GOLF TOPICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23058, 8 June 1938, Page 21

GOLF TOPICS

WINTER championship STRONG FIELD COMPETES % G F/SMITH BELOW FORM I BRYANT'S LONG DRIVING by the hover The event in local golfing circles during the week-end was the Auckland vlnter championship which was staged the Akarana Club. This tournament ras first held in 193|, when tho majorL of competitors were Akarana Club >. L' em bers, but since then most of the 1 ff-mvk®rs from other clubs have been long the entrants. The" event this ve ar ranked equal in importance with the provincial championship, as all the cratch players in tho Auckland provincetook P»rt. : ... In the qualifying round on Saturday »he majoritv of the players had the unique experience of playing in a fog. The course was enshrouded in a heavy fan' until well after niid-day and the arlv starters were at a great disadvantage, as distances were very difficult ,i 'jjgsf, performance of the !nnml of 73 equalled tho course record ffhich was held by P. G. F. Smith, of V Parana, and S. S. Wilson, of Auclc Unci However. Thomson failed to surdre the first day of match-play, as hp "as defeated at the 20th by J. C. Smith did net strike his best form, and L was defeated in th«i first round by the provincial champion W. J. Davidge. In this match Smith putted poorly, and " Davidge won on the last green. Until the final L. J. Bryant gave one of the best exhibitions of shot production vet seen in amateur ranks in Auckland' He was obtaining great length from" the tees, while the manner in which he executed his iron shots left tittle to be desired. Against Brinsden hj« was not timing his shots correctly, ,nd he lost a number of chances by pushing liis seconds out. ' The veteran Maungakiekie placer I. jlacOwan is to be congratulated 111 aualifying for the championship, and he did well to reach the second round. V* Salek had a most successful tourna-mc-nt and, except in his match against Brinsden, he played rerv fine go f. He ron the net medal and a medal handicto on Saturday and, partnered by h. I j Clih'ord, he was successful in botli the championship and handicap four"Sfthough he won the championship, ff D Brinsden probably played moro loose shots than in any previous event I finest'he has won. However, lie played «1I V 'enough to win, and that is all that was necessary. He. drove fairly ; lili throughout the tournament and ! fcg .putting, although not as inspired I M il few years back, was sound. His weakest shot at 'present is a maslneBibfek: pitch from a short distance. not lit anv time -did he play it tonfidentlv. This was Brinsden's third tiarsince 'the winter championship was naftgurated and he is to bo congratuhis success. ' ; - • ](;.■ THE AKARANA OUP of. Harvey c . .. ... —.. • : ■ In; the Akarana Cup A. Harvey had t6 concede, strokes in every match, and te Waved consistently well throughout ihe v conipe.tiiion. Harvey is hitting his iHots much better than previously, and i that ho does not exploit the closed cM> face to an extreme, his game should tapidly improve. . Among others, to play tie tournament" were D. Coyle, J'. E. Cashmore, J. E. Batty,-' R.-rJlosking. ■ E. Mann, S.'Hardman. J.I. B. Carr and M. Kiely. These players were winners of groflp and, in addition. Carr Ms successful in a Stableford bogey.-He played particularly well over the lakt -nine and finished with three B's ifevicoKi'2o points for the inward liiffe.-" | BIRTHDAY TOURNEY • • i ■■ ' ' ... | MIDDLEMORE MATCHES ;V. /The King's Birthday tournament for Bombers of the Auckland Club afcj tracted a good entry at Middlemore. In finning the .championship, W. B. Lusk eflram'enced by leading the qualifying j rounds with good scores and he played mildly in each match. His score of 75 oa tlie first day was the result of steady golf and he 7 commenced with six fours to reach the turn in 38. t I'lje semi-final, match between Lusk uid another'young player, S. H.Abel, provided a great finish as Lusk was 2 down after playing the 16th and he then won the next three holes. On the other side of the draw, R." A. Wilson, *ho forinerlv played at 'Shirley. had a close matcii with the youthful K. M. Wilson, th,a former winning on the. last . Peen. . '■ • . In the final, LuSk played -\vell to defeat It. A. Wilson at the 16th where Wilson made'a good attempt to keep the match alive. Lusk, who is a son of; J. BrLnsk, and a nephew of H. B. Lusk,,is'possessed of a sound stylo and he shiiula develop into quit© a good The final of the Middlemore handicap proved to be one of the best matches of the day as Sir 'Henry Horton defeated R. Jr< 'Darling at tho 19th after being j 2 down at the 16th. Faced with a difficult stymie, on this green when his ball was within two feet of the hole, % _H6nrv holed out with a mashieniblick sfiot to obtain the half. His ■ opponent struck trouble in bunkers at the nest three holes and Sir Henry settled the, issue when lie played a Rood chip from an awkward.down-hill i " e at the 19th. . „ , . H. Williams, who was successful in the consolation handicap, had a numof hard matches and in the final pe was foroed to hole a 'good putt on J,he last green to defeat G: W. S. uil|m \ PLAY AT ONE TREE HILL < ELLIFFK' CUP GAMES u ln-fi>,b6gey handicap playerV at the .. veteran F. Wisesiiccesat'ul with a card of 1 HPj half of 39 being excel.ifat.lv played. ,T. S. Cqlegroye, J. E. . otedman and S. G*.; Smrtli - returned of all square, Colegrove missing of tieing with the winL°y three-putting on the 12th. pine most- even match hi the Elliffe yip competition was that between J. Tanner and \. J. Kidd:. At the 30th " 0 ' e < Tanner's second finished within , Mew feet of the pin, his opponent bunkered. Kidd played a fine re--7? v ery shot and stymied his opponent, hole being halved in fours. Tanner Wed the better golf at the next l®*®' where he was conceding a stroke, . 7 &'dd again laid his ball dead from bunker to win the-match. file.." . Stedman returned a fine to tg J. H. Earlo and he i 8 rapidly reßanuntr hi s best form. W. Caldenvood Produced a 78 but he had considerable faculty in disposing of D. D. Holland scramble, S. G. Smith , Y* Parkinson returned the reifot e score of 10 up, Parkinson s * medal score being 65. I). G. Maclife am * W. H. D'Audney, tile suc- . ?®»UI combination in last year's four-knock-out competition, were deon the last green by H. 1 idjKrsh and D. L. McKay, the lastPlaying far in advance of his i ..