GOLF TOPICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21807, 23 May 1934, Page 18

GOLF TOPICS

PENNANT COMPETITION SUCCESS OF HOME TEAMS CLUB CONTESTS REVIEWED Golfing conditions over the week-end were surprisingly good although on the heavy side and favouring the strong hitter. In the second round of the pennant competition Akarana, playing at home, registered a good win over the well-balanced North Shore senior team. Maungakiekie surprised by the manner in which it accounted for Glendowie on the latter course.

Playing at Titirangi in the B grade the home side easily defeated Otahuhu and North Shore juniors overwhelmed Akarana at North Shore. Pupuke journeyed to One Tree Hill where it suffered defeat. It was significant that of the five matches played in tho series four %vcre won by tho home team, indicating the importance of local knowledge. Brown and Stevens, tho North Shore leaders, producod very sound golf to beat Swanson and Hazelden respectively at Akarana, but the other games were generally in favour of tho local players. George, playing first for Maungakiekie, gave Hutchison littlo chance at Glendowie, his figures when tho match finished at tho 13th boing four strokes better than fours. Ho relaxed over the remaining holes, but nevertheless holed out in 70. Hawley had an interesting match with Colt and won the last two holes in 3 and 4 to square. Calderwood and D'Audnoy were the only Maungakiekie players to lose their singles. So far this season Calderwood has failed to striko form. Sclmauer was a happy eleventh hour cl oice for the team and thoroughly justified his inclusion. In the B grade Thomas, leading for Pupuke, boat Garrard after a fine match at One Tree Hill in which he won the last threo holes. Morpeth, junr., outplayed Mills, but Buist succumbed to Palmer, the Pupuke champion. A Good Win

At Titirangi R. L. Wilson had a good win from Levy, the Otahuhu low marker, and again played well in tho foursomes, when he and Good retrieved a threo down deficit at the 13th to win the match. W. B. Eustace, the Otahuhu title-holder, easily accounted for Good and Rodgers beat Baker, these being the only victories gained by tho visiting team. Tho Akarana Club's juniors put up a poor showing against North Shore, Porter being the only member of the team to succeed in the singles. The visitors wore obviously uncomfortable in the strange conditions and found the many unbunkered greens difficult to pick up. The third round of the Swanson Cup at Akarana produced two very good matches between Hazelden and Biss and Booth and Finn, with victory finally going to Biss and Booth. Porter, a younger brother of the secretary, also won his match and should prove a formidable opponent for Booth, whom he meets in the semi-final. Greenbank played well in the four-ball event when partnered with Kalman and appears to bo improving his game. He should soon earn a handicap of less than seven, a mark he lias enjoyed for several years.

Hutchison is having a run of successes at Glendowie this season. He annexed the bogey competition on Saturday with a card of 2 down. Schischka, with a 68 net, headed Beauvais for the medal at One Tree Hill by tho odd stroke, and as practice for the pennant matches a foursome was staged, the winners being Sclmauer and Buist, 85, 9—76. This form of competition has met • with general favour in the clubs and is now included in tho match programmes.

Events at North Shore continue to attract big entries, but the playing of •week-end games in fours has relieved the congestion to a groat degree. Oorbett's success in the Seaman trophy, Avhcn he returned a score of one up from a l;u-ge field and notched a 62 net, caused his case to be reviewed by the handicapper. Defeat cf Goltman Only one match -was played in the Taylor Bowl at Titirangi, the pennant match taking precedence. In beating Coltman 5 and .3, Robinson played sterling golf. Giving his opponent little or no chance at any stage of the game he was 3 up on bogey when the match finished. Owing nvo strokes, Coltman was one up at the 4tb, but a succession of long putts enabled Robinson to win the sth, 6th, 7th and 9th, to turn 3 up. A stymio cost Robinson the 10th, and halves followed at the next two holes. Robinson won the 13th with his stroke and also the 14th in 3 and the 15tb in 3 net, to clinch the match. Robinson now meets Bcehan in the semi-final, and will be in receipt of four strokes, while Harold will be conceding Cntm 5 strqkes on the other side of the draw. The contest remains full of interest. The captain's priw at Middlemore has now reached a stage in which only the hardened match player can hope to prevail. Of the sixteen remaining Ald red plays Ralph, Rainger plays R. 13. Wilson, MacE,van plays V. V. Wilson, Savage plays Menzies, Gunson plays Thomson, .Brett plays Louisson, Abel, junr., plays Covcrdale. and Bell, junr., plays Mitchell. Only four of these players have double-figure handicaps, while nine figure in the club's senior inter-club team, with the four senior players in the top half of the draw. Saturday's matches were productive of some fine golf, a notable round being that of Aldred, who pleted the course in 75, to beat Friedlander. Up to the greens Nathan held Ralph, but failed lamentably at times with his putting. Kaingcr was 3 down to McL/can at the turn, but on the shorter holes thereafter more than held his own. He started homo with 3. 4, 4, 4, 4 to square the match. McLean missed a chance to assume the lead at the 16th, but took three putts, the 17th was halved in lours, and the end came when McLean failed to recover from the green bunker at the 18th. Three down at the loth, Flumley Avon the 16th and 17th from R. B. Wilson, but crashed at the last bole. Rees Drives Badly MacEwan had n few early lapses in his match with S Wilson, and was 3 down at the 12th. Weak play cost Wilson the next two holes, and his judgment was at fault at the 15th, where he had a stroke and, in essaying a forcing second, lost the hole. MacEwan went into the lead at the 17th and halved the 18th, wheu his opponent required 3 putts. Rees, who was favourite for the event, went out to V. Wilson, who has come back to the game after a spell and now enjoys a liberal handicap. l?ees was driving badly, a fault contributing mainly to his downfall. Savage putted splendidly against R. D. Horton, and from the fourth hole assumed control. Menzies, when all square with Borrie going to the 18th and with a stroke looming at the 19th, was relieved of anxiety when his'opponent sliced out of bounds. Gunson and Thomson easily accounted for Poison and Stokes respectively, but Brett had a. desperate struggle with Ross Martin before prevailing on the 18th. Gow was ore up on fjouisson at the 13th and the latter only squared the match at the 17th, where lie played a great second dead to the pin. Bunkered at tlie last hole, Gow failed to obtain his four for the half. Abel again played good match golf to beat G. K. Lusk. and should be hard to beat, provided ho maintains his form. Covcrdale's great length off the tee enabled him to beat MillsPalmer, and Bell easily defeated A. M. Gunn. Mitcholl was square with J. W. Gunn going to the 15th, and still had to concede two strokes, but inexperience contributed to the hitter's undoing, and ho lost on the 18th. The first of the home and home inter-club matches between Titirangi and Auckland for the Hanna Mug will take placo at Middlemore this week.