GOLF TOPICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20991, 30 September 1931, Page 15

GOLF TOPICS.

CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS. PROGRESS AT MIDDLEMORE. SMITH WINS AK.ARANA FINAL. The first round of the championship of the Auckland Golf Club, played at Middlemore on Saturday, did not pass without its surprises. Again it is to be recorded the 16th man to qualify, H. Tidmarsh, defeated S. C. Colbeck, who wa3 at the head of the list. Usually R. 0. Gardner is destined to fulfil this role, but he qualified further up the list on this occasion, and the task was left to Tidmarsh. It was generally anticipated that Tidmarsh would make a good match, for it is not the first occasion he has played Cclbeck on which the honours have been fairly divided. Yet it was to be reckoned Colbeck was playing brilliant golf, and as late as last Thursday notched a Dice round of 72. His defeat, therefore, came as a surprise to many.

A large number of interested spectators watched the players coming to the last hole, with Tidmarsh dormy one. Tidmarsh had in hand the makings of a safe 5, which, as it happened, was all that was necessary, a3 Colbeck's second shot went out of bounds and his next nearly followed suit. Colbeck made a good attempt to get a 5, but just missed, and had to submit to defeat. The golf throughout this match was not wonderfully good. Tidmarsh was round in about 80 and Colbeck could not have been better than 8.3.

; Perhaps the hardest match of the day was fought out between E. L. Bartleet and S. S. Wilson. Both these players broke 80 and the latter, with his terrific hitting against the wind, had Bartleet . taxing his putting and approaching which saved him time and again. Three down and four to go, Wilson won the 15th and 16th holes in 4's, and by stymieing Bartleet at the next kept the match alive. A brace of 4's at the last was a great finish to the match. Wilson, in a fourball match, afterwaxda went round in 76 which will serve to show the brilliant I mood ha was in. R. D. Wright's position at the ninth, when he was two down to D. MacCormick, was anything but secure. Two 2*3, howaver, proved valuable to Wright, and with his advantage off the tees against the wind, he closed the match at the 16th. Another good match followed between W. B. Colbeck and H. Coverdale. The latter is capable of some brilliant golf at times, and Colbeck'3 steady orthodox play was hardly equal to the occasion. An Easy Victory. W. S. Ralph had an easy victory over R. 0. Gardner, who was not up to his usual championship form. Comfortable wins were also registered by W. N. Abbott, H. Plumley and B. H. Menzies. The two last-mentioned players will meet in the next round and should provide one of the best matches of the series. The first round of the intermediate championship provided many close contests. Prominent- among those to survive were C. M. Gordon, R. B. Wilson, C. H. Archer and G. H. Abel. Early starters in the qualifying round for the junior championship, also played at Middlemore on Saturday, were unfortunate in striking bad conditions, heavyrain being responsible for several likely contestants just failing t<r qualify. This would apply chiefly to R. J. King and W. B. Souter. who, on the form they have been displaying lately, would have been hard to beat in match play. Apart j from two scores, namely, those of T. R. Brett (81) and P. H. Upton (84), the remainder can only be classed as mediocre. Brett's performance was deserving of the best net result, which entitles him to the nursery handicap, for he has shown great perseverance with hi 3 game lately. Defeat of H. D. Brinsden. The championship event at Titirangi has j now reached the final stage. Following j his win in the open event at Rotorua, H. j D. Brinsden was unexpectedly defeated | by T. A. Goulding. The conditions were exceedingly bad, and the extreme opposite to the fast course at Rotorua. Gouiding, however, was confident of his ability to dispose of Brinsden, his excellent, long game giving him the upper hand on the ! dav.

In the opposite side of the draw a, long delay was permitted, and had this been contemplated Brinsden would have been quite entitled to have postponed his match. The best game so tar was that between W. L. Robinson and R. R. McCrystall, the defending champion, who 5 down at the fifth, had an uphill struggle. However, by really good golf, characterised by a very fine display of first and second shots well down the centre at each hole, McCrystall eventually squared the game. Robinson, ever a good putter, holed a good one for a three on the last, green, following an excellent secoud shot from a bad position. Robinson had any luck that was going, as he also holed a couple of very lengthy putts at the critical stage of the contest. In the semi-final match between Robinson and Ri. M. Dacre the latter ea;lv gamed a 4 up start, but wins at the sth, 7th and Bth to Robinson saw him. reach the turn only 1 down. His putting of the previous round deserted him, ' however, and Dacre. who wns round in the good figures of 78, had the game well in hand to win 4 up and 3to play. Dacre, who has a nice free style, is the youngest of the semi-finalists and now meets T. A. Goulding in the final, to be decided over 36 holes during the next week-end. Exceptionally good golf characterised the final of the Akarana championship between B. J. Smith and J. Swanson. Smith had a big advantage over his opponent as regards experience in such matches and his ability to take several opportunities early in the match no doubt wa's the deciding factor in his favour. Swanson is to be given credit for an excellent showine in his first championship final Surprise at One Tree Hill.

Ihe chief surprise of the second round of the Maungakiekie championships was the defeat of J. S. Eankin by R. E. Craig. Rankin conld do nothing right and seemed demoralised by his opponent's patting, to be finally defeated, 3 and 1. B. M. George was fully extended to win by the same margin from J. H. Earle and as he was fully satisfied with his play, his opponent, who is only a junior, must have played very well to carry the game as far as he did. A. K. Hawley was always in front of C. R. Jones, although the game went to the last green, while Calderwood was too strong for J. M. Elliffe. Noteworthy successes recorded in the North Shore championship were those of M. E. Thompson and H. W. Bennett. Thompson played well, particularly in this short game to defeat G. Hunt. H. Bennett did an exceptionally good medal score which enabled him to triumph over B. C. Hart by a fairly wide margin. For the first 12 holes in this match it was a case of varying fortunes on the greens. Over the last four holes Bennett maintained his hitherto steady play, which apparently had an unnerving effect his opponent. Course at Rotorua. Great efforts are being made to bring the Rotorua course into perfect order for the New Zealand ladies' golf championship, which opens next, month. Almost entirely new tees will be used. These have been turfed, have taken well, and have areas as large as many of the greens of other courses. A number of intending competitors have already arrived, and are getting in touch with the difficulties of the course.