TABLES TURNED GOLF RECOVERY

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 78, 29 September 1934, Page 13

TABLES TURNED

GOLF RECOVERY

MISS GAISFORD WINS TITLE

A MEMORABLE BATTLE

(By ■ Telegraph—Press Association.! AUCKLAND, September 28. By staging probably the most remarkable recovery in the history of the event, Miss Bessie Gaisford, of Maiton, won the New Zealand women* golf championship at Titirangi today, beating last year's champion. Miss Oliver Kay, of Otago, by .4 and 3. Ji'our down at the end of the morning; round, Miss Gaisford produced brilliant golf right from- the beginning in the afternoon, and in the first live holes had become all square. She reached the turn in the excellent score of 30, and so in nine holes had gone from a definitely losing position to a lead of two holes on her experienced match-playing opponent, Miss Kay, whose morning round had been little short of brilliant, her score for the eighteen holes being 78, including a 7. However, faced with the determined assault of her opponent in the afternoon, Miss Kay began to weaken, and a few indifferent shots crept into her game, robbing her of any chance of reducin? Miss Gaieford's lead. The weather conditions, which were rather threatening in the early morning, improved during the day, and the last holes were played in sunshine. A gallery of about 1000 hurried from one vantago point to another, to watch every shot in what was a memorable battle. The wind, which had frequently changed during the match play 'stages of the championship, blew with some force from the northwest, demanding the utmost skill in all long shots. The fairways were in magnificent condition, the ball sitting up nicely for wooden shots,'while the greens provided an excellent putting surface. Both finalists.demonstrated that they had learned a great deal during the trip abroad, both in-the matter of strategy and the execution of "their shots. Briefly, the match was a veritable putting duel, ahd'most of the holes depended on the short game. Each player was responsible for a few poor shots during the day. but they made up for these with brilliant recoveries. The winning Scores for the whole day were in the neighbourhood of three over i's, which represented golf of the highest standard at the end of a long and ardupns tournament. ■ THE MORNING ROUND. The morning round started sensationally when Miss Kay holed a long putt for 3 at the Ist, followed by a fine re^ .covery from the bunker at the 2nd. Miss Gaisford, who appeared to have every chance of taking the hole in 4, was stymied by her opponent's putt, and became 2 down. Again at the 3rd a stymie robbed the Marton player of a win, and she had to be content with a half in s's. Both played beautiful tee shots at the short 4tli, and halved in 3's, but Miss Kay got no advantage from two long woods at the next, when ehe found the bunkers short of the green, and lost the liolo to Miss Gaisford's 5. Good 5'S at the 6th were followed by Miss Gaisford's failure to manage a hard approach putt at the 7th, and Miss Kay won the hole in 3. Miss Gaisford gave away a win at the Bth by .weak putting, and her opponent's good 4 at the 9th brought her to the turn with a substantial lead of 3 up, having gone out in 38 to Missi Gaisford's 41. Miss Gaisford was outdriving her opponent consistently, and at the 10th was able to reach the green to win in 4. At the Redan she holed a long putt to halve in 3, and two good s's at the 12th brought no change in the score. Two superb shots put Miss Kay on the Wrecker green, enabling her to win in 4 to 5, while Miss Gaisford's putt at the 14th lipped the hole ; and she had to' be content with a half in 3's. A visit to the gully at the lath cost the Marton player that hole, and she.,,became.s-down when Miss.Kay took the 16th' in 4 to' 5. In hitting a tree with'- hef second, and then finding a bunker, Miss Kay played_ her only poor | hole of the morning, getting 7 for a. loss, which . was followed by a half in s's at the 18th. The players went in to lunch with Miss Kay holding a commanding lead of 4 up. Her card for the morning read:— Out: 345365354—38 In: 533434475—40 THE AFTERNOON PLAY. jMida Gaisford took the 19th in 4, and another weak second at the next cost the Otago player the hole. Miss Gaisford continued her attack when the Otago player socketed, her second at the 21st, and there was only one hole difference in the score. Both played superb tee shots at the 22nd, and Miss Kay's putt laid a stymie which was within six inches, a half in 3 resulting. Miss Gais' ford squared the match at the next with a good 5, and the succeeding two were halves in brilliant bogeys. At the next Miss Gaisford got ahead for the first time when Miss Kay missfed a short putt for a 4. The next three holes saw a complete reversal of the position, Miss Gaisford'playing golf that thrilled the large gallery. Her 4 at the 27th gave her an outward score of 36, and when she reached the 30th she was »till at level 4's. Her figures for the outward half read: 444355344 —36. A misjudged third at the 28th put Miss Kay in the rough off the green, and the hole went to her opponent in 4, and when the Otago player underclubbed at the Redan, Mi&3 Gaisford's 3 gave her a lead of four holes. The next two were halved in s's—the result of a succession of sound shots—but Miss Gaisford was in trouble at the next. She played a provisional ball that landed nicely on the green, while her opponent was hardly across the gully. Miss Gaisford elected. to play the first hall, and only just got out of the teatree to play' a short third and an ovcrclubbwl fourth, after which she gave up the hole. The end came at the next, when Miss Kay's short putt went astray and n great match, finished with Misri Gaisford's win in 4 and 3.