CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF

Evening Star, Issue 18393, 29 September 1923, Page 8

CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF

W W!MS PROFESSIONAL TITLE.

AMATEUR SEMI-FINALS

[Special *o the ‘Stab.’]

WANGANUI, September 28. Belmont Links were bathed in warm ! sunshine to-day when the final of the professional golf championship and the semifinals of the amateur championship were played. In the former E. J. Moss (Auckland), who has been playing most con- | sistently, proved too good for Arthur Brooks (Lower Hutt), the New Zealand open champion, by 4 up and 2 to play. In the amateur championship Arthur Duncan (holder of the title) outplayed Iralay Saunders (Wanganui) by 7 up and 6 to playj and J. Goss (Wanganui) mice I again proved what an able player he is by j accounting for J. L. Black (Lower Hutt) j by 5 up and 3 to go. I PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. -

The brilliant rounds which Arthur Brooks and E. J. Moss have been putting up caused great interest to centre in their meeting in the final for the professional championship. A big gallery followed the pair as they sot off on the morning round, - when conditions were ideal. Both got spanking drives off the first tee. Moss : failed to be up with his iron second; but Brooks did even worse, as he whipped | his hands too much into his iron shot, j end sliced the ball away over the road ; out of bounds, almost at right angles to I the lino of play. Ho ran through the : green with his third, and failed to find | the cup with his fourth. Moss laid his j approach shot dead, and drew first blood ! in 4 to 5. Moss had a better line off the second tee; but Brooks recovered with a magnificent brassie second, which reached the bottom of the bill below the green. Moss hooked his second off the lino, but played a judicious pitch shot to the side of the hill, and the ball ran ; down on to the green. Brooks pitched a ' high mashie shot on to the green, but the ball ran through and hung up in the grass on the bank four yards above the green. Hie open champion took bis madiie, and played a dainly little shot which was in all iho way, holing out for a sensational 4.

At the 500yds hole Moss in ado a determined effort to hole a 16ft putt, hut just failed—-all square again. The Aucklander again had better direction off the third toe, but both were near the green with seconds. Faulty work by both with their putts saw the hole halved in 5. Both plumped then’ tee shots within 4yds of (lie pin off the high fourth tee. Moss failed to sink his putt, and almost stymied Biooks, who ran down a brilliant putt for 2. They smacked Jong drives of equal length off the next tee; hut Moss pulled Ills iron second to the left of the guarding bunker. Brooks was on the edge, of the grern with a jigger second; but faulty putting enabled Moss to secure a half In 5. They were bitting them far and sure off the tecs, and both pot- green length off the sixth lee. Moss just failed to bo up with Ids brass!® second, while Brooks was a trifle strong with his iron shot. Moss was making no mistakes with his short work, and laid his third on the lip of the hole. The open champion was short with a mashio chip, and the hole went to the Aucklander in 4 to 5, making them all square again. - They halved the Quarry in 4’s, Brooks just missing a. putt for 3. Moss, smacked a good one off the eighth tee, hut Brooks pulled his badly out of bounds. He drove a good one the second time; but the Aucklander gave him no chance to recover, as ho planted his second nicely on the green, and went on to take the hole in bogey 4 to 6.

