CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20842, 8 April 1931, Page 11

CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF.

PROVINCIAL TOURNEY. B. H. MENZIES WINS TITLE. SPLENDID EXHIBITION GIVEN. R. M. GEORGE THE RUNNER-UP. A splendid exhibition of golf under trying weather conditions was given by B. H. Menzies, a young member of the Otahuhu Club, who defeated R. M. George, of Maungakiekie, by 4 and 3 in tho final of the Auckland provincial championship, played at Middlemore yesterday. In the semi-final rounds played in the morning George beat J. L. Black, of Hamilton, 2 up, and Menzies beat H. B. Lusk, of Auckland, by the same margin. The course was in excellent condition, but driving showers of rain, which commenced just before tho start of the final and continued until the competitors reached tho turn, proved most disconcerting to both plajers. Tho wind, which on Monday blew from a westerly to southerly direction, moved round to tho north-east yesterday, adding considerably to tho difficulty of judging distances. Semi-final Games. The semi-finals played in the morning were both very interesting contests, marked by a high standard of golf, and tho result was in doubt in each case until the last green. Lusk was out of form on the greens, taking three putts on several occasions in his match with Menzies. The players were all-square at the thirteenth, where Lusk missed a chance of gaining a lead by taking three putts. The fourteenth was halved in 4. Lusk mishit his drive at the fifteenth and failed to recover, placing his second in the gully guarding the green and his third in the bunker. Menzies took the hole in 4.

The sixteenth was halved in par figures. Menzies was now one up with two holes to be played. Excitement among the spectators was intense as the players drove off at the seventeenth. Menzies played a good shot down the middle of the fairway and Lusk sliced his to the trees on the right. With his ball lying only a few inches from the trees, Lusk took a wood for his second and played a perfect shot to the green. Menzies found the bunker with his second and it looked as if the players would start the last hole all-square. Lusk, however, found himself stymied when oniy about two feet from the hole, and he could not coax his ball into the hole, being forced to accept a half in 5. George Defeats Black.

Black and George were all-square at the turn and were playing almost shot for shot until the twelfth, which George took in 4, Black being short with his approach. Black was again weak at the thirteenth, which George won in 3, but ho played a good second at the fourteenth, winning the hole in 3. George missed a short pnft for a win at the fifteenth and lost the sixteenth.

The players got good drives away at the seventeenth, when they were allsquare. George pulled his second to the left of the green, but made a good pitch, stopping 12ft. from the hole. Blackwas just through with his second and played a run-up to within four feet. George then holed his putt and Black failed. At the last hole George topped his second, which jumped the cross-bunker near the green and ran on to the far edge of the green. Black's pitch failed to stop and was just off the green. Black again took three from the edge, and George, making no mistake, holed a 4 to win the match by 2 up. Provincial Handicap.

The provincial handicap was won by R. McCrystal, who beat T. Simpson 2 up in the final. In the semi-finals Simpson beat B. Edmonds by 3 and 2 and McCrystal beat H. F. Buckley one up at the 20th hole.

McCrystal had a hard fight against Buckley. He was one down with two holes to play and succeeded in squaring the match at the seventeenth. At the nineteenth McCrystal drove out of bounds but put his third on the green and holed a long putt to halve the hole. Buckley drove two balls out of bounds at the twentieth and lost the hole.

A bogey handicap played in tho morning was won by H. Tidmarsh, who returned a card of 2 up. R. McCrystal was second with a score of 1 up. A four-ball bogey handicap played in the afternoon resulted in a tie between R. G. Rainger and W. S. Ralph and J. L. Black and W. W. Abbott, who returned cards of 6 up. A. A. Martin and R. Martin and S. S. Wilson nnd 11. F. Buckley returned cards of 5 up. The trophies won at the tournament were presented by Mr. H. Horton, president of tho Auckland Golf Club, at the conclusion of tho tournament. FUTURE CONTESTS. ALTERNATION OF COURSES. MIDDLEMORE AND TITIRANGI. The Auckland provincial golf championship will be played on the course of the Titirangi Golf Club next year. Mr. H. B. Lusk, captain of the Auckland Golf Club, announced at the conclusion of tho championship at Middlemore yesterday that tho Titirangi Club had accepted an offer made by the Auckland Club to decide the. championship at Middlemore and Titirangi in alternate years. Hitherto tHo rhampionship has always been played at Middlemore except in 1930 and 1929, when it was decided at Hamilton and Titirangi respectively, owing to the reconstruction of tho Middlemore. course.