INTERESTING GAMES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21765, 3 April 1934, Page 11

INTERESTING GAMES

ELIMINATION OF SILK ENDING AT TWENTY-FOURTH LUCAS EXTENDS OPPONENT The tit-bit in the first round of the championship was provided liy BarnsGraham and Silk, the match going to the 24th hole before the first-named was successful. There was never much between the pair over the 18 holes. Silk being dormy one upon leaving the 17th. A beautifui drive by the Gisborne player, followed by an excellent approach, paved the way for a nice 3 at the 18th, where he squared the match. The gallery which had been following the players up to this stage was considerablv swelled from the clubhouse onward. The 19th was halved in fours, and Barns-Graham lost a golden opportunity of winning at the next hole. Silk drove his second low through the fence into a small teatree bush on the near si'le of the road It was a very awkward lie indeed, and the chip shot essayed removed the ball but three or four yards into the centre of the ploughed roadway. Silk thus played his fourth from this position, but it' was a first-class effort, which brought his ball to a halt 12ft. from the flag. Barns-Graham, however, was unable to avail himself of the great opportunity presented him, driving his second wide to the right behind a hillock. The ball just trickled over the ob- ! struction with his third shot and he ; missed a 30ft. putt for a half in o. i A good steady second by Barns-Gra- : ham must have ended the match at this I stage, instead of which he was strugj gling for a half at the finish. Players in Bunkers ' Both pulled their drives at the 21st, | but reached , the green with their i seconds to halve in fours. Barns- ! Graham caught the bunker to the left I at the next hole, while his opponent was also to the left beyond the bunker. I Silk's third almost stymied his op--1 ponent, and a half in fours was the ' ultimate result. The 23rd was also halved in fours. The end came at the 24th. Silk had to play his second out of a sand bunker and he sliced it a good deal. Being on the green with his second, it was only a matter of accurate putting for BarnsGraham to win with a four. Silk just failing with a great attempt to sink the bali from the side of the terrace fully 30ft. away. There was another keen struggle in progress at the same time as the foregoing match, this being between MaoEwan and Lucas, whose game ended at the 20th. There was never more than one stroke between the contestants all the way round. Lucas was 1 up at the 14th, but MacEwan squared the match at the 16th and was 1 up at the succeeding hole. Lucas won the lbth with a stymie. The 19th was halved in fours. Lucas just failing to get one under that number. MacEwan gained an advantage at the 20th, when he was on the green with his second, whereas Lucas drove into the teatree and chipped just olf the green with his third. Lucas missed a 6ft. putt, and MacEwan won the hole ! and match with a five. Inaccurate Driving Dobson had a comfortable win over Colt man, while Menzies' great homeward half proved too much for Moore. Horton did not have to play well to defeat George, who was unlucky with two or three putts, the ball positively refusing to go down. Apart from this, however, George was unable to drive straight and accurately. Kuwaiti, the second New South Wales player, accounted for Abbott by a good margin. In a keen contest between the two veterans, Ralph beat Lusk, while Plumley was responsible for the elimination of Edmonds, the Hamilton representative. Keen interest was taken in the contest between Dobson and Menkes in the second round. Dobson started off with 4, 4, 4, 2, 4 to be 5 lip. Menzies missed two short putts for wins at the sixth and seventh, while both three-putted at the eighth for a half in fives. Dobson recovered brilliantly from a bunker at the ninth, and then holed his putt for 4 and a half to still be 5 up at the turn. Menzies holed a 3 at the tenth after a good iron shot to within six feet "f the pin, and he won the 11th in 4 to 5. Dobson Avon the next and Menzies the 13th, the score being 4 to 5 in each instance. Both drove beautiful tee shots to within a few feet of the. pin at the 14th. a half in two resulting. The 15th and 16th were halved, giving victory to Dobson, 3 and 2 Stymie Negotiated After leaving the fifth hole. Horton played some very fine goll in his match with Barns-Graham, either equalling or being under bogey figures. Ihe first two holes were halved, and Horton won the third and fourth. The fifth was halved and Barns-Graham took the sixth, lus opponent replying with the next. Bv cleverly negotiating a stymie, BarnsGraham was able to halve the se\entl]. The eighth and ninth were halved in fours, making Horton 2 up at the turn. The tenth was also halved in fours, Horton here holding a long putt splendidlv. Horton won the 11th in 3 with the'aid of another brilliant putt. BarnsGraham knocked his opponent s ball in at the 12th, thereby giving away the hole. Horton won the 13th and a two at the short 14th made him six and four. MacEwan and Ruwald went to tin; 19th before the? first-named was successful. It was a stern struggle all the way round, fortunes varying on the way out. Ruwald was in the ditch with bis drive at the eighth and incurred a penalty. However, lie won the ninth in 4 to be all square at the turn. The tenth went to the Middleinore player in four, but Ruwald drew level again at the next after laying his opponent a stymie. The 12th and 13th were halved in fives, and then a further stymie gave Ruwald the 14th. The three succeeding holes were halved in fours, and the players left for the 18th with the Australian dormy one Brilliant Chip Shot Both approached the 18th similarly to be near the edge of the green. Two i putts by Ruwald, however, gave MacEwan an opportunity which he accepted, and accordingly the pair went on to the 19th. Here both drove to the left, and Ruwald's second over the bunker was too strong. MacEwan chipped magnificently over the mound from the rough to within inches of the pin. Kuwaiti missed in his attempt at a long putt and surrendered the hole. Ralph and Plumley played an interesting match. Ralph won the fourth in three, otherwise at all the holes on the outward half honours were even. Ralph would have been two up at the turn but for being stymied at the seventh. He went out in 37, equal to bogey. Ralph became 2 up at the tenth with a nice 4, but he lost his ball at the Redan, and Plumley squared the ma Hi at the' 12th with a brilliant 3. After the next two holes had been halved in correct figures, Plumley threw away an opportunity at the loth, where, after a splendid drive, he pushed his niashie second into the rough. Ralph became dormy with a good four at the 16th, but he again lost his ball at the next, the hole going to his opponent. Ralph gave his club mate no chance at the final hole, which he won in 4.