GOLFING GOSSIP

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 144, 20 June 1936, Page 9

GOLFING GOSSIP

PLAY DURING LAST WEEK-END

COMMENT ON NEW ZEALAND WOMEN’S TEAM

New Zealand’s golfing season 13 now in full swing", and in most districts last week-end wa3 spent most enjoyably. in some localities the fine weather of Saturday was replaced by patchy conditions. The selection of a women’s team to represent New Zealand against Australia for the Tasman Cup, which is to be competed for on the Royal Adelaide course on September 3, has been the topic of the week. It is generally conceded that the team chosen by'the L.G.U. is of the right order.

In ,the semi-final ho met A. 0. Boddington and after a great match Abel won ut the 19th. Boddingtou took the lead with a 3 at the secoud hole, but his opponent was 2 up at the Gth. Abel increased his advantage at the 10th, but Boddington squared the game at the 13th. Abel won the next two holes, but his opponent again became even at the 17th and the position was unchanged at the last. Although Boddington was nearer the pin with his second shot at the 19th, his approach putt was weak and Abel holed a gc-od 4 to win.

Miss Oliver Kay

Consistency brought its reward at Akarana, when J. W. Coney won the Itoskill Cup with net scores of 66, 72, and 71. His total was four strokes better than that of th o runner-up, E. F. Snell. In the cc-ncuremt bogey ma’ch S. Booth was responsible for a fine performance when he finished 4 up. H. Wiggins, who until recently had played little golf for some time, was unfortunate in not winning with a card of 3 up.

Ranking on a handicap of plus 3 last year, Miss Oliver l£.ay is probably the best-known of the women golfers in the Dominion. She was the only player to be placed oehind seratc-U. Her game has brought her consistently before the golfing public for the past ten years. For nine years in succession, from 1926 to 1934, she was the holder of the Mellsop Cup, a trophy awarded the player doing the best aggregate medal rounds in the three most important stroke matches at the New Zealand championships. _ Miss Kay lost that trophy last year to Miss Jessio Anderson, of the touring British women's team. The New Zealander was 14 strokes behind the 226 accomplished by Mis 3 Anderson, and came fourth in the contest, Mrs. W. Greenlees and Mrs. J. B. Walker, both teammates of the winner, filling the positions of runner-up and tihird respectively. Miss Kay already has had valuable experience in matches of an international flavour, having represented the Dominion against Britain and Australia. She has been New Zealand champion on two occasions, in 1931 and again in 1934. Miss Kay belongs to Hawera.

Miss Valmai Fleming

Miss Valniai Fleming, the Christchurah player, will be remembered as the partner of Miss J. Horwell in the foursomes played at Miramar against the British team, in which the two New Zealanders finished all square with Mrs. Greenlees and Miss Phyllis Wade. Miss Fleming is a steady type of player, her form two years ago in the North Island attracting notice. She won almost every major event that year. In the New Zealand title tourney last year she won through to the quarter-finals and then wont under to Mrs. J. B. Walker (Britain) 5 and 4.

Miss J. Horwell

In Miss J. Ilorwell the selectors have chosen the logical partner tor Miss Fleming. These two have played well together in foursomes, and Miss Horwell was on a handicap of 4 last year.» Her form this season has reduced that to 1. She is regarded as one of the most promising players the Dominion has in view at the moment. Not only did she do well in the foursomes with Miss Fleming against the British competitors last year, but she finished all square with Mrs. Greenlees in the singles. Miss Jessie Anderson accounted for her in the third round of the championship last year, Miss Anderson displaying the wonderful form which later won her the title. Miss Horwell beat Miss Helcan (Wanganui) in tho inter-island contest last year G and 5.

Miss Pat Helean

Miss Pat Helean, who plays for Seaileld, Wanganui, has been improving her play steadily during the past three years. She won to the quarter-linals of tho New Zealand championship last year and became another victim to Miss Jessie Anderson, 4 and 2. With an aggregate of 259 Miss Helean came next to Miss Kay in tho Mellsop Cup last year. She was on the 2 mark last year and is now down to 1.

Mrs. H. Godby (manager)

Mrs. H. B. Godby, president of the New Zealand Ladies’ Golf Union, is to captain the team in a non-playing capacity. Of genial disposition, anU capable as an administrator, she would make an ideal leader. She has been a regular competitor at. championship tournaments and should bo invaluable in her capacity over the Tasman.

