EARLY LEADS GAINED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21916, 27 September 1934, Page 15

EARLY LEADS GAINED

VISITORS' ADVANTAGE

SUPERIOR SHORT GAME MISS GAISFORD'S LATE RUN All four Australian players obtained valuable leads in the early stages of their singles matches and such advantages were not overcome by their opponents. Whereas the New Zealanders took some time to settle down, the visitors readily adapted themselves to the difficult and changed conditions. It was noticeable that all four Austrafians were bold with their approaches and were seldom guilty of putting short. Mrs. Kobinson gave jittle away in her contest with Miss Gaisford, who mixed some magnificent shots with a number of really shocking efforts. The New Zealander played well out of form over the first half, with the exception of a few bright patches. However, she later atoned a_ good deal for her earlier lapses to take the match the full distance.

Miss Gaisford was 4 down at the 13th, and she then commenced a stern uphill fight, winning three holes in succession. She was fortunate in getting a half at the 17th to keep the game alive, and then a further lapse decided the issue against her. The New Zealander started off badly by finding hazards and bunkers regularly, enabling her opponent to gain a 3 up lead. It was Mrs. Robinson's turn to err at the sixth, where she badly topped her drive, the ball going a little over a chain along the fairway. She conceded this hole after failing to get down in five, but recovered another on the seventh where she holed a 10ft. putt. Being on the green in two piticed Miss Gaisford in £ position to win the eighth whore her opponent just failed with a putt of 12ft. A half at the ninth saw the visitor turn 2 tip.

< Mrs. Robinson had another success at the tenth, but a beautiful tee shot by the New Zealander enabled her to take the 11th. Visits to the fairway and green bunkers cost Miss Gaisford the 12th, and, when Mrs. Robinson won the Wrecker, she was 4 up and Miss Gaisford's task looked hopeless. A magnificent tee shot right into the teeth of the wind pared the way for a New Zealand win at the short 14th, and, when this was followed up by a win at the next, Miss Gaisford still had a fighting chance. A putt which waggled in on the 16th saw the New Zealander further reduce the gap, much to the delight of the gallery. Both sliced, their drives into the rough at the 17th. Miss Gaisford struck the tree with her second and was lucky to halve this hole. A topped second placed Miss Gaisford at a disadvantage at the last where she just missed a 12ft. putt for a half, which, however, would not have been any use to her.

DEFEAT OF MISS KAY MATCH LOST ON GREENS By getting four sixes on the outward journey Miss Kay gave her opponent a commanding lead of 4 up at the turn. Miss MacLeod hung tenaciously to this advantage during the second half, losing only the 11th and 16th to become dormv. She played safely for a half at the 17th to win the match. After her brilliant putting the previous day Miss Kay disappointed with her failure to hole out from distances shorter than 6ft.,, and, had she got these, the match may possibly have gone in her favour. Miss MacLeod's outward half in 41 represented steady golf in the circumstances, but it was hardly worth her lead of four holes.

Miss MacLeod putted weakly at the first and lost to a four, but made amends at the next, where Miss Kay missed one of a yard. At the third the Australian negotiated a stymie to win in 5 to 6 and become 1 up. Miss Kay was bunkered at the fourth and lost to a 3, and, after having the* advantage at the next, lost her chance of a win by poor putting. The sixth and eighth tvere forfeited in similar manner and Miss MacLeod was 4 up at the turn. The spectators were given some hope when Miss Kay took the iOth in 4 to 5, but the Australian continued to play steady golf and held her lead to the 15th "to become dormv 3. A- fighting finish looked possible when the New Zealander holed a good putt for 3 at th«» 16th, and then a visit to the rough at the next spoiled her chances, Miss MacLeod playing quietly for a half in 5 to conclude the match. COMMANDING LEAD , MISS HAMMOND'S EASY WIN Miss Stevens never really settled down in her match against Miss Hammond and she was in a more or less hopeless position when she was 5 down at the sixth against a player who could be relied upon to give nothing away. The North Shore player was not happy with her long shots, but played quite well round the greens. Miss Hammond went out in 38 and was only three over the scratch score when she finished tho match on the Wrecker green. The New Zealander lost the nrst three holes to good fours, got a half in three at the fourth, and then lost two more by indifferent putting. The short seventh was halved in good threes, and Miss Stevens had her first win when she laid a stymie at the eighth. Halves tn fives at the next two holes enabled the Australian to keep her lead of 4 up. and Miss Stevens, by finding a bunker short of the Redan, could do no better than a half in 4. Miss Stevens caught the rough with her drive at the 12th and lost to a 6 Her last chance disappeared at the Wrecker, where Miss Hammond made amends for a poor second by a great approach to take the hole and the. match.

FIGHTING FINISH Miss -ba rns-g rah am's effort Miss Barns-Graham fully justified her inclusion in the team by putting up an excellent fight againsv her experienced opponent, Miss Lascelles After being three down at the turn she squared the match on the 14th, and, save for a visit to the gully at Temptation, should have taken the match to the last hole. Miss Laser lies obtained an early lead with two fours, but her opponent took one back with a steady four at the third. A brilliant putt by the Australian gavo her a two at the fourth and she became 3 up at the next, where Miss Barns-Graham took four to reach the green, Miss Lascelles getting a sterling 4 The New Zealander recovered another at the sixth, but, being bunkered at the seventh, took five, and was again 3 down. Miss Lascelles picked up at the next and turned 3 up when her opponent played a poor third. The tenth was halved in fives and then Miss Barns-Graham won two consecutive holes to be one down. After halves in 5 at the Wrecker, the New Zealander squared the match with a brilliant two at the 14th. However, she failed to repefi the fairway at Temptation, losing to a "5. She just missed equalising again at the next when her long putt staved on the lip of the hole. Both were on the 17th in three, Miss Lascelles being within 20ft. of From a dip in the green the New Zealander was short with her approach putt, while her opponent almost holed her putt. Miss Barns-Graham made one last desperate effort, but failed.