N.Z. GOLF TOURNEY

Evening Star, Issue 19061, 2 October 1925, Page 5

N.Z. GOLF TOURNEY

PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINALS YESTERDAY .WINS FOR MOSS AND BLAIR. [Special to the ‘Star.'] CHRISTCHURCH, October 1. Conditions were almost perfect for the sixth day of the New Zealand golf championship meeting at Shirley Links to-day, and some magnificent play was seen in the semi-finals of the professional championship, which were fought out between E J. Moss and J. M‘lntosh, and between A. J. Shaw and H. R. Blair. The latter game was, in fact, the best that has so far been seen at the meeting. Shaw was 2 up at the commencement of the afternoon, and it was thought by most of thosq present that he would be able to maintain bis lead throughout. Such, however, was not to be the case, even although Shaw’s play showed no sign of deterioration at any stage of the match. It was not until the thirteenth hole had been reached that Blair commenced to threaten Shaw’s position. Blair won this hole, 6-6. Blair then halved in fours, and did likewise at the following hole. Blair took the next hole, making Shaw 1 up. At “Old Nick” they were all square, and, thanks to a beautiful mashie from a hunker, Blair was able to finish all square at the last hole. Two further holes had to bo played before the match was decided, Blair winning it after one of the finest finishes soon at Shirley. THE PLAY DESCRIBED BLAIR v. SHAW. The weather was again fine, and an easterly was blowing, but it caused no concern to the players. At tHo end of the morning round Shaw was 2 up on Blair, Coming homo Shaw did 4,4, 6, 4,6, 4,4, 3, 4 —37, taking 75 for the round, while Blair came homo in C, 4, 4,3, o, 6,4, 4, 3—37, taking 78 for the round. When the afternoon round was commenced the players were followed by a small gallery, but as the game reached its finishing stages several hundred spectators watched their strokes. Blair made a good start, winning the first hole, 4-5. Shaw 1 up. Blair took tho next,, making the scores all square. Te Orauga was halved in fours, and tho Narrows in a similar number of strokes. At Wilson’s Blair his drive, and with his second just missed a bunker. Shaw’s drive was well down the fairway, and lie readied the green in 2, tho hole being halved in fours. Blair’s second found a hunker, guarding tho green at the sixth, but with his mashie he cleared with a, masterly shot. Shaw, who was at tho green in 2, holed an Bft putt to win in 3. Shaw 1 up. Tho seventh was halved in threes, and tho eighth in fours. Shaw found the bunker at the Farthest North, and Blair duffed his approach. Shaw holed out in 6 to Blair’s 7, making him 2 up at tho turn.

At the tenth Blair’s second stopped just short of the creek, and he reached the green in 3. Shaw missed a 4ft putt for 4, Blair taking the hole, 4-5. Shaw 1 up. Shaw won the next In 3, Blair taking 4. Bad play by Blair at Terra Nova allowed Shnw to win in 5, as against 6, making him 3 up._ Blair won the Crossways with a beautiful Bft putt in 2—one under bogey, Shaw_re T quiring 3. Blair’s second was just short of bunker, Shaw’s finding the green. Shaw missed his putt, and Blair halved in fours with a beautiful downhill putt. At O’Rorke’s Blair was on tho green in 2. Shaw’s drive found a bunker, but he cleared with a good mashie shot, tho hole being halved in fours. Both found the rough with drives of 300yds each, and were on tho green in 2. Shaw missed a 6ft putt, and Blair took the hole in 4. Shaw 1 up. At “ Old Nick ” Blair’s second lay within 2ft of the pin, Shaw being another foot away. Blair made no mistake with his putt, but Shaw made a bad miss, losing tho hole, 3-4, and making the score all square. At tho lasthqlo Blair’s drive found the rough, Shaw being nicely on the fairway, Shaw’s second being on tho green, and Blair’s in a bunker halfway up the side. With a magnificent niblick shot he cleared from a difficult position, and lay a foot from the hole, which was halved in 4, amidst great applause. Corning to the Farthest South again, Blair was on tho green with his first, Shaw being short. Both holed out in threes, leaving them all square again. Tho Aiatch was finished at tho next hole, a 12ft putt hy_ Shaw lipping the cup of the hole, Blair sinking his ball in 5, and winning, 1 up. Blair came homo in 35, and Shaw in 38. MOSS v. M'INTOSH. In the morning round Moss finished 2 up on AFlntosh. In the afternoon round some very good golf was witnessed by those who followed Moss and APintosh. Moss played very well from the tee, but M‘lntosh was still erratic with his drives. On the greens both men putted poorly going_ out, but did bettor on tho homo trip. M‘lntosh seemed to be a temperamental player, and was visibly affected by tho occasion.

