LADIES' GOLF TITLE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21596, 14 September 1933, Page 12

LADIES' GOLF TITLE

AUCKLAND CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL STAGES REACHED DEFEAT. OF PRESENT HOLDER TOURNEY CONCLUDES TO-DAY The weather was perfect yesterday for the continuation of the Auckland ladies' provincial golf championship at Middlemore. The fairways, however, were extremely heavy after the rain, making the golfing test severe, only the strongest players getting the desired length through the green. Under the circumstances the class of golf generally was quite good, as many of the ordinarily par 4 holes became par 5,

The first and second rounds of the championship were completed, with the result that Mrs. Hosking (Titirangi), Miss Stovens (Takapuna), Miss BarnesGraham (Poverty Bay) and Mrs. Ralph (Auckland) remain in to contest the final stages Mrs. J. M. Wilson, holder of the title, was defeated in the first round by Miss Culling.

Tho fesults in tho first roftnd of tho championship were as follows: —Mrs. Hosking beat Mrs. Alison, 4 and 3; Mrs. Johnston boat Mrs. Finflay, 7 and 5; Miss Stevens beat Mrs. Stewart, 4 and 2; Miss Hill beat Mrs. Rutherford, 5 and 3; Miss Barnes-Graham beat Mrs. Hughes, 3 and 1; Mrs. Deighton beat Miss Johns, 2 and 1; Mrs. Ralph beat Mrs. Buttle, 2 and 1; Miss Culling beat Mrs. Wilson, 4 and 3. Surprise by .Miss Hill

Mrs, Hosking, Mrs. Johnston and Miss Stevens won their games by comfortable margins. Miss Hill, Glendowie champion, surprised, not by the fact that she dofcated Mrs. Rutherford, champion of the Auckland Club, but by tho easy manner in which she accomplished the task. Miss BarneSGraham, who was slow in starting against Mrs. Hughes, being 2 down at the fifth, then proceeded to wirf four holes in a row in fine figures. She lost this lead, however, at tho 11th, but the match endod on the 17th with only one hole halved during the round. Match experience was the deciding factor in tho game between Mrs. Deighton and Miss Johns. After being 2 up on Mrs. Buttle at tho turn, Mrs. Ralph lost her lead, but finally provailed on the 17th. Out in 41, Miss Culling was right on the top of her game to boat Mrs. Wilson, holder of the title. The second round resulted as follows: —Mrs. Hosking beat Mrs. Johnston, 4 and 3; Miss Stevens beat Miss Hill, 1 up; Miss Barnes-Graham beat Mrs. Deighton, 6 and 4; Mrs. Ralph beat Miss Culling, 2 up. A Dramatic Finish Mrs. /Hosking played her , usual steady golf against Mrs. Johnston, and handled the difficult conditions with ease to win on the 15th. The missing of a foot putt by Miss Hill on the last green marked the dramatic finish of her game with Miss Stevens. Miss Hill led by two holes going to the sixth, but lost this hole when she picked up her ball under tho impression that her opponent had holed out in 4, she having in reality taken 5. Miss Stovens ultimately succeeded in squaring the matcK at the 13tli with a perfect two. She lost the 14th, squfced again at the 15th, and holed a good putt at the 17th for tho half, to finally win when her opponent unaccountably missed a certain half on the 18th. Miss Hill was unfortunate to lose as the play went, but she will do well in the game, as she strikes aIL her shots with a fine precision. , - . Miss Barnes-Graham, who is improving with every round, gave a tasto of her quality when opposed to Mrs. Deighton, the Titirangi Club champion. Out in 41, she clinched the match oh the 13th, during which she played somo perfect holes, notably the fourth, seventh, eighth, and 10th, where she putted for t)irdies. Brilliant Homeward Hall Mrs. Ralph had a dour struggle with Miss Culling, but her brilliant homeward half, which she completed in 37, fave her victory on tho last green, liss Culling drew first blood when hor opponent took three putts on the fourth, but, with a nice 4, Mrs. Ralph squared at the fifth. Miss Culling holed from the edge of the sixth green to win in 4, but she lost the next hole to a correct 3, and again assumed the lead when her opponent three-putted on the eighth. Bunker trouble cost Miss Culling the ninth, and Mrs. Ralph secured a hard half at the short 10th in 3 after finding the back bunker.Mrs. Ralph became 1 up with a perfectly played 3at tho 11thy and, the next" two holes being halved in correct figures, she won the 14th in 4 to increase her lead to 2 up. A long putt gave Miss Culling the 15th in 4 to 5, and the 16th and 17th wero halved in orthodox fives, leaving hor dormy one down. Following even play to the 18th, both had putts for 4 and, although Mrs. Ralph was further from the holo, she sank a 10-footer for tha match. Middlemore Oup Following were the results of tho first and second rounds of tho Middlemore Cup, played under handicap match play conditions: — First Round. —Mrs. Baillio beat Miss Macfarlane, 2 and 1; Mrs. Henderson beat Mrs.' Wilson, 5 and 4; Miss Ballantyne beat Mrs. Endean, at the 19th; Miss Bray beat Mrs. Grant, 13 and 1; Miss Wilson boat Mrs. Abbott at tho 19th; Miss Noakes beat Mrs. Preston, 1 up; Misß White beat Miss Cooper, 2 and 1; Miss Roberton beat Mrs. O'Leary, 8 and 7. Second Round. Mrs. Henderson beat Mrs. Baillio, 6 and 5; Miss Bray beat Miss Ballantyne, 6 and 4;- Miss Wilson beat Miss Noakes, 2 up; Miss White beat Miss Roberton, 1 „up. ■« The bogey competition resulted as follows: —First division: Mrs. Shroff won with a card of 4. down after a tie with ' Miss / Hill and Mrs. Johnston. Second division: Mrs. A. M. Grant won with a card of 3 down. PROGRAMME FOR TO-DAY A foursomes match will begin at 9 a.m. " # Championship.—lo a.m.: Mrs. Hosking plays Miss Stevens. 10.5 a.m.: Miss Barnes-Graham plays Mrs. Ralph. Middjemore Cup.—lo.lo a.m.: Mrs. Henderson plays Miss Bray; 10.15 a.m.: Miss Wilson plays Miss White. The final of the championship will commence 1.30 in the afternoon.