GOLF TOPICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22864, 20 October 1937, Page 24

GOLF TOPICS

CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

FINAL AT MIDDLEMORE THOMSON'S SUCCESSFUL SEASON BV THE ROVER Conditions were ideal for golf during the week-end, although most of the courses were feeling the effects of the recent dry spell and were playing fairly fast. The match between B. J. Thomson' and R. 1). Wright was a disappointing final to the championship of the Auckland Club as "Wright was completely out of touch. At the start of the game Thomson was not hitting his shots confidently, but after the second hole he settled down to play first-class golf. Wright missed a very short putt for a win at the first, and lie failed to take advantage of an opportunity at the second hole. From this stage, Thomson played a brilliant attacking game and after, being 4 down at the Sth, Wright was unable to stem the tide. Thomson has had a successful season as he also won the South Auckland and Auckland winter championships. Although he obtains wonderful length from the tees, he is not so consistently straight as formerly, but his range is so great that seconds to the greens present little difficulty. Although overwhelmed on Saturday, "Wright did well to reach the final and in earlier rounds he displayed much of the skill which made him one of the leading golfers in the province about -ten years ago. No fewer than eight players bettered the scratch score in a medal competition, but the course was in excellent order and it was not surprising to find such good scoring. By winning the senior event, .T. F. Brown was responsible for one of his best .performances to date and his score of 38 for the last nine holes was a particularly fine effort. A 6 at the 16th was the only blemish on C. H. Knight's card, while T. W. J. Johnson spoilt his chances with a 6 at the last hole.

W. Wilson, the winner of the B grade, carded three sevens on the outward half, but he returned splendidly in 38. Peculiarly enough, his son, lan, who headed the C grade, also had three sevens in the first nine and he marred a good inward half with sevens at the 14th and 18th holes.

TITIRANGI AND GLENDOWIE HUMPHREYS BEATS McCRYSTAL The championships at Titirangi and GlendoTrio are progressing and the finals will be decided before the end of the month. The match between V. L. Humphreys and R. R. McCrystal at Titirangi was evenly contested as there was a difference of no more than one hole between the pair at any stage. Humphreys was 1 up at the 15th, but after losing the next he eventually settled the issue with a fine 3 at the 19th, where he drove the green. H- Robson has alfeadv reached the final and his match with Humphreys, who is one of the longest drivers in Auckland, will be followed with interest. By defeating J. E. Stedman, W. J. Davidge has entered the final at Glendowie and he now meets C. Horton. Davidge had a splendid round of 73 and Stedman was unfortunate in striking an opponent in such fine form. Hej had a similar experience in the Maungakiekie championship.

AEARANA FINALISTS SMITH AND COLTMAN The finalists in last year's championship at Akarana, P. G. F. Smith and G. Coltman, are to meet again this year, although J. R. H. Biss nearly upset calculations. He was out in 38 to be 2 up on Smith and the position was unchanged after the 16th. A mishit drive cost Biss the next hole, although his opponent was forced to hole a 3 yards putt for the win, and a splendid second shot to the last green enabled Smith to square the match. Neither found the green with his second to the 19th, but Smith recovered brilliantly from a bunker to obtain a 4 and settle the issue. E. Canham. who was previously a member- at Otahuhu, played a good round to win the senior medal event, and H. E. Bridgens was the successful junior. Bridgens, who is the new junior champion, is the most improved player in his club and he tied with A. A. Young in the Tyler Memorial Cup competition. EXCELLENT SCORING BOGEY AT MAUNGAKIEKIE

Scoring in a four-ball bogey at Maungakiekie on Saturday was excellent, J. D. Shanlv and G. S. Laird winning with a card of 9 up. The former's round of 77 gave solidity to the combination, but the chief factor in the-succeas of the pair was the splendid play of Laird, whose net medal score was 65# In the fint#of the intermediate championship, Qy Coltman, who struck the harder side of the draw, lost the first three holes, and against the sound display of K. G. Bartlett, he was unable to make up the leeway. G. Truseott had a comfortable win at the expense of M. A. Pattison in the final of the junior chiimpionship. When Trugcott defeated the favourite, 0. C. Ewen, he was generally regarded as the likely winner and as lie has recently reduced his handicap to 12, his success is well merited. The handieapper at Pupuke is set a difficult task in dealing with .T. M. West, who played ten strokes better than his handicap to win a medal event. The scores returned by H. A. Craig and H. Y. Gray would usually have been good enough to win, while P. Nicholas and W. J. Thompson also played well. Good scoring was general at Otahuhu where G. C. Lyttelton and J. Ballantyne won the senior and junior medal matches, respectively. W. B. Eustace, who had an excellent round of 70 gross, was unfortunate in not winning the senior event, but he was successful in the Grange Cup competition. The Orakei course was in splendid order when the club championship was decided, and J. Chad wick is to be congratulated on winning the title. F. B. Busby was 2 up in the first eighteen holes, hut he lost his advantage early in the second round, and the players were all square with nine to go. Busby then won the next two holes, but Chadwick played very soundly to wipe out his deficit and win at the 35th.