CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF

Evening Star, Issue 22229, 6 January 1936, Page 4

CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF

' DUNEDIN AMATEUR FINAL A. G. SiME WINS ON TWENTY-SECOND JUNIOR TITLE TO D. T. POOLE In liis first championship final the St. Clair golfer, D. S. M'Lean, who is on a handicap of 6, gave a magnificent performance in taking A. G. Sime to the twenty-second hole before the scratch Otago Club player won the Dunedin amateur championship'in the St. Clair tournament, which was successfully concluded on Saturday afternoon. D. T. Poole (St. Clair) won the Otago junior championship. Although Sime won the title the honours were with M'Lean, who had not previously played against a golfer with the experience anl confidence of Sime in a match of importance. a shade more accuracy with his tee shots, M‘Lean might have won, as Sime was putting with none of his customary certainty, and his characteristic confidence appeared to have no effect on the younger golfer. M'Lean who first played golf at Feilding and joined the St. Clair Club on coming to the Bank of New Zealand in Dunedin seven years ago, proved that he possesses a balanced match temperament. Two down after eight holes had been played, he squared the match by winning the next two holes, with a bogey and a birdie. At the twelfth and sixteenth holes he was down, only to outplay his opponent at the_ succeeding holes. Laid a dead stymie on the twenty-second, M'Lean made a fine effort to chip into the hole, and just failed. The golf produced was steady without being spectacular. For the first 18 holes Sime and M'Lean both went out in 40, five over par, and on the homeward journey M'Lean returned ;15 and Sime 36, M'Lean’s return nine holes including two birdies. As at the start, Sime was three over par for the extra four holes, and M'Lean one worse. The fairways were in perfect order, carrying a good heel of grass, but the greens were fiery. _ In the semi-final in the morning against J. A. Scoular, Sime putted with confidence, but he was off his short game in the final. THE OUTWARD JOURNEY. Long tee shots gave both players a good start, and Sime was thtougii with his second. Both were overstrong with the niblick, and two putts apiece saw the hole divided in 5, one over bogey. They also failed to reach par figures at the Terrace, where the tee shots came to rest above, or to the left, of the green. M'Lean lipped with his putt, and Sima was short by only Sin, the hole being halved in 4. On the long centre (450yds) Sime outdrove his .opponent by 60yds, only to play his iron into the bunker, to the left, from which he played on to the green with a pretty shot. Sime had rii chance of taking the lead here, but he missed an easy putt, and the hole was halved in bogey 5. M'Lean was unlucky at the fourth, the Dip (426yds). A hooked a,nd poorly hit drive saw him in bother, but he recovered with a neat spoon shot, and his third still saw him short of the green. His fifth lipped the cup. Sime, too, was without luck. He was 7ft away from the pin with his-third, and his first putt failed him. He sank in 5, and was 1 up. Bogey 4 was notched by both finalists at the Pines, and oh the approach with seconds at the Stile M'Lean was very accurate. He looked to have the hole in his keeping, when Sime sliced slightly towards the, rough. However, the ball stnick the edge, and was turned on to the green. Bogey 4 apiece—which was repeated at the seventh, where both miscalculated the strength of the wind, their tee shots being 30yds to the right of the green. The driving was again not accurate on Spion Kop, the tee shots stopping in the rough. Playing out of the grass, Sime ran on to the green, but M'Lean’s second was short. Sime’s putt was a foot short, and M'Lean had a chance of halving for 4 with a 7ft putt, but he failed to sink. Sime took the bole 4-5, and was; 2 up. ■ ! ■ ' EVEN GOING. A fluffed tee shot at "the short Porridge' Pot, the. ball dropping into the gully hazard, was disastrous for Sime, as; using a spade niblick, he required 3 to reach the green. M'Lean was on,. within 14ft of the pin, in 1. M'Lean’s first putt was sft short, and when Sime missed with his fourth he conceded the hole. Sime, 1 up. A beautiful drive by Sime gave him 50yds greater distance than M'Lean, who was again in the rough at M'Gregor’s (f!6yds). M'Lean recovered with a splendid approach, both being at the edge of the green. Sime’s putting, usually, so certain, lapsed, and he missed sinking an IBin shot for a half, M'Lean winning 4-5, and making the matff all square. The driving and approacliing was very accurate at the eleventh! which was halved in 4, Sime narrowly failing to sink his first putt. The penalty for not keeping straight when driving was paid by M'Lean at Promontory (455yds). -He ; was to the left in the rough, while Sime hid a beautiful lie on the fairway. Forcing his way out of the grass with ah iron M'Lean lised a spoon for his third, but he was [till below the green. Sime’s putting was not sure, but he holed out in 61 again taking the lead. I up. The sajne penalty was extracted from Sime at j Old Nick. A moderate distanced drive landed in the thick grass on the HU to the left of the fairway, while MLean placed to the hill below tile greet. M'Lean’s approach mashie stopped |2ft short of the pin, and he sank hisjputt for a birdie 3. Sime’s second vas insufficiently strong, and running bn to the green with his third he went past the cup, holing out in 4. All suiare. Bogey figures were returned for Sea View, wlere M'Lean made the neater approach! and Sime missed sinking by a hair’s-lreadth an 18ft putt. However, the luck ran against M'Lean at the fifteenth. Their tee shots landed within lib of each other, and M'Lean’s putt stopped at the elge of the hole, which wss halved in bogey 3. TWO WELL-FOUGHT HOLES. Drivinj; down Boundary, Simo’s experience I-told. He hooked into the strong \|ind on this elevated fairway for a liantiful lie. M'Lean’s drive kicked iff into the rough, and again his apprjiacli saved him. He witched to the ffge of the green, and three yards further up than Sime’s second. M'Lean’: first putt ran two yards past thelhole and Sime’s turned away. M'Leaiff return putt missed by two inches, aid, rising to the occasion, Sime made no, mistake, sinking'in 4. Sime 1 up. i But tie match was not over. An overpitcled mashie shot at the short Mukden [pelt trouble. - The ball rolled into the far bunker, and Sime chipped out only 4yds. M'Lean’s tee shot Was not goodjeither. He was short; but a well-played pitch nearly gave him a

birdie 2. Sime took two putts to reach the hole, and M'Lean sank his third shot for a win in 3. 'All square. With the game at : the stage when, one error would cost the title, both players were on their mettle as they, teed up for the drive to the clubhouse. M'Lean outdrove his opponent by 13yds, but was 6yds too strong on the run up. He sank a meritorious putt, and Sime evened by holing his 15ft shot.

