave him the m&toh. He and Ham both came in with 74's, or six under bogey, Mohb flnijhing with the next score of 73. Naturally to achieve such scores first-class golf was required, and this was produced. Both gave exhibitions that were frequently applauded by the followers. Ham lost a three on the sixteenth green, where a putt of fifteen feet hit the tin at the back of the hole and jumped out. His main desire in the afternoon wag to hole with a mashie approach, and he came on the edge of the hole several times, but was unlucky^ Moss took sixes at first and last holes, go he has a lot on his side too. The other players failed to produce anything sensational. Hood played on about a par with his morning effort, and his card showed 77, a few under bogey. Butters went out in 42, and returned in 36. Brooks tore up his card, and his example was followed by Shaw, and for a very good reason too. Brooks's round I took 85, and Shaw was three better. Blair came between with 84, while Clementß showed 76. The limit man, Greig, played great stuff through the green, but his approaching and putting continued like that of the morning until Ham's influence, as his partner, began to work, and he brightened up in his last few holes. In both competitions, A. Smith, a local amateur, made up the fifth pair. The putting greens changed during the day. In the morning play commenced while they were damp and covered with a considerable amount of worm cast. Putting had to be very firm, or was useless. As the day proceeded the greens became faster. No one really did well on green all day. Pitching outside the green was sure in its result, for the balls barely ran a couple of yards unless they were long, and it was unusual to Bee long balls finish on the greon.' Owing to the length of the holes these

conditions worked against good scores all day. ■•' • On the first day'B play the results were quite satisfactory to Wellington district, except the display of Brooks in the afternoon, but this was not unexpected. Brooks, as pointed out in recent golf notes in "The Post," is not well, and today was humid, and the links are some-1 what hilly and certainly tiring. | CHAMPIONSHIP, MATCH TO-DAY. The first rounds of the seventy-two- i hole championship, commencing to-mor-row, are being eagerly looked forward to. Few, if any, here care to express an opinion as to _ the _ result. Several players are showing increasingly good form. Ham is playing confidently and I well, and feels more at home where he can use the niblick without fear. Moss will know the links and is always a player who is watched carefully by opponents. If Butters can reproduce a 71 or its like, the others may find it takes some making up, though this, of course, applies to anyone who can produce such scoring, and it can Ije expßcted if the weather conditions remain as they are. In fact' seven out of nine have a chance, and their merits may be easier to estimate after the first two rounds of the four are played to-morrow.