SPARKLING GOLF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18197, 16 September 1922, Page 11

SPARKLING GOLF.

THE DUNCAN OF OLD. SIME SOUNDLY BEATEN. 11 VETERAN IN GREAT FORM. HORTON BEATS BIDWILL. J*Z TELEGRAPH.-^—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] PALMEKSTON NORTH. FridayThe semi-finals of the amateur and pro- >; fassional golf championships were played to-day in glorious weather before an attendance of about 300. The most interesting match of the day was that between A D. S. Duncan (Wellington) and A. G. Sime (Greymouth), the present holder of tke amateur title. Large crowds followed

the pair round the links, and were treated to a fine display by Duncan, while Sime ji V was not the golfer of yesterday. An interesting feature was the persistent regularitv with which Duncan outdrove Sime, the latter getting a further carry, while Duncan got a greater run after the pitch. Sime got the worst of the luck in the morning roiind, striking some bad lies and ; his long putts ".knocked at the door " on several occasions, but resolutely refused to • drop in. The veteran was at the top of his form, and was practically unbeatable. It was the Greymouth man's misfortune to strike a great player at the top of his form. Sime's brilliancy and phenomenal long putting could hardly have hoped to counteract Duncan's deadly line, which rarely departed a hair's-breadth from the distant pin. What trouble the wizard of New Zealand golf struck never worried him, and he made bogey loqk silly, finishing 7 up on the colonel. In the morning round the pair started inauspiciously, both slightly hooking their drives. Sime lay 6in. from the bunker guarding the green, while Duncan lay nicely on the green. Sime's short mashie approach pulled up within 6ft. of the pin. His putt took the slope of the green too quickly, passing just beneath the cup and leaving Duncan 1 up in 4 to 5. Both got good drives of 200 yds.- Dimcan slightly slicing his drive, but lying just off the" green with a mashie approach. Sime duffed his jigger approach, falling short and away, to the right of the green guarded by hillock bunkers. His short mashie approach pitched on the green, but ran across a trifle merry. His oOft. putt just missed, Duncan drawing 2 up with 4 to 5, being 1 under bogey. Sime lav 2ft. behind Duncan with 220vd. drives and lay short with his next, with Duncan 20ft. ahead, just short of tho green. Sime was pin high with his mashie approach, 7yds. to the left, with Duncan 25ft, short, but he lay dead with a nice approach putt. Sime, however, sank a great 22ft. putt for 4, leaving him still 1 clown. . The fourth saw two good drives succeeded bv -two beautiful mashie approaches, but Duncan took the hole and was again 2 up. . Both pulled, slightly at the sixth, and Sime's light iron shot sent him across the fairway, leaving a clump of kowhai and other "native bush between him and the green. A great jigger loft by Sime enabled him to have a 16ft. putt. The ball struck the cup fairly, jumping on to the . brink. Meanwhile Duncan laid his third 4ft. from the pin, but the ball ran round the edge. A half in bogey 5 followed.

Duncan , Forges Ahead. Sime» struck a nasty hanging lie at the - next and Duncan drew 3 up in 4 to 5. At the next Duncan sunk a 30ft. approach putt for 3, drawing 4 up and taking 36 for the out-joumey. Duncan was. on top of a bunker at the next, but sunk a 26ft. putt foi' 4, Sim<?s putt running round the rim and leaving him 5 down. Duncan duffed his mashie but made a great recovery, putting out in 4, while Sime missed a 3ft. putt'for a half, leaving him 6 down. « , The 12th was halved in bogey 3. Both struck trouble at the next, being in the rough, but Sime had a rocky spin, finishing in a little pine nlantation out of bounds and picking up. Sime 7 down. At the 14th A ball pulled from the tee struck Miss Duncan, but the lady escaped I lightly. The incident upset Duncan, who , missed" an 18in. putt, giving Sime the hole. Sime won the next, drawing 5 down by a great putt. At the 16th Sime was on the green, but took three putt*, Duncan's mashie tee shot being to the right, but a good short approach enabled aim to sink a putt for 3. Duncan 6 up. " > At the next Sime sank ay nice 7ft. putt - for three. At the last Duncan played a brilliant 3 by three clinking good shots, while Sime had to remain content with bogey 6, * the pair finishing for lunch with the cham--3 pion 6 down Duncan's card read: — Out: 4, 4, 5, 4, 4, 5, 3, 4, 3-36. : In: 4, 4, 3, 6, 6/5, 3, 4, 3-37. • Great Uphill Fight. % In the afternoon, Sime fought a. great uphill tight, but failed to win a hole.. At land's End, Sime played a perfect shot, but Duncan approached dead, a half in 4 following. At the 24th, Duncan pulled his brassie second, but played a beautiful v loft high over the cabbage trees, drawing " —7 up. . At tile 27th, »f ter halving the re- | - majnder of the holes, Sime putted a good : fourth, which gathered pace over a little jl eminence, striking the hole, and staying on the edge. Sime was now 8 down. He stuck doggedly to his hopeless task, but Duncan won handsomely by 9 up and o