Both played faulty too shots at the ninth (174yds), neither finding the. elevated green. They pitched on with their second, and both lipped the cup for 3, a half in 4 resulting. Brooks got the better drive going to Long Tom, but neither pot up with his second. They were a tnflo off with their approaches, and had to bo i content with halving I lie hole in bogey 6. The eleventh was also halved in bogey ; 3. Brooks was showing a tendency to | hook his drives. At- the next hole Moss was on the centre of the green with two nice shots, and tool; the hole in 4 to 5. Both played well out to the right at the Encampment, and after their seconds had been played they wore both round about the green. Good putting saw (ho hole halved in 4—one under bogey. Both also beat- tho Colonel at French Pass, where i 3’s went down on the card. Both carried Bunker’s Hill with their drives, Moss ! having the better line and lie. Brooks pushed his brassie second out too far, and took 3to reach the green. Neither managed to find the cup at tho first attempt, and a half in bogey 5 was recorded. Brooks hit a screaming drive going to j tho sixteenth, being fully 50yds ahead of ] Moss, The latter played a fine iron second | to tho green, and Brooks pitched his on | with a mashio. Both missed sft putts, and another half in bogey went down. They : cracked.two splendid drives off the seven- 1 teenth too, fair and true down the centre of the fairway. Moss played a beautiful , high mashio pitch, which landed in the ! centre of the green. Brooks essayed a i pitch-and-run approach, but was too strong by 20yds. He laid up nicely with his third) but the Aucklander clinched the argument by running down a 20ft putt for a brilliant 3, thus drawing 3 up. The home hole was halved in 4. Moss went out in 38, and ran homo in 36, giving him a brilliant 74 for the round. His card read:—Out J 4,5,5,3.5, 4,4, 4, 4-38. In : 5,3, 4,4, 3,5, 6, 5. 4—36. Brooks took 40 going out and 39 to come in. i I large crowd followed them when they started off on tho afternoon round. Both hooked their tee shots badly at the nineteenth, Moss getting into tho sand just beyond tho bunker to the left of tho fair- : way, and only managing to get tp short second. Brooks, from a bad lie in the long grass In ft hollow, hit a splendid mid- ; iron shot to the edge of the green. Moss | was short with his' mashic approach, and ; the hole went to Brooks in 4to s—Moss j 2 up. I

Both got long drives and pood seconds going to the Dress Circle (500yus). _ Both , were on in 5, Brooks’s approach landing on . the hillside and running down on to the j given within 4ft, of the pin. _ The open; champion lost a pood opportunity here by , missing a 4*l- putt for a win. Brooks pushed his drive cut and got a hud he, sending his second over the high hank to tho left of the green. Moss was through the green with Ins second. Brooks pitched 100 far with his third, and the Aucklander was short from a bad he. '1 ho hole was halved in 6. ■ From the high twenty-second tee Brooks' plumped the, ball into tho pit lumber on the left, while Mens landed nicely mi the , green. Brooks twice attempted (o pitch [ out, and then picked up, placing Moss 3 up again. Moss got a good one off the | twenty-third tee. but Brooks hooked Ins; badlv" into the long marram grass on the j ridge to the left of the fairway, and Bsi his ball. The open champion I Inis presented Ins opponent uitn tuo Imas in succession. This placed tne Aucklander 4 up. Brooks had tine advantage off the j twenty-fourth tec, and was hotter off still ; when'Moss pushed his brnssio second mil • wide to the right. Brooks was on the edge of the green with an iron second. I and went on to take the ho.e ;n 4 to 5. I Both were on in 2 at the Quarry, but better short work by Mo.-s saw nun sink a 12,f. I putt for a win in 4 to 5. Brooks ma-scJ a six-fooler for the half. Alter long tec shots Moss was through the green with his second, while Brooks; was nicely on, and lie won the hole in ; 4 to 5. Brooks duffed Ins iron tee shot hadlv at tho twenty-seventh, while Moss wan "also short. The open champion had a bad downhill He, with his ball below a (uft of grass, lie attempted to shall it on to the green with his midiron, hut. did not hit it hard enough, and just reached i the edge of the given. Moss made, a dainty ■ little mashic approach, and drew 4 up, in 3 to 5. 1

Both cot spanking drives going to Long Torn. ''o.-B hi; a brant hid brassic second, while his opponent dulled his from a cupped lie. lie used the spoon here, where

the iron would have been safer. Moss made no mistakes, and drew 6 up, in 5 to 6. They halved the short twentyninth in 3, but Brooks badly duffed his drive at Alma, bail only going 40yds. Ho played an iron shot to the top of the bill, but then badly hooked a spoon shot. Moss was playing sterling jjolf, and placed himself dormy 6 by winning tb© hole in 4 to 6. Brooks took tie thirty-first in a brilliant 4 to 5, laying his second on the green.

