PROVINCIAL TOURNEY

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 92, 20 April 1938, Page 16

PROVINCIAL TOURNEY

HOME CHAMPION

PARKER'S CHALLENGE

Drying greens and fairways gave the finalists in the Wellington' provincial golf championship at Heretaunga yesterday rather better conditions than during the previous days of the tourney, and the gallery increased when it was known that J.B. Parker (Wellington) was offering G. Home (Hutt) a 'challenge in the final: It was the general belief that Home, on his previous records, would win, but those 1 who knew the steadiness of Parker and (his facility in getting to the green with his iron or maslue, and sinking his putts when on the green, held that the match was a good one. This was well borne out. Home won the first in 4 to 5, the second in 4 to 6 and the third in 3 to 4. The fourth, fifth; sixth, seventh, and eighth were halved in 4, 3, 5, 5, and 5 respectively. At the ninth Parker was 15 feet from the pin with a beautiful straight iron, while Home was on the edge of the green. Home overran his approach, and Parker was down in 3 to his 4, reducing the lead to 2 up. He sank a twenty-five-footer, rattling it in, at the tenth for a win, reducing the lead to 1 up, and at the eleventh, where Horne'was through the green with his second, Parker played a beautiful chip, and won the hole in 4 to 5 squaring the game. The twelfth was halved in s's. Home was short with his chip at the thirteenth, and his putt touched the hole and ran past, and Parker took it in 5 to 6, making him 1 up. Both were bunkered at the fourteenth, Parker to the right and Home to the left. Parker failed to get out, but he was on with his next Home was only just out, but was dead with his next. Parker sank a ninefooter for his half. The fifteenth was halved in 3's. At the sixteenth Parker was bunkered with his second. Home's second was a nice chip over the bunker, from the left of the fairway. Parker took, two to get out of the bunker, and conceded the hole1 to Home for 3, taking 6, and the game was squared. Parker was short with his approach at the seventeenth, and though /he made a brave try, Home won the hole in 4 to 5, and was dormy 1. Parker's second was straight for the bunker at the ■ eighteenth, but climbed the bank and reached the fairway again. Home played a perfect iron to the green and was down in 4 t0.5.t0 win 2 up. HERETAUNGA HANDICAP. In the finalA>f •' the Heretaunga Handicap G. Y. Berry. (7) beat N. Hodson (8), 3 and 2. Both were 39 out, and Hodson was 1 up, at the turn. FOURSOME BOGEY. In the foursome bogey J. A. Johnston and J. B. Tunnell won 3 down on a ctunt back from a tie with R. D. Chandler, and G.- P. Roberts. .' The prizes were presented by Mrs. Peacock. ■ Mr. J. C. Peacock, on behalf of the officials, referred to the satisfactory entries and the calibre of the entrants. The weather had not been of the best, but he thought all had enjoyed the tourney. The porino larva had not been kind to the fairways, but that might mend. The competitions had been exceedingly open, and very good golf had been played by the winners. He congratulated the champion and .the runner-up, who with 3 down had made a good' fight, especially against such a competitor as G. Home. ;■ Mr. R. D. Chandler, on behalf of, the visitors, thanked the club for the way in which the tournament had been run, arid the condition of the greens, arid assured Mr. Peacock that the visitors had enjoyed the tournament as a whole. ■..■;: i.\:^':.- '■'■■ -

There' is no doubt that the success of the tourney is largely due, apart from the committees, to .the energetic, efficient, and assiduous duties- of the secretary (Mr. G. H. Swarm).