to play. Horton Defeats BidwiH. J. C. Bidwili (Wairarapa) and H. L. Horton (Mastcrton) were the other semifinalists. Horton started off strongly by taking the first in 4 to 5 and the second in a brilliant 3 (2 under par) to 5. Going to the third, Bidwill had the advantage off the tee. From an uphill stance Horton got a good brassie second, but- Bidwill hit a mignificent brassie second of fully 1 160 yds. on to the green, and registered ~ ; a. perfect 4, one under par. Horton, 1 up. Again both hit spanking drives going to the fourth, aDd Bidwill laid the second within 3yds. of the pin with a pretty ' mashie shot. Horton tfas a tgifle strong with his second and ran iusfc through the | green. He made a good approach, but P. Bidwill ran down a 9ft. putt for 3, and the game was all square. A half in bogev 6 was recorded at the ' fifth, and they also halved with colonel at the sixth in 5. Beautiful golf was seen at the short • eeventh (149yd5,,).' Horton pitched his ■ tee shot on the centre of the green, while Bidwill just reached the. edge. With a 30yd. putt Bidwill ran his ball -into the „ cup, but the obstinate pill rapped the *. back of the hole, and popped out again, : i balancing on the lip- Horton then came p! to light with a putt of 24ft. for a2. Bidwill had the advantage at the next '.;', hole, being on in two while Horton was U short of the green. Bidwill, however, \ ').:... missed a foot putt and allowed Horton " to halve in 5. Horton duffed his drive at the ninth, ■while Bidwill hit a "screamer" of 230yds■4 ; Horton £ot in a good brassie second, bu<t pj the Wairarapa man plumped his second on the green with a high mashie pitch. , '• He missed the putt by inches and drew ||f all square by taking the hole in 4 to 5. 8 Thev wnre all'square at the turn, Hor■C. ton taking 38 and Bidwill 39 for the out journey. The Inward Journey. Playine the tenth both were on in ,'i three, ar':d Bidwill ran down a nice 9ft. putt for 4, drawing—l up. " ;i • -Both hit spanking shots of 240 yds. off v the tee going to the eleventh, and perfectly plaved seconds saw a-half 'in 4. The twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth were halved in 3, 5 and 6, the golf being of a high order. '■■'■'- '.--■■ Both were on in 3 going to the fifteenth. BidwTU had a downhill putt, and ran JMt the hole missing the return. Horton mad* no mistake, and took the hole in § to 6 and squared tho match agam.

Horton took the next, drawing 1 up in

The 17th and 18th were halved in fours leaving Horton 1 up at the end of the morning round. Horton came home in 39, giving lii m 77 f or the round t<> Bidwiirs ',«• m* men ,ia<i P la >' ed r eally good golf. The cards read: — ■ "" t Ho £ tQ i' : , 01 5, 4 ' 3 > 5 > 4 > 5 > 5 - 2, 5, 5-38. In : 5, 4, 3, 5, 6, 5, 3, 4, 4—39; total, 77. Bidwill: Out, 5, 5, 4, 3. 5, 5, 3, 5, 4~ ?; ~ I2 n : 4 > 3 > 5 ' 6 > 6 > 4 > 4 > 4^o; total, -79. Very even golf marked the play in the afternoon and toward the close the crowd which had be<en following Dun Can and Sime streamed across to watch the contest. The fight went on to the accompaniment of rapid fire from a squad of territorials whose volleys were echoed back from the hills and must have proved disconcerting to highly strung players. At the 34th it was all over for a half in 4 gave Horton the match by 3 up and 2 to play. It had been a great fight. Arthur Duncan and Horton will meet in the final to-morrow. The Professional Championship. A. Ham (Heretaunga) and H. R. Blair had a good fight in the morning in the semi-final of the professional cnampionship. Both did an 80 for tho first round and were all square at lunch. In th© afternoon Ham jumped into his best stride and ran out in 36, being 5 up at the 27th. Finishing up strongly he took the match by 6 up and 5 to play. Butters and Shaw had a very even fight. The Aucklander was 3 up "on the morning round, but the Shirley man fought hard throughout the afternoon to recover the lost ground. Shaw, however, continued to play fine golf and took a close contest by 2 up and 1.