CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19917, 10 April 1928, Page 12

CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF.

AUCKLAND TOURNAMENT. MATCHES IN TWO ROUNDS. H. B. LUSK BEATS S. MORPETH. Conditions at Middlemore were very 1 tricky yesterday, when the Auckland provincial golf championship ■ and handicap tournament was continued. The fairways were very dry. and a fairly strong breeze swept the links, deflecting high balls. The greens also puzzled many, a well-pitched ball often passing right through them. The chief events of the day were the first and second rounds of match play for the provincial championship, as the result of which R. D. Wright, T. A. Goulding, H. W. Tidmarsh and H. B. Lusk are left to fight out the semi-finals this morning. The greatest surprise was the defeat of Sloan Morpeth by Lusk in *he second round. Once again, the Middlemore veteran showed his fighting qualities, and took full advantage of Morpeth's somewhat erratic driving to win, 1 up. Another surprise was the defeat in the first round of R. M. George by H. W. Tidmarsh, who was playing unusually good golf. The results of the first round of the championship are:— li. D. Wright beat R. O. Gardner, 3 al p. J. Western beat H. Wiggins. 3 and 1. E. L. Bartleet beat J. M. Hockm, 4 T. A. Goulding beat H. L. Rees, 4 and a 'H. W. Tidmarsh beat R. M. George, 3 W. d N." Abbott beat H. Plumley, 6 and 5. H. B. Lusk beat H. F. Buckley, 4 and 3. S. Morpeth beat R. H. Menzies, 4 and 8. Comments on the Games. Long and true tee shots, together with sound putting, were features of Wright 3 game against Gardner. The players were all square at the 9th, Gardner winning the 10th. Wright evened the match by winning the next, the 12th, 13th and 14th being halved. Wright won the next three holes, the game ending on the 17th. GardneT was very erratic on the greens, especially on the homeward journey. It would have taken a first-class player well on his game to have defeated Western, and Wiggins did very well to run him as close as 2 and 1. After steady golf on the way out, the players were all square at the turn. On the way back. Western knocked four off bogey, his card reading 3. 4, 3, 4, 4. 4, 4. 4, 4—34. In the circumstances, this was remarkable scoring. The Bartleet—Hockm match was all square at the 9th. Bartleet won. the 10th, the 11th was halved, and Bartleet took the next three to win the match. Goulding got a wonderful start on Rees, being 5 up at the 9th. Rees fought on, but it was a hopeless task, for Goulding was playing very sound golf, especially near [ and on the greens. The match ended on the 15th. ' The George—-Tidmarsh game was a case of the better player on the day winning. Tidmarsh played par golf, finishing square with the colonel. George played indifferent troll, mixing good shots with bad ones. Tidmarsh played a cautious game, and this was the best thing he could have done under the conditions. Abbott played above his usual form to beat Plumley by the wide margin of 6 and 5. Three up at the 9th, Abbott increased his lead at the 10th and 11th, where he registered 3's, and maintained it to the end. The young Whangarei player, Buckley, found a hard proposition in Lusk, the present title-holder. ' They were all square at the 9th, Lusk drawing away to win by 4 and 3. Buckley has some fine shots and would do very well if he always played with good golfers. Morpeth was 3 up at the turn in his match with Menzies. going out in 39 to his opponent's 41. Although Morpeth went pn to win comfortably, hiß golf was rather indifferent, only occasionally giving examples of the form that has made him a champion. The Second Round. The results of the second round are as follows: R. D. Wright beat P. J. Western, 3 and 2. T. A. Goulding beat E. L. Bar tleet, 2 and I. H. W. Tidmarsh beat W. N. Abbott. 