A Desirable Contest

Like every team selected that just chosen is bound to meet with criticism in some quarters. Several-players can be counted as unlucky, but talcing the team by and large, it is of a sound order and should do well and gain in experience. If New Zealand is to justify its claim that golf is supplanting ltugby as the Dominion's national game it is essential for matches of the type encouraged by tho Tasman Cup to be given full rein. The day is coming wnen New Zealanders will take their place in the ranks of the Fenders, tho Thompsons, the Littles, or, if tho competitors be ladies, among the Pam Bartons, and the Jessie Andersons.

Auckland.

Conditions for golf were again ideal in Auckland on Saturday, when competitions were continued by the various clubs.

Scoring in the first round of the E. It. Bloomfield Bowl at Middlemore was good, J. P. Upton, from a handicap of 15, returning a net score of 67 to lead the field by two strokes. Apart from sixes at tlie 6lii and 14th. holes, the winner played fiue golf. W. T. Bell played steadily to be runner-up and as a number of players returned cards of 70 net, the subsequent rounds should bo interesting. In addition to the ordinary trophy for the best net score on Saturday, a special prize was donated by Mr. J. Farrell. During the week S. H. Abel played a splendid round of 77 to defeat J. PAldred ir. the captain’s prize tourney.

New Plymouth,

Wet weather on Sunday last caused the postponement of many inter-club golf matches in Taranaki, but on Saturday club matches were played without interruption. The first round of the Weston trophy contest, a Canadian drive foursomo middle handicap over two rounds, was played by members of the New Plymouth Golf Club. The best cards were: —

J. Cliff and K. Walker .. 80—11—G9 T. V. Mackay and F. CWalton 81—11—70 K. P. Tompkins and 0. E. Flyger .. 82—11—71 B. Chapman and G. Haughtc-n 82—11 —71 H. S. Weston and G. Macallan 85 —13—72 A. N. Thomson and C. H. Wynyard 8G —14 —72 J. H. Boon and J. J. Lomas 82 — S —74 G. M. Chong and V. Duff 83 — 9 —74 J. Caradus and 11. A. Boon 8d — 11-7-1 D. Meldrum and J. M. O’Keilly SG—l2—74 J, Warncck and I. Parker 87 —13—74 L. H. Johnson and F. V. Sole SG —12 —74 C. Grainger and N. Goodson 85 —11 —74 D. Sutherland and P. H. Jagusek 83— 9 74

Wellington,

Hutt had a signal win against Miramar, which was rather unexpected by the seaside club, as it had put in one of the strongest A teams it has arranged for some time. The Hutt A team won by 7 games to 2 and 3 games squared at Miramar, while the Hutt B team won at Hutt by 8 games to 4, making the aggregate win lo games to 6, with 3 games squared. The following are the results, Hutt players first mentioned: —

A Teams

J. L. Black beat K. V. Jeffery, 3 and 2. B. M. Silk beat M. E. Moore, 7 and

W. G. Horne lost to H. A. Black, 3 and 1-

Kana Wagg beat J. H. Drake, 1 up. . W. G. Fisher and -C. E. Hollis, all square. J. F. Pym beat L. Seifert, 2 and 1. C. N. Armstrong beat J. Shelly, b and 4. F. Ivember and H. E. 11. Alpin, all square. J. Kember and V. E. Sutherland, all square. G. P. Eoberts beat J. E. Smith, 4 and 3. G. N. Tuslin lost to D. S. Halley, 3 and 2. H. K. Adamson beat A. W. Griffin, 5 and 4. Both No. l’s were out in 39, Black turning 1 up. Black got a 3 at tho tenth, and came back in 38, while Jeffery took a stroke more. Black, as usual was very sound on the greens.

Silk began in fine style, and played brilliant golf to the sixth. He recovered well at the first, where his hooked second lay near the thirteenth green, playing a fin pitch over the ditch and bunker, and then sinking a nine-footer for his 4. He got a 3 at the second, and approaching well from an overstrong shot helped by the wind to the fast third green, sank a seven-footer for his 4. Taking a 3 at the fourth, and a 4 at the fifth, he seemed to have settled down to his best golf. A fine pitch laid him twelve feet from the pin at the sixth, but Moore’s approach putt, after emerging from the bunker, overran, and thc-ugh it did not stymie

Silk, the borrow was such that it was a very close thing. He hit Moore's ball and missed tho putt, and tho hole which seemed a certain 3 for him, cost him 4. Both were up on "Hillside’ with their seconds, but Silk played a fine shot out of the rough to the green, and got his 5. then standing 5 up. Again at the eighth. Silk’s ball hit Moore's when putting for the hole, though again it was not a stymie. A half in s’s resulted. Tho tenth was halved in s’s. A hook which*Moore developed got him into various troubles. Silk’s completed card was 75, with a G at the eighteenth.