MISS V. FLEMING'S – PLAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 55, 2 September 1937, Page 24

MISS V. FLEMING'S - PLAY

SOUTH AUCKLAND CHAMPION

Judging by Miss V. Fleming's performance in the .South Auckland tourney, the Christchurch player would appear to be well worthy of inclusion in the-Tasman-Cup team again, says the. "Star." Miss, Fleming'has played very little golf during the last ■ three months, but, prior to the (tourney she put in a week's practice at Hamilton with very satisfactory results. She plays a very straight ball, and though, in the final against Miss J. Duncan, there was little to choose between the two players, as far as < the winning score went, except for lapses at the fourteenth and fifteenth holes it was the short game at which Miss Fleming

excelled and which won her the match. She has a shot in her bag which is a real stroke-saver, a high pitch vi h a No. 7 iron played with an open face and plenty of stop on it This shot, combined with accurate putting, accounts for many birdies.

In the qualifying rounds Miss Duncan was the only player to break 80, and topped the list three strokes ahead of Miss Fleming. She played steadily in the morning round for a 79, and her 80 in the afternoon included an eight at the thirteenth. Whereas Miss Fleming appeared to be playing herself in as the tournament progressed, Miss Duncan was at her best in the qualifying rounds, and her game seemed to have deserted her a little by the time she reached the final. She did not play with the same confidence she displayed when she won the Rotorua open championship.

Winning the urst and third holes in the final, Miss Fleming was 2 up going to the fifth, where both players missed their seconds, Miss Duncan finishing in the right-hand bunker in front of the green. Miss Fleming stopped short of the left-hand bunker, and playlfig a beautiful pitch she ran down a putt for a 4 and a win. At the next hole another masterly approach and a sixfoot putt gave her a win in 3 to her opponent's bogey 4. The long seventh was halved in bogey s's, when Miss Fleming putted short after again approaching to within seven feet of the pin.

JVliss Duncan took the eighth with •» bogey 4, when her opponent stymied herself, but she three-putted at the ninth and Miss Fleming turned 4 up.

Miss Fleming was again stymied at the tenth, losing the hole, and after a half in s's at the next she holed a long putt at the twelfth for a birdie 3, and was 4 up again going to the thirteenth. This she won with a 5, Miss Duncan missing her second and playing her third short. Miss Fleming was now in the very comfortable position of being dormy 5 up, but she collapsed unaccountably on the greens at the next two holes, and the end did hot come till the sixteenth, which was halved in bogey figures, Miss Fleming sinking a long putt.

For the most part Miss Duncan, with her easy, smooth swing, drove level with the champion, but she played a number of loose shots to the green.

Against Miss J. Stewart, of Whangarei, Miss Fleming had a surprisingly easy vvin in the semi-final, but she produced figures that few could stand up against. She was par figures to the thirteenth' where the match finished, having scored twelve 4's in a row and finishing with a 5.