CHAMPION GOLFER

Evening Star, Issue 19387, 22 October 1926, Page 14

CHAMPION GOLFER

CONTEST AT MIRAMAR SHAW BEATS MOSS [Special to tub ‘ Star.'] t WELLINGTON, October 22. ,A new New Zealand champion arose at Miramar yesterday, when A. J. Shaw, the unattached Wellington professional, who tied with E. J. Moss, of Auckland (last year’s professional champion), for the New Zealand open championship last week-end, defeated the Aucklander in a thrilling play-off over eighteen holes by 76 strokes to 80. Though troubled with his putts for the first few holes, _ Shaw eventually found touch, and, gaining confidence as the match proceeded, produced high-class golf, and went on strongly to make himself premier golfer of the dominion for the 1926 season. The largo gallery which followed the game enjoyed the battle of skill between the two leading professionals of the dominion. MOSS OPENS STRONGLY. Moss had the honor off the first tee, and despatched a good ono with the strong following northerly wind. Shaw pulled his drive, but got a good second._ Moss nearly found the bunker with his second, but played a perfect mashie pitch with his third to within 6ft of the pin. Shaw was short with his approach, but laid his putt 2ft from tho cup. Moss, however, sank a oft putt, and took the hole in 4 to 5. Both played wind-cheaters of perfect direction at the second, Shaw having the advantage by about 25yds. Moss took his brassio for his second shot, and played a Ic.w ball, which had a bit of luck, as it ran over the bunker on to tho green, Shaw took an iron for his second, but was short. He played a perfect mashie third to within 4ft of tho pin, and looked good for a half, but missed the putt, and Moss took the hole in 4 to 5, thus placing himself two holes to tho good. With tho strong northerly behind them both got screaming drives off the third tee, Shaw having the advantage by 20yds. Moss pushed out his wooden second to the right, while Shaw laid his second with an iron nicely on the green. Moss, however, played a masterly mashie pitch to within 3ft of the pin, which enabled him to get a half m 4. With tho strong wind behind them both were a trifle strong at tho fourth (209yds). Shaw was short with his mashie approach against the wind, and Moss, evidently determined not to make the same mistake,' put a hit too much steam behind his approach putt, and enabled Shaw to register a half in 4. Facing tho wind at the fifth (280yds), Moss was woefully short with his mashie approach, while Shaw played a beauty to within sft of the pin. Moss played a perfect run-up approach, but Shaw slammed down Ids putt for a perfect 3, reducing Moss’s lead to 1. Shaw was faulty in direction at the short sixth, and planked his fee shot into tho pot bunker to the left of the green. Moss was short from the tee, but made a. perfect approach, which laid his ball dead. Shaw recovered with an admirable shot out of the hunker, but lost his advantage by failing to hole a 2ft putt. Moss took tho hole in 3 to 4, and was 2 up again. Shaw’s weak putting up to this stage was occasioning his supporters much concern. Going to tho dreaded “Hillside,” Moss sliced Ids drive into the sand bunker, while Shaw played a booming drive straight down the centre of tho fairway. only .got 50yds with his second, but played a clever mashio slice round the brow of the hill with hi.s third. Shaw played a humming brassio second, and laid Ida third handy with tho mashie. _ Moss made a line recovery by laying bis pitch, and ran a mashio fourth dead. Shaw missed tho putt, and 6’s were recorded.

Both pot great drives off the elevated tee at the eighth hole, the two pills carrying tho ridge. Shaw again had the advantage, and was better oiT si 111 when Moss ran well past the pin with his mashio approach. Shaw played a dainty run up, and took tho hole (280yds) in 3 to 4. Both hit good tee shots going to tho ninth, but failed to get green high with their seconds. Moss played a weak approach, while Shaw laid his dead. Moss wont to pieces on tho green, taking three putts, and the hole wont to Shaw in 4 to a disastrous 6 by Mobs. Shaw thus got his noso in front for tho first time, having taken thirtysoven strokes for tho run out to Moss’s thirty-eight. THE HOME JOURNEY.

Both were troubled by tho wind going to tho tenth. Shaw hooked ids brassio second into the rough, while Moss popped his second into a pot bunker to tho rigid of tho fairway. Both recovered well and halved tho hole in bogey 5. Shaw was now playing with more confidence, and hit a screaming drive off the eleventh tee. Moss, who had been driving well, badly topped his tee shot into the rough and only got a short distance with his second. The Auckland man, however, atoned with a sterling brassie third, Shaw played a beautiful brassie second straight as an arrow for the pin. Moss took three more to find the cup, and the hole wont to Shaw in .a perfect 4, the local man rattling down a 12ft putt. Another disastrous 6 went down on Moss’s card, which placed Shaw three strokes ahead.

