GOLF TOPICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19953, 23 May 1928, Page 16

GOLF TOPICS.

MATCHES AT MIDDLEMORE. CAPTAIN'S PRIZE TOURNEY. PLAY JN THE SECOND ROUND. Following heavy rain on Friday night golfers anticipated wet courses for Saturday's play, but a strong, drying wind made tho conditions quite good. The wind, however, proved a severe handicap in that exceptional accuracy was required to obtain normal results, although, perhaps, some few holes were made slightly easier than usual on account of tho wind assisting the drive. The second round of the captain's tourney, played at Mid die more, provided some interesting contests. A match which dominated club interest was tho one jlayed between G. H. Abel and R. G. Rainger. Both players started very cautiously by halving the first four holes in bogey. A stymie a.t the fifth enabled Abel to win this bole. From here on, Rainger took matters in hand and by clever work round the greens, gradually forged ahead to eventually win by 4 and 3. Rainger is a difficult proposition on his handicap at the present time and will have to be reckoned with in this tournament. Equally interesting was the match between R. 0. Gardner and D. MacCormick, which finished all square- The result might be termed a triumph for MacCormick, as the conditions on Satur- 1 (Jay were much too windy for his liking and favoured his opponent, who is a powerful hitter. MacCormick owed his success to a wonderful exhibition of ])utting, helped in some measure by accurate approaching or holing out from un-heard-of distances. A Great Ten Holes. MacCormiek's success recalls the occasion when by similar methods he defeated Sloan Morpeth in the semi-final of tho provincial championship. At the end of ten holes he had only taken twelve putts. It was thought the match between V. Wilson and Dr. Mackay would be a good , tussle, as both players were very evenly matched and had about equal chances. As it happened, Wilson was hopelessly outplayed in every department and was 6 down at the seventh. Although players have been known to recover from much worse positions, Wilson was not capable of the task on Saturday and the match ended at the fourteenth. J. E. Russell beat B. C. Hart, 1 up, but neither player was at his best. Russell ended the match on the eighteenth after being dormy 2. W. S. Ralph was very fortunate to escape all square in his match with V. E. Masters. Although Ralph won the first hole he never got the lead again, Masters having the best of the game throughout. Two up and three holes to go with a stroke at the seventeenth, the match * looked almost a certainty for Masters. Ralph, however, saved the situation with two nicely-played fours at the sixteentli and seventeenth. Both took three to reach the last green against the wind and the hole was halved in 5. The playoff between these two should provide another interesting match. A Keen Contest. A keen contest resulted between H. Tidmarsh and G. F. Foote, the former winning on tho last green, 1 up. Tidmarsh was round in 82, which represents good, steady golf. The other matches were all full of interest and some good golf was played. There were not many entries for the Okoroire tournament, which commenced last Saturday. The weather conditions and bad roads kept several likely contestants away. As it happened on the day, the weather could not have l:een better and the tournament was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Among tho Aucklanders taking part were W. B. Colbeck, J. P. Aldred, A. A. Martin (Middlemore); R. R. Kissling (Glendowie); and J. Francis (Titirartgi). The rest were mostly local players, which included the winner, J. Rice. J. Banks, Cambridge, was also present. The links comprise a ! nine-holo course, measuring 2500yd5., : bogey 37, which was much improved for the tournament. Those to qualify for the Peerless Cup played for under handicap match play conditions, were:—Kissling, Colbeck, Banks, Aldred, Sice, Francis, Martin, Havard. The semi-final was fought out between Rice and Francis, the former winning, 2 and 1, and on the other side Kissling and Banks. Kissling won by 3 and 2 after an extra nine holes had to be played. Good Match Temperament. The final over 18 holes, between Rice and Kissling, was followed by a fair number of spectators, all naturally keen to see the local player win. At the end of 18 holes they were all square, Kissling finishing in 3, 3, 4, to wipe off a deficiency of two down and two to play. It was decided that they play another nine holes. Rice receiving three strokes from Kissling. Rice established an early lead and was 2 up and 3 to play. Kissling won j the seventh in 3, the eighth and ninth being halved, leaving Rice the winner, 1 up. The winner is not favoured with a very good style, but his work round the green, combined with a good temperament for match play, enabled him to defeat the visitors. The match between Rice and Colbeck in the first, round provided some e\traordinary golf. For instance, at one hole Rice duffed three successive shots and then halved the hole by holing a 50yds. mashie shot, much to the dismay of Colbeck, who was eventually beaten. 1 up. The tournament was very well run, and the visitors all speak in glowing terms of the hospitality extended to them by the local officials. Advice has been received from the Herald's London correspondent that the well-known English professional, E. S. Douglas, whoso services have been engaged by the Maungakiekio Golf Club, is bringing to New Zealand with him bis present assistant, A. Murray. It is also reported that since he was last in the Dominion, Douglas has improved his game wonderfully, so that he should do very well in the professional matches, which are from time to time staged in the Dominion. IjOBD JELLICOE AT GOLF. PLAYS IN NAVY TOURNAMENT [from our own correspondent.] LONDON. April 21. Lord Jellicoe took part this week in a golf cmitest of the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines at Wentworth. He reached tho final round last year, when he was beaten by the Oxford University golfer, I. Wilson Young, who was then a midshipman. New Zealand's ex-Governor, who has a handicap of 14, won his first round match easily, beating Captain F. K. C. Gibbons (19) by 6 and 5. Doing particularly well on the putting green, he took an early lead and became dormy six. At the thirteenth he drove into a ditch and lost his ball, but despite this misfortune he managed to halve the hole, as his opponent played badly through the green and ended by taking three putts. In the second round Lord Jellicoe was no match for Major 11. E. Gillespie, R.N. (12), who, playing steadily, vn* seven up at the tenth. Then the Admiral began to make a fight of it,, and won five holes in succession, but- this effort came too late. Halves at the sixteenth J.nd seventeenth gave Gillespie the match by 2 and 1.,