CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19857, 30 January 1928, Page 11

CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF.

TXCTORY FOR DR. ROSS. MORPETH BEATEN BY GRANT. - > GREAT CONTESTS IN SEMI-FINAL. TWO EXCITING MATCHES. [by TELEGAAPIi. OWN CORRESPONDENT. J WELLINGTON, Saturday. The final in the golf championship tournament in connection with the KirkWindeyer Cup contest, was'won to-day by Dr. Kenneth Ross (Balmacewan), who de- , feated Donald Grant (Shirley), 4 and 2. In the semi-final Dr. Ross defeated A. G. Sime (West-port) at the 22nd, and Grant defeated Sloan Morpeth (Maungakiekie) at the 23rd. The semi-final matches were great struggles. The day was sultry and there was little wind. Several hundred spectators were treated to dramatic golf. The Boss-Sime match was all square at the 18th, when Morpeth and Grant reached the 17th tee. The crowd then left the Jdtter pair as Morpeth was dormie two, and went to follow the play off between Sime and Ross. As it turned out the crowd missed the greatest finish of the day for Grant won the last two holes, measuring 475 yds. each, in. a three and a four to square the match. He finally won at the 23rd. The Ross-Sime Contest. Ross and Sime produced par golf, each going round in 72. To the ninth it was a hard battle with Ross holding an advantage all the way. He reached the turn in 37 and was two up. For the rest of the match the golf was better than par and Sime thrilled the onlookers by holding putt alter putt when ho needed them desperately. " Repeatedly I thought I ttad him," said RosS, " and then he .sank a 10ft. putt. Indeed ho never looked like missing in the second half." The pjrr figures for the second nine holes are:—4, 4, 3, 4, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5—36, and it takes real golf to get them at present. Th-a figures registered by these two {(layers v. ere : Ross: 4 5 3 3 5 4 3 4 4—35. Sime :4 4 3 4 4 3 4 3 4—33. Ross holed out in one under par at the 15th, and at the 16th. Sime did likewise at the 15th and 17th. Ross was one up at the 14th. At the 15th Sime holed «.n eight foot putt for a three to square the match. Ross achieved a " birdie " three in the same way at tlie next, and again was one up. The 17th measures 475 yds. Sime put his second on to the green and sank his putt for a great three, isquare again. At the 18th when Ross was dead by the- cup for a four. Sime rhipped well out of a bunker and easily sank a nine-foot- putt. All square. Another Great Struggle. In the meantime Grant and Morpeth were having a stern struggle too. After inlying the first in five Grant holed a 14ft. putt far a three at the second and i i*ras one up. At the fourth Morpeth re- ! {).'!/d with a 20 footer for a two to square the match. Grant turned one up. After winning the ninth in four the champion wou the next two. Grant was unlucky at the 13th with a four-foot putt which stayed out, a half resulting. I'ar figures for the uext- three holes leit Morpeth two up and two to play just at the moment when Sime and Ross had finished their round, all square. Then began the most dramatic part of the Mor-peth-Grant match both had long drives to the 17th. Morpeth played a fine iron ehot to the green, which found a bunker. ,Grant played a push shot and the ball travelled dead on the pin, finishing three feet from the cup. Morpeth chipped well out bat the ball hit the back of the cup reoounding three yards away. Grant sank his three. 'Morpeth still one up. Grant Wins at the 23rd. Grant won the next in 4 to 5, thus the second semi-final reached the 18th ail Bqnate. At the, 19th Morpeth holed a 12-foot putt for' the 4, which Grant got easily. Perfect shots gave each a 4 at the 20th. At the 21st Grant secured a desperate half in 5. The 22nd was halved in a fine 3, and the end of the tense struggle came at the 23rd, where Grant secured a "birdie" 3, winning the hole and the match. A Jew minutes earlier the Ross-Sime duel had finished at the 22nd hole, which Ross won in 3 to 4. The final was a friendly game, characterised by occasional slips on the green and by very fine driving. The long drives interested the crowd greatly. The first four hcles were halved. Grant lost the fifth through playing too firmly out of ' rushes into a buniier, but ho holed 7ft. for a half in 3 at the next. He lost the Bth owing to a difficult pitch to the green, which overran into a bunker, Ross holing out easily in 4. lloss One Up at the Turn. Ross won the ninth in a par, 4 to 5.. and turned 3 up. At the 10th Grant had a good four ancl reduced the lead to 2, but Ross got one back at the 11th in 4 and was again 6 up. Ife lost one at the 13th, whero Grant chippd dead from a bank and holed a 4, but the latter took 3 putts -on the 14th, whero Ross got a 3. A fine second at the Gap left Ross close to the pin and Grant, after a very long drive, replied by hitting the pin with his mashie shot, leaving a five-yard putt for a "birdie" 3, He halved in 4. Fine drives at the 16th enabled both to pitch to the green, but Grant failed to get dead in 3, The hole went to Ross in a 4 and with it the match by 4 and 2, This is the sixth final of national importance in which Ross was figured and the first he has won. It ss curious that lie should have won it from an old comrade qnd opponent of about 20 years ngo in North "Scotland. Ross belongs to Tain and Grant to Dornoch, towns five miles apdrt as the crow flies, on opposite tides of the Dornoch Firth. * IviRK-WIM>EYER CUP. MATCH STARTS TO-DAY. THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM. ['BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] WELLINGTON. Sunday. The contest between the Australian and New Zealand golf representatives for the Kirk-Windeyer Cup will commence at Miramar to-morrow. The New Zealand team is Sloan Morpeth (Maungakiekie), Dr. Ross (Balmacewan), T. H. Horton (Masterton) and Donald Grant (Shirley).