DELIGHTFUL DRIVING.

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

DELIGHTFUL DRIVING.

MENZIES' FINE DISPLAY.: UNCANNY SUCCESS ON GREENS. GEORGE'S GREAT RECOVERIES. The winner of the title was a little shaky with his second shots at the first four holes in the final, but ho then settled down to play almost unbeatable golf, hitting long and straight drives with a delightfully easy swing, and having quito uncanny success on the greens. George alternated between brilliant and bad holes and made several gallant recoveries from difficult positions. Ho seemed to bo about to make a winning run at tho twelfth hole, but Menzies' putting was too good. Both players got good drives away at tho first hole, and chipped to the back of tho green. George seemed worried by, the rain and took three putts, losing the hole in 5 to Menzies' 4. At the second hole George pulled his drive to the left of the fairway and then his second into the ditch, 50 yards short and to the left of tho green. He recovered with a good niblick shot and halved tho hole in 5, Menzies having found a bunker with his second. Match Squared. . George again hooked his drive at the third, the ball finishing in the bunker guarding the second green, but ha played a long second and succeeded in halving with Menzies, who was weak with his second. George then squared tho match at the fourth with a perfectly-played pa; 4.

The fifth hole once more saw George in trouble, this time in the paddock to the left of the fairway. He was unable to do better than a 6, and Menzies won the hole with a good 4. Both players were putting for 3's at the sixth and George holed a 12-footer to again square the match. George sliced at the short seventh, his ball falling into the Tamaki River. He played another to the green, but missed the putt and conceded the hole to Menzies, whose first was lying 12 feet from the pin. Menzies played a very long drive through the bunkers at the eighth and won the hole in 3 with a good run-up and putt. George found trouble with his third at the long ninth, played his fourth into the bunker guarding the green, and, holing out in 7, was three down at the turn to Menzies, who again had but one putt for a 5. Opportunity Missed. Menzies shot at the short tenth, trickled into the bunker at the back of the green, and George won the hole with a fine 2, his ball stopping only a foot short and in a straight line for the hole. Menzies missed an opportunity at the next, being short with his chip after a good drive and taking three putts. George's drive ran off over the bank near the green, but finished in a playable position. His second just ran over the green into the bunker and he holed in 5 for a half.'

The twelfth saw George play a superb run-up for his second to within a yard of the pin. Menzies played a. similar shot, which ran about 20 feet past the hole, but he then holed the putt to halve in an "eagle" 3. Magnificent Putting.

Menzies was now putting magnificently, and he won the short thirteenth in 2 i y holing a putt of 20 yards, making him three up. George had the better of the position with his drive at the next hole and he placed his second pin high. Menzies tried to land his second on the mound above the bunker guarding the green, but was short and trapped. He chipped out, and also became pin high. George failed to hole his 3 and Menzies, taking only one putt for the third consecutive hole, halved with a 4.

The match ended at the fifteenth, Menzies again holing a good putt for a 4. George, who was short with his second, was unable to do better than a 5.

It was a great match and might easily have gone to the lastf green, but for the exceptional run of "one putts" started by Menzies at the twelfth. It is interesting to recall that both Menzies and George were among the six players who had to play off for the last four places in the championship, owing to a tie in the qualifying rounds cn Saturday.