AROUND THE LINKS

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 3 September 1932, Page 8

AROUND THE LINKS

HAWERA LADIES’ TOURNEY SUCCESS OF ANNUAL FIXTURE VISITORS PRAISE THE LINKS. One of the outstanding events- of the year in South Taranaki golfing world is the Hawera ladies’ tourney, which was held this week and proved a remarkable success. There were good entries, keen contests and much fine play. The course was never in better order and the ladies’ committee feel grateful to the men’s club for- giving them such good conditions.- All concerned in the management are to be congratulated" on the results. The 1932 tourney has helped to make the annual South Taranaki function most popular with lad,v golfers in many parts of the North Island and must help very much in assuring success for future tourneys and in attracting more and more competitors. There were more outside-clubs represented than on any previous occasion, and the committee feel they have established the tourney as an annual event for South Taranaki. The president (Mrs A. Thomson), vice-president (Mrs W. J. Bright), captain (Mrs H. G-. Whitehead), the,, ton. secretary (Mis-s W. Huggins) and the committee all did good work, the captain and secretary especially devoting the whole 1 of their time on the two days to- the detail arrangements of the tourney. Visitors from other centres who were playing in the ladies’ tourney were delighted with the course. Mrs Bussell Grace, of Wanganui, who has played at previous tourneys in Hawera.. said that the course was vastly improved as compared . with last year. The fairways are much 'better, she said, “but it is on your greens that we notice the greatest improvement. They are much- larger and in very excellent condition, while the approaches to them are very much better prepared. We have enjoyed every moment of the time here, though of course the weather -on Thursday morning was not too kind.” It is a tribute, and one that is well deserved, to the work of the green committee and of the caretaker (Mr P. Grace). The greens and tees bear ample evidence of care and hard work.

COMMENTS ON THE PLAY

There were many fine finishes in the various matches, which naturally added to the enjoyment of players as well as spectators. It is a rare thing perhaps to find so many dose results.

The qualifying rounds were on the whole very good and compared favourably with last year’s results. As a matter of "fact, Mrs .Russell Grace and Miss Robertson returned the same gross score as last year, the former winning the trophy for the best card. This- year she, tied with . Mrs Russell, the latter winning on the result of the second nine holes. The general average was several strokes better this year. Curiously enough the finalists for the ch am pi o nshi p were the same as for 1931 and the result was the same, though tho margin between Miss Currie and Miss Robertson was greater this year. Hie card was somewhat unusual, for after Miss Currie hq.d a, run of five- wins ho less than eight holes were halved and a win at the fourteenth settled the issue. The winner played -steady golf and on the run of the play deserved to win. but Miss Robertson was- not up to her usual form. She threw away one or more chances to win those she halved. In the semi-finals:'Mrs IValkley gave Miss' Robertson a great struggle when, the latter being dormy three, Airs Walldey came to light and won. three in succession', halving the match on the eighteenth. At the nineteenth she played a nice four, but Miss Robertson replied with a birdie three and won the match.

Miss Currie had a fairly good win from Mrs Russell Grace, and throughout Lhe tourney played tho most consistent golf. In the Fairfield Handicap final Miss Garner, a player o,f more experience than Airs Grace, played very nice coif and was the steadier of the two. Airs Grace, when her opponent was dormy Tour, threw away an easy win- at the fifteenth when .she -stymied herself and lost the hole and the match.

ADDITION TO GOLF HOUSE.

The Ladies’ Club Committee are Very proud of the new lounge built as an "addition to the golf house, and leading out of the ladies’ dressing room on the south-east corner. It was much needed and fills a long-felt want, The new room is about 18ft square and is comfortably furnished with easy Chairs, couch, and tables, with nice rugs on the floor. The new room has large windows that open outwards on the north and easterly aspect, • and they can always get a sunny side on which to open. It is very cosy and altogether a decided asset to the club.

IN OTHER CENTRES

The South Auckland Provincial tournament, which is ope of the most popular in the North Island, was most successful in the total of entries received. Hamilton is a real golfing centre and has one of the finest courses in New Zealand. There are many fine players resident in that district and the tournament has, as usual, attracted •leading players from all over the island. The standard of play has so fat been very high. Two Now Zealand open championships were decided last week. The Rotorua tourney was won by ! Gr. Tallis (Titirangi), who defeated F. C. Fryer (Napier) in the final by 6 and 5. Fryer, who is an ex-amateur champion of New ‘Zealand, is a great hitter and gets as long a ball off the tee as any player in the Dominion, but, like -Sloan Morpeth, he occasionally slices and hooks into neighbouring countries. A. lx. Smith, of Greymouth, carried off the West Coast champo.inship, defeating T. Park, of AA r estport, in the final by 4 and 3. ’

A. IG. Sime, who is a regular contender at the national championships, headed the qualifying rounds with brilliant scores of 73 and G 9. -Sime, who won the New Zealand amateur championship at Christchurch in- 1921, yvas handicapped by a scalded foot and had to hobble round the links.

The West Coast women’s championship was carried off by Mrs- Hannan (Greymouth), who beat Mrs Walker (Westport) in the final by 3 and 2. The Canadian open championship, at. Ottawa, was won by 11. Cooper with an aggregate of 29Q for 72 holes. XValter Hagen was thus deprived of tho title which he won last year after a hard fight against P. Alliss. A 1 Watrous, who at the end of the second and third rounds led the field, was the runner-up with -293, while Hagen was third with 295. T. P. Perkins, the former British amateur champion, now a naturalised American, was not in the first seven.

AMAZING ROUNDS. Truly wonderful scoring; was seen in; the £750 professional tourney at Forth-; cawl (Wales) last week. No less than; eleven cards of under 70 were return-; ed and these went as low as 65, with: two of 66. The winner, P. Arliss, was. nine strokes behind Cotton, at the con-; elusion of the (first two rounds and then he paralysed the field with a 65 and a 69 and, won with 278 by a margin of three strokes. Padgham was close up, one stroke more._The winner’s average was ton under fours for the 72 holes, probably about the best ever recorded in the tourney. The Porthcawl course is 6700 yards in length and the scoring was extraordinarily good.