GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

Evening Star, Issue 19062, 3 October 1925, Page 3

GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

YESTERDAY’S PLAY MOSS WINS PROFESSIONAL EVENT DUNCAN AND HORTON TO FIGHT OUT AMATEUR FINAL [Special to the ‘Stab.’] CHRISTCHURCH, October 2. The weather was in its kindest mood to-day for the continuation of the Now Zealand golf championship at Shirley, the atmosphere being clear and the sun warm, while the wind, which blew from the north-east in the morning and subsequently changed to north-west, was never strong enough to affect the play one way or the other. Great interest was shown in the final of the professional championship, which was won by IS. J. Moss, ol Auckland, who, after being down on tho morning round, outplayed H. R. Blair, of Christchurch, in the afternoon, and won by a margin of 4 up and 11 to play. Most people expected Moss to retain the title, which he has held for some time, but when Blair played sowed against him in the morning round it seemed not unlikely that the local player would defeat him. However, the hopes that such would he tho case were shaken when at tho turn in the afternoon the Auckland professional had nob only wiped out his deficit, but was actually 2 up. Moss won the next hole, and, flie next four being halved, it appeared that unless Moss wore to go to pieces or Blair to play extraordinarily well the championship would not change hands. Blair throw away all his chances of success by missing two putts at the thirty-third hole, Moss thus winning the game and tho championship. In the semi-final of the amateur championship A. D. S. Duncan (Wellington) defeated A. E. Conway (Wellington) by 4 up and 3 to play, and T Horton (Masterton) beat Dr K. Ross (Dunedin) by 2 up and 1 to play. The final between the two North Islanders should provide a great finish. Should Duncan win the occasion will he the tenth on which ho has been tho amateur champion of the dominion. BLAIR AND MOSS Some splendid golf was seen in the match between Blair and Moss. _ At tho turn Blair was 3 up. At the thirteenth hole Blair stymied himself with his second, Moss’s'second lying dead. With a shot that only a finished golfer could play Blair jumped over his opponent’s ball to hole out in 3, and halved. The round finished 1 np in favor of Blair. Unfortunately for Blair, he was unable to reproduce his form in the atternoon, while Moss played with greater steadiness, and had not proceeded far before he had assumed the lead, after which he never lost it, winning the match at the fifteenth hole, Blair commenced badly, losing the nineteenth hole by missing a 3ft putt, Moss taking **o hole in 3, and making the scores all square. At the twentieth both seconds landed on the fairway within 2ft of each other. Moss pulled his third from a bad lie and found the bunker, taking 2 to clear. Blair sank his ball in 5, Moss requiring 6. Binir was 1 up. At Te Oranga both seconds were short, and Blair missed a 411 putt, Moss, who had a similar shot, winning in 4 to Blair’s 5, making the scores all square again. The next hole was halved in s’s., At Wilson’s Blair’s approach left him with a 9ft putt, which he sank, Moss taking a stroke more. Blair 1 np. Both players were on tho green in 2, Moss holing out in 4 to Blair's 5, making the scores all square again. The next hole was halved in 3’s, and at Land’s End Blair played through tho green with his third, Moss’s similar shot being nicely on. Moss took the itolc in 5 to Blair’s 6, and took tho lead for the first time in the game. Moss played a pretty second to the edge of the green at Farthest North. Blair’s approach took him to within 10ft of tho pin, and his putt for 4 stopped on the edge of the hole. Moss sank his ball in 4, and was thus 2 up at the turn. At Mairohnu Blair pulled his drive well out and fluffed his third into the hunker, giving the hole to Moss, who was on the green in 2. Moss 3 np. Blair's second was on tho green, Moss reaching the edge of the green. Blair missed a long putt, and Moss’s putt ringed the cup of tho hole, as a result of which he halved in 5. Both seconds were just short at the thirtieth. A loss overran the pin by 3ft with his approach putt, and his second putt stopped just short. Moss also missed a short one, and the hole was halved in s’s. Crossways was halved in 3’s. At Upshot Blair took 4 to _ get on the green, Moss getting there in 5. The hole was halved in 4’s. At the thirty-third both were on the green with their seconds. Blair missed an excellent chance of halving by playing two bad putts, and Moss took the hole 4-5, and the gamc, which ended 4 up and 3 to play. THE CHAMPION'S CAREER. E. J. Moss was born at Nottingham, England, and commenced his career as a caddie. He emigrated to Australia in 1910, and started on the Kiilara links, New South Wales, as assistant to Frank O’Brien, subsequently becoming assistant to D. G. Sou tar, who won the open championship of Australia at Mauley in 1920. Moss came to New Zealand to join tho Auckland Golf Club, with whom he has remained ever since. Moss has won the professional championship three times in succession—at Wanganui, at Auckland, and now at Christchurch—which is a record. He won tho open championship at Auckland last year, and four years ago was runner-up at Christchurch. ROSS AND HORTON. In the morning round between Dr Ross and Horton both men played below championship form, and it was evident that the strain was beginning to 101 l on both players. Both played well from tees. Horton getting in some fine long drives; but the putting was generally poor, particularly on tho outward trip. Ross was unfortunate in being stymied four times during the course of tho round. Horton was 1 up at the turn in the morning round, and 3 up at the eighteenth hole. Continuing in the afternoon, Horton defeated Ross 2 up and 1 to play, Ross commenced confidently and played well on the outward trip, and at the turn, after being 2 down in the morning round, was 1 up on Horton. From there on he played poor golf, particularly on tho greens, and Horton forged ahead. Horton was dormy 2 at the sixteenth hole. Driving from the seventeenth tee Ross got nicely on the green. Horton played through the green to the bunker. His shot from there brought him near the edge of tho green. He made a nice approach putt, and went down in 4. Ross played a nice approach putt, but failed dismally with his third, which he should have put down to win the hole, which was halved in 4, leaving Horton 2 up and 1. DUNCAN AND CONWAY. The morning round between A. D. S. Duncan and A. E. Conway produced indifferent golf for the first nine holes, but thereafter Duncan improved, and won 4 up. In the afternoon round of tho match neither man played very good golf. At the ninth hole Duncan was 4 up. Both men were on the tenth green in 2. Conway was close up with his third. Duncan missed his putt, and Conway went down to win, 4-5. At, the eleventh Duncan got well away. He played a good second, and

was on the green with his third. Conwav got badly blinkered, and, after failing with his shots from there, gave np the hole. Duncan reached the twelfth green with his second. Conway had a bad lie from his drive, but made a fine shot which brought him to tho green, and tho hole was halved in 4. At tho thirteenth both players drove to the green. Duncan missed his putt, and Conway wont down to win, 3-4. Dunban, reached the fourteenth green with his third. Conway’s third lay at the foot of a bunker. Ho just managed to climb'the bunker with his fourth, and his putt went short. Duncan won tho hole, 5-6. Tho score was now dormy 4. , ~ . , Both played well at the fifteenth, but bv halving tho hole with 4 Duncan won tho match, 4 up and 3.