NEW GOLF CHAMPION

Evening Star, Issue 18394, 1 October 1923, Page 4

NEW GOLF CHAMPION

THRILLING BATTLE FOR AMATEUR ■ TITLE.

GOSS DEFEATS ARTHUR DUNOAN,

ONE UP AT THE 36th HOLE,

[Spkcial to tuh ‘Star. 1 ]

WANGANUI, September 29.

Exceptional interest to the final of tho New Zealand amatcui ft oil championship, which was played on Belmont Links to-day in as fair a setting as tho historic contest has ever been staged in. There was not a cloud in the sky, and the emerald fairways and greens fairly shimmered in the hot sunshine. From the hill country at tho hack of the Unks a glorious panorama unfolded itsolh io the west tho sea had a deep bine tinge; to the north tho snow-capped peak of Mount Egmont glinted in tho sunlight; while to the east the lino of Ruahino and Tararua Ranges stood out boldly. | In this fair setting Arthur Duncan (Wellington) and Jack Goss (Wanganui) fought out the most thrilling battle which has ever been seen in the final for tile amateur "olf championship of the dominion. The fact that one of the contestants was a local man caused a gallery of several hundred people to follow the pair as they sot off on the morning round at 10 O’clock. Mr F. C. Fryer (Hastings) accompanied them as tho referee. I Gass started off in brilliant _ fashion by winning tho first two holes in 4 s -one j under bogev. Gosh sank a 9ft putt for a ; win at the first hole. At the second (500yds) both got good drives and long seconds. Local knowledge stood to Goss bore, as ho’ pitched his third on to the side of the hill, and it ran down on to tho i green and pulled up sft from tho pin. Duncan was also on in 3, hut Goss, who was hitting his putts with delightful accuraev and firmness, ran a five-fooler for a brilliant 4. Duncan asserted himself at; the third hole (360yds). After long drives, Goss landed a splendid iron second on the middle of tho green. Duncan's second was off to tho left, but he played a dainty mashie approach to within oft of the cup, ■ and took the hole with a solid 4, Goss missing a 4ft putt for tho half. . I They halved tho short fourth in 3, both | plumping tec shots on the green. Goss; got off the lino with his drive going to tho fifth, and got a lad lie, hooking his brassie second almost at right angles. Duncan; topped his iron second, which ran into the pit banker to the right of tho green. Goss was too strong with his third, which ran , through tho green. Duncan played an ex- ’ plosion shot out of the bunker to the I centre of the green, and took tho hole in 5 to 7, Goss being all at sea on the green.

ALL SQUARE* A,GAIN. Goss was playing great golf, and landed hia second on tho centre of the green : '396yds), Duncan was short with his ap- j proaoh putt, and Goss drew ahead again by taking the hole in 4 to 5. Tho Wanganui man drew 2 up by taking the •eventh in 4 to 5, Duncan being timid with his approach putt, and missing ono of Bft.

DUNCAN’S BETB NOIR. Land’s End is Duncan’s bete noir. This is where) he pulled three balls in succession oft’ the tee in the final round of the open championship (he previous Saturday, Re repeated the performance to-day. Goss nulled his iron second, and nearly found the hunker. Duncan played n splendid iron third to within 4yds of the pm, but missed the putt, and Goss drew 3 up in 4 to 5. Both were on from the tee at the start of the ninth. Goss, is a beautiful putter, lipped the hole with a 9ft effort, The hole was halved in 3. GOSS 3 UP AT TURN. Goss had taken 38 and Duncan 40 for the run out, and Goss was 3 up at the ‘urn. The holder of the title lost an opportunity at Long Tom (478yds). He ■vas on the green with his second, 4yds from the pin, bn* made a very weak approach putt, enabling to stymie him. With his fifth shot, in attempting to get nast, Duncan knocked Goss’s bail into the hole, and followed in himself, half in 5 going down on the card. Goss was too lusty off the eleventh tee, mid his ball found the hunker beyond the green. He got out with a clever explosion shot with his niblick; but Duncan ■aid his approach putt dead, and took the hole in 5 to 4. Duncan had a bad lapse hero, topping his drivo to the top of the hill, and badly foozling his second. Goss kept a perfect line from tee to pin, and was in the centre of the green with ids second. Duncan played ft pretty third, but Goss sank a 12ft putt for a solid 4—■ one under bogey —and drew 3 up again. Both hit screaming drives down on to the Main from tho high thirteenth tee, and Rosa found the pot bunker on the loft with his second. Duncan was pin-high on tho left edge of the green. Goss showed that lie had a good variety of shots in his bag by playing a clever explosive shoE with Ids niblick out of tho bunker, and having his ball 6ft from the pin. Duncan wan short with his approach putt, and failed to find the cup with his fourth; while Goss rattled down a 6ft putt for a win, making him 4 up. Goss topped his tee shot at French Pass, and it just jumped tho bunker. Duncan was on nicely from the tee, and took tho hole in 3 to 4. Goss sliced his tee shot at Bunker’s Hill right over beyond the fourteenth too, but recovered with a long braesie second which hurdled too bunker I to tho right of the green. Duncan pulled 1 his iron second into the rough, and his i third just reached tho green, A half in I bogey 5 was recorded.

