GOLF.

Evening Star, Issue 14164, 14 September 1909, Page 8

GOLF.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING,

[Special to the Star.]

AUCKLAND, September 13. The weather was absolutely perfection for the opening of the championship meeting yesterday. Notwithstanding this, however, the scores were not so good as was anticipated, and the lowest store recorded—that of 79, by Col heck—does not convey the real value of his game. The two rounds of Clements, the young professional, were the result of sound and careful play under great disadvantages, which troubled the other competitors not a little. The course is "puggy” and “ cuppy ” right through. The greens are as keen as a. billiard table, and the ground so soft that there is absolutely no run on the ball. The variation in the scores was simply ludicrous. At the eighteenth hole Wood, the Christchurch champion, drove a perfect ball, but when he came up to pl.iv his second he found a niblick was required. Ibe ball lay in one of the many cups which penalise the perfect drive, and if took him three more to dig his hall out. An incident like this has a demoralising effect upon some players, and this to some extent accounts for the great variety of scores. Duncan's rounds were somewhat patchy. In the afternoon ho went out in 40. and started home with a splendid card, but cracked up at the amphitheatre, and put on three 6 s and a 5, v, hen in the morning ho was 16 for the s.m.e holes; vet he came in with 8-1, and so remained square with Hood (the professional), wlm. singularly enough, pul up the same score as Duncan (his opponent) in both round? Martin, the Wellington professional, had the misfortune to break hi. maslne dnriu l ' the afternoon round, and so was handicapped. Abliott, of Wellington, played splendidly, but, curiously enough, went all to pieces when he had surmounted fh r difficulties. A player who has made his fiist appearance in New Zealand championshi)>s is in with 175 for the two rounds. He is a sound, steady player, and should do wml before the week end. His hick was certainly not in yesterday. A curious inch dent occurred ‘when Duncan and Hood were playing the sixteenth hole. Abbott ami Clements were plaving the fifteenth hole, which is parallel, - and dose ’to the sixteenth. Abbott, coming .down, plavc-1 Duncan's hall by mistake, and made •> poor shot. Duncan, coming up, discovered the mistake. Abbott's approach was brought back, and be bad to play again, and plumped fair on the green! whilst Duncan had to drop a ball, and after the delay and flurry played a foozle and lost the hole. The intense keenness of the ureens made absolutely every puft uncertain, and there was a great tendency to not give the hole a chance, but the real' trouble is through the green, and even the best players wince when they see their beautiful drive or iron shot hung below the horizon.

Following arc the total* in the two rounds of the Open Championship :

In the first round .T. C. Crowley 188). A. X. Barraud (941, H. D. Bam ford (86). E. I). O’Rourke (96), A. W. Gillies (97) R G. Morpeth (95). E. T. Tate (94). j’ 0 Jamieson (1041, G. D. Morpeth (104), and (105) returned cards, hut they did not do so in the second round.

J. A. Clement? (Wanganni) o 1st Round, cS 82 162 A. S. Duncan (Wellington! 32 84 166 F. G. Hood (Auckland) ... 82 84 166 C . Bidwell (Wairarnpal 82 84 ] 66 W. B. Col beck (Auckland) 89 79 __ 168 •T. C. Burns (Auckland) ... 84 87 171 A. J. Abbott (Wellington) 83 89 17? T(. C. Smith (Otago) 90 82 17? 1). Hood (Christchurch) ... 87 85 172 B. B. Wood (Christchurch) 88 85 173 C. C. Holmes (Wairanipa) 88 86 174 J. Forbes (St. Clair) 83 92 175 C. Martin (Wellington) ... 85 91 176 J. Matt (Dunedin) 93 84 177 •7. Harold (Wanganui) 89 88 _ 177 H. T. (Silica (Auckland! ... 87 91 178 H. B. J/iisk (Christchurch) 85 93 178 •7- .M'Cormick (Gisborne) 91 91 182 Vv. Tloid (Wellington) 90 93 183 I*. Upton (Auckland) 93 91 184 K. Duncan (Wellington) 94 90 184 A. AFCIark (Wellington) ... 90 95 185 f, K. Sa.ms (Christchurch) 89 97 186 X. K. Cox (Timnru) 88 99 187 F. S. Pearce (Wellington) 92 97 189 A. B. Laurence (Wairarnpal 95 95 190 A. Strang (Manawa.tu) ... 100 93 193 Colonel Tusou (Service) 99 94 193 H. Didsbnry (Wellington) C. St. G. Gore (Wellington) 95 98 193 101 92 193 C. D. Kennedy (Gisborne) 94 100 194 F. Ross (Cambridge) 95 99 194 A. M. Howden (Waitemata) 104 95 197 J. B. Lusk (Auckland) ... 99 98 197 F. A. Dargaville (Auckland) 101 97 198 li. Bennington (Ch’ch) ... 103 96 199 P. Trolovo (Christchurch) 100 99 199 W. Strang (Manawatu) ... 98 102 200 W. R. Barker (Gisborne) 99 104 203 C. A. Fenwick (Otago) ... 110 no — 220