GOLF

Evening Star, Issue 22193, 22 November 1935, Page 4

GOLF

[By Slice.] Great interest is being shown in the Otago Club’s championships i;..w being played, and the first round of match play has proved that the younger players of the club are as good or better than some of the more seasoned players with reputations. The first round of match play was not a consistent one as far as the respective strengths of the players were concerned. Probably never in the history of the championship have the handicaps of the players who have qualified varied so much. The first player to qualify, A. Gibbs, was defeated by the promising youngster, T. C. Tyrell. It will be remembered that this lad with the easy swing and confident style defeated J. A. Scouler in the last Easter tournament, and was then defeated by K, A. Ross by a narrow margin. Tyrell defeated the University man by 3 and 2, and his future progress will be keenly watched. JAW. M‘lntosh had a very close match with W. S. Stewart, in which the latter was 2 up at the end of the first four holes. M'lntosh was lup and 2to go, and managed to hold his advantage. Wight and Sconler had a hard battle, in which there was nothing in it most of the way. Wight held on to a.l up lead at the critical time on the homeward journey. H. J. Dodgshun was going very well when he disposed of A. C. Begf' by 5 and 4. He holed an approximate 77—good going in the wind. Dodgshun is playing very surely these days.

R. R. Aspinall, jun., created a surprise when he defeated J. C. Dick by 2 >up, Aspinall has improved in “punch ” and consistency of late, and has largely got rid of his tendency to looseness which was causing his shots to stray. In defeating Dick he disposed of a player who has been consistently in the seventies of late. A. G. Sime played surely when he disposed of J. H M'Dougall 4 and 3. Sime wags a deadly putter, and a chip and a putt often have a disconcerting influence on an opponent’s play. K. Ross disposed of H. J. Pollock in a match in which the younger player missed some golden opportunities in short putts. Pollock was 2 up at the fourth, but spoiled his promising beginning by losing a sequence of holes from the fifth to the tenth. Ross several times demonstrated his mastery in the short game by chipping dead. Tipperary was rather a re-

markable hole. Ross was well short in 3 while Pollock was about 20fi from the pin. Ross holed his approach, and Pollock promptly holed out for a half in a birdie 4.

T. B. Ferguson won his first round match by default, and the eyes of manv will be on him in view of the Dominion-wide reputation he made for, himself at Shirley. The first round of the Balmacewen Cup was also played, and; it appears that L. B. Whinam will be an especially hot favourite. Whinam has a nica easy style, and is an improving player, A. Gill also had an easy first round win.

The veterans’ cup is giving added interest this year, and in the first ■round the matches were fairly close. Survivors are T. S. : Cantrell, R. G. Sinclair, A. Barnett, G. L. Ferguson, and G. A. Russell. At the St, Clair Club a match was played between teams picked by tha captain (J. E. Macassey) and the de-puty-captain _ (D. C. Bennie). Tha deputy-captain’s team scored a win by 14 games to 10, and five games finished all square. A most remarkable feature of the match was the closeness of tha scoring in each game, the majority finishing on the last two greens., The New Year tournament at St. Clair is invariably a popular fixture.All players putt well on St. Clair greens.

Glenn ' Wade, the wrestler, was smiting the elusive pill at St. Glair over last week-end. Golf seems to be a favourite form of relaxation with the “ matmen.” Ole ‘Andreson plays and also Lofty Blomfield. ' Although fine, a strong nor-easterly wind had an adverse effect on the play, in the stroke handicap on the Belleknowes course last Saturday afternoon. This, however, did not seriously; trouble Geo. Bell, who played steady golf to return an excellent 73, which’ from the 16 mark gave him a win with a nett 57. and his success^ was- well deserved. Another who played well was Rodie MTver, who did a nett 60 from a similar handicap. Only six other# broke 80, the rest of the scores ranging up to 90 or worse. At present' tha course is in fine order, especially the greens which have responded to treatment, and now have a good sole of grass, and the thanks of the members are due to those responsible, for their condition. It is the committee’s intention to build a large putting green, and to also enlarge the clubhouse in the near future, the latter being very essential owing to the large membership. Another “hole in one” was .recorded during the week, when Sid Little committed bis second offence this, season. As he was a good host on the previous, occasion, it is rumoured there will be a' large entry for the Stableford bogey handicap on the' 30th, on which date the feat is to be _ celebrated. 'The match on the programme for to-morrow is an L.G.U., for which a good entry has been received.