CLASSICAL GOLF. Classical crolf was witnessed at Cabbage Tree (401yds), where both wore on with their seconds, and they took the regulation two putts. Both smacked screaming drives off the seventeenth ten, Duncan being within 9ft of the pin with his second, and Goss on the edge of the green to tho right. Cess laid up dead with his approach putt, but Duncan ran down a nine-footer for a win in a brilliant 3 to 4, Both were on in 2 at the home hole, but Duncan was suffering from putting paralysis, and after missing a couple gave Goss a 2ft putt for a win in 4 .to 5. Goss thus finished 5 up on the morning round. Both had taken 38 strokes coining m, giving the Wanganui man 76 and Duncan 78 for tho round. THE CRUCIAL ROUND. A crowd of 600 people followed tho pair as they set out on the second stage of the journey after lunch. Ropes were out to control the crowd, who were very well behaved, the majority understanding tho game. Both pulled their tco shots at tho nineteenth, but reached the edge of the green with their seconds. A half in bogey 5 followed, Duncan lipping the hole from 5 ft.

Spanking drives and long seconds saw both at the foot of the hill, but Duncan failed by a foot to reach the elevated green with a roashie pitch, and the ball rolled downhill again. Goss pitched on, but his ball ran through tho green and hung up above. Duncan played a dainty little maahie pitch to within sft of tho pin. Gass also pitched on the gre-en with a mashis shot, but the ball got a nasty little kick and ran off (ho Line, causing him to miss his putt. Duncan ran his down, taking Die hole in 5 to 6. Both pla.yed sparkling coif at, tho twenty-second (360yds), which was halved in 4—one under bogev. They also halved tho short twenty-third in 3, and the Redan in bogev 5. Goss had the advantage by 30yds off the twenty-fourth tee, and was still this distance'ahead after they had played their seconds. They were both on in 3, but Duncan ran clown an Bft putt for s. win in 4 to 5, Goss lipping the hole with his putt. This reduced the Wanganui man’s lead to 1 up. Again it looked as if Duncan was going to square the game at the twenty-fifth, as he was within 4yds of the pin with a beautiful mashie second. Goss had a rocky passage at this hole. He pulled his te© shot into the long marram grass, and duffed his second from an impossible lie. He reached tho edge of the green with 1% third, and laid his approach putt dead.

Duncan was again seized with putting paralysis, and took three putts to travel 12ft, and allowed Goss to halve the hole.

DUNCAN DRAWS AHEAD

Duncan outdrove his opponent by 50yds off the next tee, Goss slicing to a bad lie in the long grass of the fairway, lie hit a long shot into tho fern to tho loft of tho green. Duncan played a perfect mashio pitch shot to within syda of tho pin, and took tho hole in 4 to 5, thus squa.ring_ tho match onco more. Duncan was on Horn, the too at the next hole, while Goss failed to get up. Goss missod a sft putt, and tho Wellington player drew ahead for tho first time in the match by taking the hole in 3 to 4.