A surprise followed at French Pass, whore Brooks drove ont of bounds, and Moss placed his on the edge of the green. Very feeble putting by Moss saw his opponent hole out in 4 to 5, the Aucklander missing a foot putt. Brooks also won Bunker’s Hill, where he took three and Moss four putts. It almost looked ns if Moss did not want to end it. The end came at the thirty-fourth, where Moss placed his second on the green, and, laying his approach putt dead, took the hole in 4 to 5, and thus won the professional championship by 4 up and 2 to play. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. J. L. Black (Lower Hutt) and J. Goss (Wanganui) provided the best match of the day. They had a verv oven fight in the morning round. The Hutt man ran ont in 30 to Goss’s 40, and was 4 up at the turn. They played sfeadv golf over Hie home journey, and by taking the sixteenth in 4 to 5 and the seventeenth in 3 to 4 Goss squared the game. At the last hole (557yds) Goss landed his second on the green and ran down a brilliant putt past a half stymie for 3. Ons? got tfnfo the bunker with his second at (he eighteenth, and Black drew 1 up, in 4 to 5. Blaek did the round fin 77 "to 80 bv Oo?s. The latter squared the game at the nineteenth in the afternoon bv taking it in 4 to 6. Black topped his second, and got into all kinds of trouble.

. Flack got a sensational 4 at the twentieth (580vds). where he holed an approach iron) the bank and above the green. Good golf was seen at the next. Good drives went away, and Blade landed his second within Bft of the pin. Goss went one hoi ter bv laying his approach dead cnllin<r np aon ha use f rr , m f j m I)ilT w hirh wa-- intently following (he priv. They halved «be fw'.nly-reeond in' 3 and the f wcnl v-t lord in 5, Goss was ©having storbng goff now, and forged ahead bv tvinnir* toe fwentv-fonrih in 4 to 6 ’ and toe Quarry in 4 to 5, Blade managed | n peenre a half at Land'? Furl in 4. (he panui man © tired himself ' re(diin.g the iwoHv-.rev.’nth ; n - " )o f«„ c , weiil one ip (pie Mfe-norm in 56 lo Pd-irh's /!?. (’owing home Black , rn f mm h.aci- at fora--h|(i ; but Goss evened nn bv taking the En ram pm o r (, j„ 4 f n n„ ls him-self dormy 5. Bhi-k took VWd, Pass i-y 4 to 5: In,! Ole end came ,at Bmdrer’s Hill, i' heyp Goss reran-flert n brilliant 4 lone under hr-reyl t lins taking the match by 5 am and 5 to p’av. Goss had taken one over 4k fo- (he six holes ©laved in (lie aflernnnn. Tie onite outdared bis opponent, and if he can maintain (his form to-morrew he s-hoidd seriously challenge Arthur Duncan for (he till".

Duncan canned (on man v cnins fnr Tmlav Pauiuloi-c; tWatmanui). The In!(nr has i, i? ( recovered f’Trn a. serious Ml nek of ' inflnenm, a'l."l was bv no means at Ill’s best. Duncan was 6nn a‘ (no -end of (lio inom i a round. and went on to win J>v 7 ami 6 to r'av. Dnnrn.ii rJid (lio, moniin rr round in 77 (o Snmidors’s 8~. Tim eb amnion was not rJ hw heM. hnt, as w hip, rn.stom, (nM. plavrd ivol.l enough to kern ahead of his opponent. LADIES’ OF AAI PTnxwniP—H A WKE’S RAY. TPer ITjrrrrn Paesn Association.)! NATTER, September The Hawke’? Bav ladies' si;f chamnionehips were continued to-day, Rrsnlls: —Second Round.— Miss Ca to beat ADss Ormond, 2 and ], Mrs Baker lie at Mrs Davies, 3 and Mrs Tv ay bent MBs Hibson, o and 2. Airs Oliver beat. Miss Brown, 1 up. —Semi-finals.— Alisa Cato beat Mrs Baker, 5 and 3. .Mrs diver beat Airs Kay, 1 up at the nineteenth hole, BALA) A COWRY LOTS. The ladies.’ foursomes, pmyc.d on the, Balmacev’en Link's on Thursday afternoon, resulted in a tie iHiv-en Airs Conk and Alias Yonncr (9-1) and Alps Jj Williams and Airs Robert Hudson (9d). THE GAME IX AMERICA. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright,

NEW ’i URK, S-rj (ember 27. M Pelham, in the fourth room! of the professional golfers’ national championship, MT-can defeated Kirkwood. 5 up and 4 to play; Samen de'eafed Barnes, 1 up; Hagen defeated M'Leod 5 up and 4 to piny.—A, and N.Z. Oibm

For superiority of playing qualities tlio popular opinion at the New Zealand Championship Tournament went in favor of the Blue Ring Colonel Golf Ball, as used by the winner of (he Open Championship and the winner of the Professional Championship.—[Aclvt.]