HAWERA GOLF CLUB.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 9 October 1924, Page 6

HAWERA GOLF CLUB.

MEN’S SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP. THRILLING CONTEST IN FINAL. O’CALLAGHAN CHAMPION. There have been many good, keen struggles in the history of the club for the honour of. being the senior champion, but never before has there been such a great match, in which the fortunes of war favoured now one, now the other, and which ended in such a dramatic style and by so narrow a margin as the final, of 1924, when O’Callaghan took that honour from J. Quin on the last green by the last putt. In the morning the golf was very even and quite good, but in the afternoon it was even better, Quin doing as well and O’Callaghan improving and going round in three under bogey for the course. And this, too, with heavy rain most of the time, and consequently .slower course and greens. Mr E. P. Cox acted as umpire. THE PLAY. First Round. They drove off at the first tee shortly after 10, both good balls. O’Callaghan was closer, and Quin playing first was just short. His opponent ran just through. They chipped up and both had fairly long putts, O’Callaghan sinking his took . the hole in four to five. At the second Quin got a screamer from the tie, O’Callaghan considerably shorter. Both were short in the approach, but Quin chipping nicely on to the green holed a long putt, and squared the loss at the first. O’Callagban was on the edge at the midget, while Quin was 40 yards through. The latter, however, ran up a nice approach, and holing his putt halved .in bogey figures. Their drives at the fourth were very long, Quin getting one of the longest ever seen there. Both ran through in the seconds, and playing back took two Eutts and halved again. Coo-ee was alved in six, and at the trough Quin looked a winner, when O’Callaghan laid a half stymie and it was halved. At the seventh both played good drives and fair seconds. Quin’s chip approach lay dead, while his opponent pulled his and lay 10 feet away. A magnificent putt down a sloping green pulled the hole out of a difficult position, and another half resulted. The eighth was halved in five after very fine drives and both lying together 20 yards through. The chip back was strong in both cases, and fives resulted. At Troon the first real lapse from capital play resulted, O’Callaghan having to play his third out of long grass and just getting across,the swamp, while Quiii sliced his and got into the swamp at the right. O’Callaghan duffed his approach and, Quin taking two to get out, he was one down at the turn. At the tenth both drove well, and! Quin was much too strong with his second. Playing back he had a 10-foot putt for a win, and took the hole in four, all square. At Smoko Quin was one up with a nice four, after pulling his drive and slicing his approach. O’Callaghan drove straight, but was short wtih his second, and running through in his third could only get a five. The twelfth was halved in an indiffei’ent five, and at the next, a short one, Quin had to negotiate a difficult stymie, and just failed to hole his hall, the result being a half. At The Return both got away well, and Quin was through with his second, O’Cal- ;■ laghan being short. He ran up his third, and Quin playing his had to face 1 another stymie, which he negotiated | in ‘fine style and sdored a win, making him two up. At Long Tom O’Callaghan hit the drive of the day, being just past the style, while Quin was considerably shorter. Both got fine seconds, but neither found the green with the third. Then Quin laid a half stymie, and O’Callaghan just failed to take it, and a half resulted. The crossing was another win to Quin, both just getting to the right and the former laying his right up to the pin arid being three up. Egmont looked like another win hut for a dead stymie Quin had on the green after O’Callaghan had to play back from an overstrong shot, and a half resulted. The eighteenth was a prettily nlayed hole: O’Callaghan lay with his drive far to the left from a pull, while Quin was on the line but short. The former played a long baffy to the green, and Quin, a perfect push shot. Two putts each and a halt' heat bogey badly. Quin just failed to get a three, and the round finished with a lead to him of three up. Both got away well at the first, but were weak in the approach. The chip shots were .good, and a half in four resulted. At the second the tee shots were satisfactory. Quin was- strong with his second, while O’Callaghan -lay nicely on eight feet from the pin. He had less than a two-foot putt for a win, and, to the amazement of the spectators, he missed it and a half was the result. Both were through at the short third, hut whereas Quin, spoilt his approach, O’Cal laghan ran up a nice one, and going out in three, registered a win, Quin two up. Quin got a great drive at Tipperary, while O’Callaghan was shorter. Quin was nicely on, while his opponent ran through, and, spoiling his chip hack, left himself a long putt for a possible half. It just failed, and Quin had two for the win, going opt in four and being again three up. At Coo-ee, O’Callaghan had the advantage on *the drive, hut duffed his second, and both were just short in three. They ran up tlie approach, and, both taking two putts, the hole was halved. The Trough was. also halved tin prettily played threes. At Hillside, Quin for the first time duffed hi s drive, and O’Callaghan, getting a good long ball, was nicely on in. his second, Quin taking three. The former ran up Ids putt and made no mistake, improving his position to two down. At Seaview, O’Callaghan again outplayed Quin, and just failing to get a three, went down in four to ids opponent’s five, and was then one down. Troon looked like another win, for great drives were followed by good seconds, and while Quin was twenty yards to the right in his third. O’Callaghan wa s nicely on. A brilliant chip by Quin and a good putt gave him a fine half, and they turned with Quin one up. The tenth was halved in bogey fives, both playing well. At Smoko both drove good balls, but whereas O’Callaghan duffed his, Quin played nicely ui> and, with a pretty chip shot, holed out and won in a " great three and was two up. The next , was won by O’Callaghan in a nice four, 1 1 Quin failing in hi,s drive, and he was I again one up. Both played to the edge . 9 of "Westward Ho and, \chipp : jig up nicely, went down in three The Return saw them both get away well. ' Quin, playing first, pulled his approach, 1 while O’Callaghan played a. pretty approach right on to the pin, and Quin i running his up laid himself, himself , almost a stymie. His opponent, how- > ever, made no mistake with the putt, and the match was square. At Long Tom, Quin got away a. beauty, but O’Callaghan duffed his drive and liis second badly. He hit a beauty for his third, and Quin got a fine bail. They l were near the green with the next, k and O’Callaghan, playing up his chip

shot, was fairly stymied. He took out his mashie and, playing a very pretty shot, lay on the lip of the hole. It was his only chance of a half. Quin holed in two and was again one up. The Crossing was halved in four, an almost certain win to Quin being robbed from him by O’Callnghan laying him an impossible stymie. He. was one up and two to go. At the seventeenth both were away well and played indifferent seconds. Quin being short and O’Callaghan slicing. The latter’s third was two feet further from the pin and half stymied. He looked at the line carefully and played a confident drag shot, hit the back of the hole, and dropped in. Quin then unluckily missed his. and they were all square. With one to go the excitement was intense as O’Callaghan sent. away a great hall right down the fairway. Quin, whose driving had gone off somewhat, duffed his and lay in the rough, casual waiter. Picking out, he got his second well up, while O’Callaghan pulled his iron shot. Quin’s third was short, but O’Callaghan ran up a pretty one to eight feet from the pin, and Quin’s fourth was rather closer. The former took his putt and lipped the hole. Quin then had a. putt for the half, and in breathless silence took his shot. It lay a few inches off, and O’Callaghan putting his down, the most exciting match ever seen in the men’s final " for senior championship was over, O’Callaghan winning a great contest by the very narrowest margin. Both were heartily congratulated, for the winner had played a. great uphill game, while the loser had played oon- ( lidently and well until the last part of | the game. It was altogether a wonder- | fill match.