Both failed to get the strength at tho short twelfth, Shaw being too strong and Moss not up. They both played perfect approaches, however, and halved in bogey 3. Stirring golf was witnessed at “ The Outlook” (380yds). Booming drives wore followed by beautifully placed seconds, the hole being halved in 4, one under bogey. Going to the fourteenth (160yds) Shaw failed to get up with his iron, while Moss, who elected to take a spoon, found the guarding bunker to the left of the green. Shaw laid up handily, but Moss, to the surprise of everyone, chipped out of tho bunker so strongly that his ball scuttled across the green like a startled jack rabbit and disappeared into tho bunker on the other side. He reached the green with his third; and made a valiant attempt to retrieve the position with - a long putt, just stopping on the lip of tho hole’. Shaw presented Moss with a stroke on this green by failing to sink a sft putt, but took the hole in 4 to 5, both being over bogey. Shaw pulled his tee shot at the fifteenth, while Moss placed his ball in a good position in the Gap. In attempting to loft over tho hill Shaw placed his ball on the sixteenth tee on the top of the hill above the green, and Moss was short with hi s second, while Shaw had a narrow escape of running off the green down on to the plain below with his third, tho ball pulling up a few feet from the brink. Shaw made a clever approach putt, and the hole was halved in 5. They made no mistakes at the sixteenth (325yds), which was halved in bogey 4. Shaw here had a bit of luck with his mashio second, which failed to rise, but scuttled over the hillock and pulled up on the green. Shaw had the advantage of the wooden play at the seventeenth (470 yds), but Moss came to light with a nice iron third, which landed his ball on the green, and a half in bogey 5 went down. Shaw had a lead of 4 strokes when the pair teed up-for tho Inst hole. Nothing short of a disastrous crash could now rob the Wellington man of victory. He did not crash, however, but if anything was inside Moss. Going to the green and sinking a 12ft putt for a slie made tho game secure. Moss also sank a long putt for a 5. Shaw .thus became champion golfer

of the dominion for the first time, having won the play-off by 76 strokes to 80. _ Shaw’s win was most popular. He was seized by a host of supporters and chaired, and in this commanding position was snapped by a band of camera fiends. Moss also came in for congratulations for the gallant fight he had put up. Shaw deserves the honor of leading golfer of the dominion, as he has played most consistent golf throughout the tournament. Of fine physique, ho will improve with the passing of the seasons, and may bo depended upon to retain a foremost place in New Zealand golf for many years to come. Moss is better known, as he won the open championship in 1924, and has been professional champion more than once. [Pten United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, October 21. The sixth day of the tourney is usually a quiet day, allowing the semifinalists in the amateur championship and the finalists in the professional championship a spell preparatory to their final efforts. To-day was an exception, as one of the finalists in the professional match had to face a very strenuous gamo in the deciding tie between A. J. Shaw and E. J. Moss for the open championship, which was played over eighteen holes, and was won by A. J. Shaw. A strong northerly breeze was blowing, otherwise the scores would have been slightly better. A stroke handicap was played, and there was a driving competition. In the driving competition the longest single drive was done by Kapi Tarcha (271yds). The average of two best drives was secured by D. 0. Whyte (521yds). The second bogey handicap tie between A. Stichbury, F. Fryer, and J. Doeph was won by A. Stichbury, with F. Fryer second. The Australians will not go away empty-handed Colonel Steele (Victoria) winning the stroke handicap. A great game between Shaw and MRntosh is looked for' in the final of the professional championship. Both men are brilliant, and apparently at the top of their form. Tho game yesterday was played in tho remarkably fast time of Ihr 55min, and this with a large gallery to deal with.

Tho following have been winners of tho Open Championship—: 1907 A. D. S. Duncan, Wellington, 1908— M. A. Clements, Wanganui. 1909 *J. A. Clements, Wanganui. .1910—A. W. S. Duncan, Wellington. 1911— A. D. S. Duncan, Wellington. 1912 *J. A. Clements. Christchurch. 1913 E. S. Douglas, Nelson. 1914 — *E. S. Douglas, Wanganui. 1915 to 1919—N0 competition. 1919 *E. S. Douglas, Miramar (after a tie with S. Morpeth). 1920 *J. H. Kirkwood. Australia. 1921 *E. S. Douglas, Miramar. 1922 *A. Brooks, flutt. 1929—*A. Brooks. Hntt. 1924- *E. J. Moss, Middlcmoro. 1925- M. Macfarlano, Christchurch.' 1926- A. J. Shaw, Wellington. a. professional.