Driving off again at No. 1, they both got distance. , They played their irons a little wide, and Sjme’s third came to rest 7ft. from the pin. His putt lipped the cup,. but still gave M'Lean room in which to hole. The younger player went wide, and they halved in 5.

A keenly-fought hole was the Terrace. M'Lean was through with his tee shot, and Sime found the green. The latter had a glorious, chance hero of winning the match. His second- was only 18in from the cup, and then his third lipped it, M'Lean making no mistakes to score a lucky half in 4. ■ Sime’s putting showed' no improvement at the Centre. M'Lean was , again in the rough and outdistanced, having to use an iron for his second. Sime found the edge of the green with a spoon, and M'Lean was through with his third shot. On the return ho overran the hole, giving Sime a great chance, with his second putt only 4ft away.- The Otago man missed, and M'Lean sanlk for a halflin 5.

The end came at the twenty-second.-From the tee M'Lean again found his way to the rough, Sime stopping at • the edge of the fairway. M'Lean’a • iron was weak, and his third was, still off the green, which was reached by Sime in 3. M'Lean was dead straight but 2ft short with his fourth. Missing a 14ft putt, Sime unintentionally laid a_ dead stymie. _ A brilliant effort to chip over and in was made . by M'Lean, but his hall just . touched Sime’s, and missed the hole, which, was taken by the veteran in 5. It . was a thrilling finish to a keen match. OTAGO JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP In the final D. T.-Poole (St. Clair) beat C. R. Wilson (Invercargill)-1 up. Driving consistently, but putting erratically, Poole took the 6th and 10th, Wilson squaring by taking the 13th and 14th. A win at the 17th gave Poole the lead, which he retained at the last hole. Poole, who is on a handicap of 14, learnt his golf at Mac. andrew Bay and has been playing at Sti Clair for a year. f CONSOLATION EVENTS . In the senior consolation, L. T. Coats (St, Clair) beat W. M'Ghie T up. With ten holes played, Coats was 5 up, but, when he eased, M'Ghie profited, taking five holes in a row. Reaching the home green in two, M'Ghie looked the winner, but three putts were 'costly, i Coats finding the hole with his fourth shot. The final of the junior consolation resulted in a win for P. S. Glasson (St. Clair), 1 up, over W. W. Thomas (St, Clair).

BOGEY COMPETiIION The best scores returned in the-four-ball bogey competition were : L. M. Satterwhaite and J. W. Baia 8 up. ■ F. Duthie and A. B. Watt 7 up. A. J. B. Bestic and F. Sherriff 6 up, J. B. Deaker and J. Luff 6 up. A. Lawrence and E. Bolwell 5 up. J. F. Cardno and G. Kemp 5 up. BASEBALL IN ENGLAND OFFER TO BABE RUTH Efforts arc being made to boom baseball in England. A professional league is to be run in London next, summer, while there has been talk of bringing over “Babe ” Ruth, the famous Anieri- , can player, to help along the campaign. A message from New York states that Ruth is seriously considering; the offer made to him by a group of British sportsmen. “ While baseball is really an American pastime,” he said, “ Lsee no reason why it cannot be built up in other countries. In time it would be an international sport.” - One wonders what terms have been offered to Ruth, who is now in the veteran stage in America’s national game. Once he could command £17,000' a year—a salary much in excess of that of the President —as a player, while his broadcasting fees and endorsement of ~ Spprts goods brought his annual income to £30,000. , Those days are over. Y'et Ruth would still demand a big fee for his services-. It would, for instance, be very much in excess of that of a top-class professional footballer. i When it comes to payment baseball players put bur Soccer stars in the background. Not so very long ago it was announced that the famous St. Louis Cardinals cost £250,000 to run; Of this sum the National League side took about £IOO,OOO, including £BO,OOO for players’ wages and travelling expenses. There is nothing like this in British sport. - The Arsenal, with perhaps the biggest wage bill, paid out £31,356 on salaries, bonuses, and transfers /last year. AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS “ GRIM, TACITURN SORT '* It hasn’t taken some South African* long to discover that the Australian cricketers are not the. ogres painted by some old country artists of the pen, y A writer in the ‘ Natal Mercury,’ after viewing the men at the first practice at Durban, said of them “ For all their realisation of the increased strength of South African cricket, there was an air of joyousnes* about all that they did that handsomely belied the age-old idea of an Australian test. cricketer as a grim, taciturn sort'of individual'who never smiled until the match was over, who took never a chance, but’ settled down to the dogged timeless batting. . “ The promise, indeed, is that they will play cricket in this country with the same joy and dash as their country, men, the Wallabies, played Rugby % couple of years ago, for these men are cast in'the same mould as the Wallabibs. To say that is to say much, when it is remembered what universal favourites the Rugby players were.” “ The ' taciturnity of Australian cricketers is one of the best ironic jokes perpetrated by unwitting humorists in England.”