2 and 1. H. B. Lusk beat Sloan Morpeth, 1 up. All interest was centred on the game between Morpeth ana Lusk, a fairly Targe gallery following them.' Morpeth commenced brilliantly, his tee shot at the first being pin high, a most unusual performance. Tho hole was halved in four,. The second waa halved' in s's. the next going to Lusk in 4 to 5. At the 4th, Raupo, Morpeth placed his tee shot in the ditch at the bottom of the gully. This ditch is not figured by most golfers as an obstacle at all, because they cannot get near it with their tee shots, ana they clear it with their seconds. Morpeth lost the hole, 4 to 5, making Lusk 2 up. Morpeth landed in tho gully at the treacherous "Pah," and the hole waa not played out. Lusk 3 up. The next two were halved in s's and 4's. Morpeth winning back a hole at the Bth with a fine three. The 9tli was halved in, s's. Lusk was 3 up again at the 10th, which he won in S to 4. The next two were* halved in 4's, the 13th going to Morpeth, after he had placed the ball on the green with a beautiful iron shot from the tee. Lusk 2 up The next was halved, Morpeth, taking the 15th. The 16th and 17th were halved in 's's and 6's, both players throwing away good chances. The match ended at the 18th, which was halved in s's. This was the closest fight and the most interesting game of the day. Lusk fully deserving his win. Playing the steady golf that has characterised his play throughout the tournament, Wright had a comfortable win from Western.. They were all square at the turn. Western winning the 10th. The 11th was halved in 4, Wright winning the 12th, 13th, 14th and 16th. The Bartleet-Gouldiug game was very close. Goulding was 3 up at the turn, and increased his lead at the short 10th. The next was halved in 4's, Bartleet winninjj the 12th in 4. Goulding took the next, Bartleet winning the next two. The match ended at the 17th, which'was halved in s's. Tidmarsh got a good start on Abbott, being 4 up at the turn. He lost two holes on the home journey, the match ending on the 17th. The golf was steady. "" The bogey competition played in the morning resulted in a tie, E. L. Bartleet (6), L. W. Delph (4) Rnd H. W. Tidmarsh (3) being 4 un on bogey. There will be a play-off this morning. There was also a tie in the afternoon medal competition, L. J. Croxson'a score being 80. 7—73, and R. R., Kissling's, 81, 8—73. TO-DAY'S EVENTS. The principal events to-day will be the semi-finals and final of the championship. There will be a bogey competition in the morning and a foursome bogey handicap in the afternoon. The semi-finals will be played this morning, when Goulding will meet Wright and Tidmarsh will play Lusk. The first-men-tioned pair will start at 9.4 a.m. and the second pair four minutes later. The final will take place this afternoon. The draw for the bogey competition is as follows: —L. W. Delph and P. J. Western, 8.45 a.m.; B. Smith and A. C. Lamb, 8.49; H. Plumley and L. J. Croxson, 8,53; B. H. Menzies and J. A. Wallace, 8.57; H. Tidmarsh and J. M. Hockin, 9 a.jn.: W. JJ. Ralph and H. L. Rees, 9.12; S. Morpeth and M. Macbeth, 9.16; R. O. Gardner and F. Trice, 9.20: W. B. Colbeck and E. L, Bartleet, 9.24; W. L. Donohue and J. A. Gow, 9.28; F. Macky and C. B. Wake. 9.32; R. Rainger and J McK. Wilson, 9.36; R. McCrystall and H. F. Buckley, 9.40; W. G. Borrie and R. R. Kissling, 9.44; S. C. Hodges and R. M. Dacre, 9.48; R. F. Johnston nnd C. fT. Laver, 9.52; A. W. Gillios and R. L. Wilson, 9.56; G. L, Brett and R. J. Hamilton, 10 a.m.; H. A. Joyce and C. S. Western. 10.4; J. F. Brown and W. J. Thompson, 10.8; C. G. Johnson and C. Bailey, 10.12; J. S. Whyte and A. Sindel, 10.16; G. Morpeth and P. M. Hanna, 10.20: E. A. Dargavjlle and J. O. Lilly, 10.24: Ha*elc?en and J. M«»thven. 10.28 Ninth Tee.—W. Wilson and S. A. Smith, 9.15 a.m.: .T. K. Lusk and O. R. Montgomery. 9.19: W. A. Phillips nnd R. G. Sell»r. 9.23: E. K. Gordon and B. C. Hart, 9.?7; A. G. Good end H. E. Kissling. 9.31: G. E. Prfvne and F. H. Minpav, 9.35; P. W. Wilson and A. ST. Other. 9.39.

TOURNAMENT AT DUNEDIN. BARNETT wins title. [BY TELEC'RA'PU.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] DUNEDIN. Monday. The Otago amateur golf championship was won by Dr G. F. Barnett (Dunedin), who defeated B. V. Wright (Timaru), on the 20th greetn.