Both got away well from tho_ first too, and tlio hole was halved in 4. After slicing his drive to the rough M'lntosh put his second in the ditch. Playing another ball, ho got well up, and was on the green with his next. Moss was on the green in 3, His putt struck M'lntosh’s ball, but ho holed in 4 to win. M'lntosn’s drive again took him off the fairway, but ho played a good second to the green. Moss played a bad second, which he pulled to "the side of the green, and after Moss had missed an easy putt M'lntosh went down to win 4-5. Both got away well from the tee and were on the green in 2. Mo,ss lay nearer the hole, but M'lntosh made a good attempt with his third, and was unlucky not to go down. The hole was halved in 4. At the fifth M'lntosh pulled to the rough, and Ids second just cleared on the bunker to find another. Moss was also bunkered with, his second. Ho made a better recovery than M'lntosh, and won the hole 5-6. Good drives were followed by nice approaches. M'lntosh, lying very close to the holo, stymied Moss, whoso ball struck his opponent’s. M'lntosh missed his putt, and the hole was halved in 4. Prom the seventh tec both men reached the green. Both made nice approach putts, but Moss badly missed an easy one, and M'lntosh won the hjle 3-4. At the eighth M'lntosh played a fine second to near the green, and, taking his putter, ho played short and just got on the green. Both were near the pin with the fourth, but Moss missed a 4ft putt, and M'lntosh won 5-6. At the ninth M'lntosh found the bunker with his drive, and was not on the green till his. 4th. Moss once again missed an easy putt, and M'lntosh halved in 5. Moss was now 1 up. At the tenth both were on the green in 2. M'lntosh played a poor approach putt, but had bad luck with his next, which lipped the bole. Moss went down in 4 to win. At the Nor’-west M'lntosh drove into the rough, but made a good recovery, and both were on the green noth their seconds. M'lntosh holed a beautiful 15ft putt, but Moss retaliated with a 10ft putt, and the hole was halved with an excellent 3. This hole was the best of tho match. Both men woro playing perfect golf. At the twelfth Moss found the bunker, and bis approach from there ran through the green. M'lntosh played a short third and missed a long putt. Moss also missed, and M'lntosh sank U> win 6-6. The thirtieth was halved

in 3. Both men got away well from the fourteenth tee. M‘lntosh played his second to ' a bunker, hut a brilliant recovery put him on the green well up. "Moss played his third to within a few feet of the green, about 40ft from the hole. He made a remarkably well-judged approach putt, the hall running round the slope of the green to find the hole. It was tho most sensational shot of the match. M‘lntosh failed, and Moss took the hole 4-6. After good drives both overran the green with their iron shots. M‘lntosh’s approach putt ran well past the pin. He had had luck with his next, which lipped the hole. Moss missed two putts, and the hole was halved in 5. Both played well at the seventeenth, and the hole was Jialved in 4, making the score dormie 2. At the seventeenth M‘lntosh found the hunker with his drive. He just managed to get out with his niblick. His approach putt took him very near the hole, hut Moss, whoso drive was on the green, also approached very near the pin, and M'lntosh gave up the hole, and Moss won the match 3 up and 1, thus qualifying for the final. PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. * —Semi-finals.— E. J. Moss beat J. M'Tntosh, 3 and 1. H. R. Blair heat A. J. Shaw, 1 up at thirty-eighth. STROKE HANDICAP. L. H. Campbell ... 72 G. J. Templeton 74 OPEN DRIVING COMPETITION. Best Average, Four Drives. G. M. Ritchie, 261, I.' L. T. Quinn, 253, 2 F. C. Fryer, 251, 3. AIR R. C. KIRK’S SPECIAL PRIZE. For Individual Drive. G. W. Ritchie. 269yds, Kapi Tareha, 267yds.