PROVINCIAL CHAMPION

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 103, 4 May 1933, Page 4

PROVINCIAL CHAMPION

MISS BARNS-GRAHAM

A FINE RECOVERY

Though it poured all.} yesterday afternoon, as soon as the nows gained ground that Mies W- Barns-Graham (Gisborne) was overhauling the disastrous start infliettd upon her by Mjs'a V. Fleming (Christchureh),- and was' likely to make a fight for the ladies' .provincial, golf .chainpiinShiJ), the score of umbrella bearers in the gallery increased to over 150, while the balcony of the clubhouse was well filled with enthusiasts, who kept an eye en the exciting happenings. It was a case'--of a first-rate young golfer, who' gets >, little extension in , her own district, faced-with a veteran championship player: Miss Fleming, with the experience, of many : successful matches before the galleries to, work upon, played like a machine. There is a deadly int'fcliibility about her ,bug game that must daunt an opponent, Only twice during the day did she fail to pick up her wooden shot* through the sodden fairway*, and her approaching was almost equ«lly good. If there is a chink in her armour, it is in her iron play. She seldfcm used the iron, playing spared spoon shots instead, with a direction that Shaw himself might envy. On the only two occasions she got into the bunkers, she made sure of getting out* in fact, she rather 0%-erdid' the semi-explosion shots out; of the wet sand. Imperturbable and cheerful, she pursued a steady course down the middle of the fairways, never driving a long ball, but always making it up later on in the hole. Miss BarnsGraham has far more shots ir. her bag, drives a loug ball, plays her irons in a masterly way, and approaches neatly. As an all-round golfer she was better in every department of the game than her opponent, but'she lacked the experience that might have saved her several holes. Few older golfers, however, would have survived the leeway she had to' make up. It was a case of sheer pluck. LOST FIRST FOUR HOLES. It rained steadily. Miss Barns-Graham tv on the first green (279 yards) in 2, in a. far better position than her opponent. Pools of water lay on the green, however, and Miss Barns-Graham, whether she did not know that she could pick up when there was casual water between her and the hole, or whether she just chanced it, took four putts, and lost the hole to Mils Fleming, who was down iv 5. This seemed to rattle her, and she lost the second in 7, the third in 4, and the fourth in 6, and was 4 down. She held her own for the first time by halving the fifth iv 3's. Winning the next two in s's, she halved the long eighth in 6, and winning the ninth in 4, turned for home only 1 down, a marvellous recovery. The tenth was spectacular. Miss Fleming, playing a strong mashie with plenty of stop on it, laid heir ball not two feet from the. cup. Miss Barns-Graham played a fine approach, to soYne fourteen feet of the pin, and rammed down the fourteeufooler for a half in 3. Miss Fleming misshit tier second at tlie eleventh, which was halved in s's. Miss Barns-Graham followed by duffing her drive at the twelfth, short of the first bunker. She played a good second, however, and a magnificent third, slightjy to the left of the green. Miss. Fleming found-the bunker with her hooked second, but emerged from her troubles to wiu the hole in 6, Miss BarnsGraham only just reaching the green with her fourth, and missing a putt after laying, her ball dead, making Miss Fleming 2 up again. Miss Barns-Graham was nicely, on the thirteenth'•'green- iv 3; while Migs Fleming's third was in the rough to the left, short of the green. Miss Fleming was wide with her approach, and Miss Barns-Graham took the hole in 5. A Setter tee shot by her opponent, and a siiwed putt cost her the fourteenth, however, and Miss Fleming was 2 up again. The fifteenth was halved in 3's. MATCH SQUARED. j ~. Miss Barns-Graham sank a thirty-five-1 footer for a3 at the sixteenth, and was only 1 down. She was all but on the seventeenth green (294 yards) in 2, approached well, and was down in 4 to Mis 9 Fleming's 5, squaring the match for the.first time. With a five-foot piitt for a win in 4 at the eighteenth, after faultless play through the fairw&y, she missed it, *nd the gallery, by this time greatly increased, followed to the nineteenth.. Miss Barns-Graham hit a tremendous drive down the middle of the fairway, outdriving Miss Fleming by forty yards, but ihe topped her second, and took three to reach the green, while Miss Fleming, playing like clockwork, was' on in 2. There was casual water in plenty on the green, and Miss Fleming, with the consent of the referee (Mr. T. A.'Hunter), moved her. ball, and laid her, third not three feet away from the cup. Miss Barns-Graham was; lying very, handy in 4. Then it was Miss Fleming's turn _to miss the putt, and the hole was halved in s's. Both took irons for their seconds at the twentieth, being afraid of finding the cross bunker. Neither r&tched the green in weak thirds, but Miss Barns-Graham laid her fourth straight on the pin, with only a threefooter to sink, while Miss Fleming's approach was a trifle short, and she missed the putt. Miss Barns-Graham sinking hers to win the'match. Both took 85 for the found; Miss Fleming was 45.0ut and 40

back, and Miss Barns-Graham 40 out and 39 back. HERETAUNGA HANDICAP. Semi-FJual. Miss Chrystall beat Miss Robinson, 2 and 1. . '■.'., Miss Vincent beat Mrs. Hunt.. 3 and 2. Final. .Miss, Chrystall beat. Miss \ rincent, 2 and.'. 1: ' . MEDAL FOURSOMES. Misses Culling and .-Ruthbone won- the best gross score for the medal foursomes' with 85, and also won the best net score with 85, 7—78. Other net scores were: Mrs. Parkin and Mrs. Hanson, 103,'24—(9,, wild won on the count back, and Mrs; Buttle and Mrs. J. Wilson, 89, 10—70. . The prises;for the tourney were presented'in■: the lounge by Jliss Duncaii, president of the AVcllington Ladies Golt Club.