It now looked as if the Wanganui man was cracking up, aa ho sliced hia second into the natural bunker. Duncan played a good iron second, and laid his third 3yds from tho pin. Goss failed badly in his short work on this green, and Durban drew 2 up in 5 to 6. Duncan was too strong off tho next tee, and ran through the green into tho hunker. Ho played out well, but missed a sft putt, and Goss captured tho hole in 3 to 4. The Wanganui man crashed badly at Alma. He pulled His too shot badly over the ridge, and hooked hig second nearly into tho gorso forest. After playing two more in the rough ho abandoned tho hole. Duncan meanwhile had got a beautiful drive, and pitched his second dead beside tho pin, scoring a par 5 for the 590yds hole. Duncan was swinging along in groat stylo. Ho heat Goss off the too at tho Encampment by 30yds, and tho Wanganui man placed a long iron second into the bunker to the right of tho green. Ho failed to get out at the first attempt, and look 4 to reach the green. Duncan holed in 4, and was thus 5 up with only 5 to go. GOSS RECOVERS AND WINS. It looked to bo all over “bar thff shout, ing," but the ex-soldier bad not done lighting yet. Duncan hooked his iron shot at French Pass into the ditch under tho pines, but played a clover second to tho green. Goss, however, was on the edge of tho green, and won the hole in 3 bo 4. Duncan 2 up. Again Goss got a beautiful drive at Bunker’s Hill clown the centre of the fairway, while Duncan just cleared tho edge, and hooked his second to the rough, with tho hunkier between him and the green. Goss was on the green in 2, and caused interest to flare up afresh by winning the hole in ", to 5, and reducing Duncan’s load to 1 up. Again Goss pulled his drive into the rough off the fairway, while Duncan got a beauty straight down the middle of the fairway. Tho Wanganui man played a masterly brassie shot from tho rough to the edge of the green. There was great excitement when Duncan topped his iron shot into the bunker on the right. Goss made no mistake, and called up loud applause by squaring the match, taking the hole in 4 to 5. The crowd streamed along tho fairway in tho greatest excitement to watch tho drives from tho thirty-fifth too. Goss hit a beauty, but Duncan, though ho got a long ba.ll, sliced into the dip under tho hillock on tho right. Ho played a good one to tho edge of the green, but Goss aroused enthusiasm by planting his second fair in the centre of the green. Duncan lay dead with his approach putt, hut Goss went one bettor by running down a putt of 20ft for a brilliant 3, thus placing himself dormy 1. Both got good drives going to tho thirty-sixth, and the big crowd watched them play their seconds with hated breath. Goss planed his safely on. "That’s finished it!” delightedly exclaimed a Wanganui player. A SPORTING FINISH. Duncan’s only hope now was to land his second dead for a " as a half was no good to him now. Ho played, but it was not ono of his peerless approach shots. The ball landed near the y*in, but failed' to pull up. Goss made matters secure by laying his approach putt 2ft from tho pin. Duncan made a valiant attempt to hole a 50ft putt for a win, and when he failed, like the good sportenyin he is, ho picked up Goss’s ball, threw it to him, and then warmly grasped the now champion by tlic hand. CHAIRED IN TRIUMPH.

The victory of the local man was hailed with tho greatest enthusiasm, and ho was carried in triumph amidst-cheering up tho hill to tho club-house.

John Goss, the new champion, is a native of Wanganui, and has been a regular and consistent performer at New Zealand tournaments for many years past. He has a lithe, tall, athletic figure, with easy, graceful style, and possesses a wide variety of shots. Ho is a beautiful puller, and it was his deadly work on the greens that earned him tho title. that lie lost an eye in tho war, lie must bo acknowledged to be a wonderful player. Both men showed fine fighting spirit, and tho match was generally conceded to be one of tho best finals in the long series of battles for tho championship. When it is remembered that Duncan did 76 in the afternoon and was beaten, some idea of Goss’a calibre can he gathered. Goss’s card in tho morning rend : Out—--445374443, 58 ; in—544445M4, 53.

Duncan’s card in tiro afternoon was Out-554354543, 38; in—543445544, 38.

It was Goss’s magnificent fighting finish of 54434 over tho last five holes which won him the championship ; and .Arthur Duncan remarked that tin men who could do the last five holes of die chamionship in 0 under 4’s deserved tho title.