BIG GOLF

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11933, 13 September 1924, Page 6

BIG GOLF

CHAMPIONSHIP HONOURS AMATEUR FINAL TO BE DECIDED AT MIDDLEMOUB TO-DAY. MOSS WINS PROFESSIONAL. (By Telegraph to ‘'Times.”) AUCKLAND, September 12. Iho amateur golf championship of New Zealand for 1924 is now drawing to a close and with the decision of the sc.ui-finals to-day only two are left in to contest the right to the coveted title. One of these is Goss, last year’s champion, and the other Leo Quin, who is. believed to be the first Taranaki player to have reached such prominence in open company. UNIQUE FEATURES. This year’s championship has a number of unique features. In the first piaco its early stages were marked by a number of unexpected surprises, was expected, in local golfing circles, that \Vellimgtom with Arthur Duncan and Christchurch with Macfarlane, had good chances of having a representative in the final, hut both' these players failed to produce their beet golf when the test came and were eliminated. It is seldom that Arthur Duncan disappears so quickly from a contest of this kind, while Macfarlane was caught off hie game once, and that was the end of him. To-day saw two experienced players matched together, and on the other hand two mere youths contesting the right to appear in the final. Never before to the writer’s knowledge has a youth of nineteen survived such strenuous match play and come out victorious to semi-final stage. But young Gunson, of Auckland, did so, and consequently his play at Middlemore to-day was invested with extraordinary interest. GOOD WEATHER CONDITIONS. This morning dawned cloudy, and an occasional heavy shower fell, giving promise of a wet day. The sun triumphed, however, and by noon conditions were deoidodely warm, while the links were again in perfect order. As a matter of fact the conditions throughout the tournament have been almost too perfect and rain, tricky winds and deceiving greens, which are sent to test the really great golfer, have been conspicuous by their absence. Although the amateurs naturally attracted most attention the final of the professional championship provided the best golf. Moss and McIntosh were both all out after the title and as was expected Moss was the victor. In the morning they both played a fine game. Moss went round in 73, being then 3 up. Their cards were as follow: Moss (73), out. —4,4, 4,4, 4,4, 3 (V, 5—36: back, 3,4, 4,4, 4,4, 4,5, 5—37. Mclntosh (76). out.—4, 5,4, 5. 5; 5, 4,3, 6—41; back, 2,4, 6,4, 4, 4. 4,4, 4—35. Mclntosh had somewhat had luck in the morning. He out drove Moss but made one or two rather costly mistakes. The professionals bad their fair share of spectators. Moss is now the holder of both the open and professional championship. PLAY DESCRIBED RESULT OF SEMI-FINAL QUIN MAKES REMARKABLE RECOVERY. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, September 12. The semi-final ocf the amateur championship was played a* Middlemore today, when Goss (Wanganui) defeated Lusk (Auckland) by 2 up and 1 to play, and Quin (Blitham) defeated Gunson (Auckland) by 3 up and 2 to play. The final of the professional cnamS'omship was also played. Moss (Auckiid) defeated Mclntosh (Hutt) by 5 up and 3 to play. MOST INTEREST IN PROFESSIONALS. - A very large gallery followed the professionals who played better golf than either of the amateur pairs. McIntosh had the advantage on to the first green, and Moss was left a longish- pull which he sank beautifully, and i the hole was halved in 4. Mclntosh | missed a Abort putt at the second green, Moss winning the hole 4 to 5. They halved the next in 4, but at the fourth Mclntosh duffed ins drive and putted weakly, Moss winning the hole, making him 2 up. A fine second shot at the fifth landed Moss on the edge of the green, while Mclntosh was short with his drive, and took three to the green. Moss won it in 4. McIntosh was short at the foot of a bunker with his seoond, while Moss laad his within 12 feet of the pin, and Won in 4. MOSS PLAYS BEAUTIFULLY. Moss, who had been playing beautifully controlled golf from the outset, landed his ball within 18 feet of the pin with his tee shot at Tamaki hole, and laid his putt dead for 3, while McIntosh after a good first 6hot lost the hole by weak putting. Moss was in gully with his drive at the next, but played out to within 18 feet of the pin with his second. Mclntosh, with a beautiful drive and second shot, was within a foot of the hole for 3, and Moss missed a long shot for a half. The Wellington man Won his first hole. At the eighth Moss was 4 up. At the I ninth Moss outdrove Mclntosh for the ! first time, but the latter was nicely on the green with lids third, and! Moss short with his, but the Auckland man sank a good! putt to win the hole in 5. Mclntosh made a good start on the homeward run by holing in 2 at the tenth, Moss being short in trying a long putt to save. The eleventh was beautifully played by both to halve in THE DEVIL’S NUMBER. At the twelfth Mclntosh was in the sand with his second, and Moss on the green. Mclntosh pitched too far from the bunker, while Moss, pulling surely, sank his ball in 4 to 5. At the devil’s number both were just off the green from the tee, but Mclntosh laid his approach putt close to the pin, and then missed a short putt and the chanoe to win the hole, which was halved in four. The fourteenth was halved in 4, Moss being a trifle short with his second shot. A good drive and seoond shot by Mclntosh left him a 16ft putt for a win in 3. but he was short, and they halved 1 it in 4. The next hole also was halved in 4, McIntosh failing to be quite firm enough in a long putt for 3. At the seventeenth Moss was short with Inis seoond, and Mclntosh, who had been outdriving Moss all along, was nicely on the green in two to hole out in 4 to 5. The eighteenth saw them both at the edge of the green in two, but Moss was short with his approach putt, and holing from 4 feet, enabling

Mclntosh to take the hole 4 to 5 and finish round 3 down. A GOOD ROUND. Moss had gone round in 73—out in 36 and back in 37 while Mclntosh’s round was 7G—out in 41, and back in 35. AFTERNOON’S PLAY. In the afternoon, Mclntosh made a good start to wipe off his deficiency, Cut Moss continued to play practically without a mistake, and at the turn he was 5 up. Molntosh had won one hole (sixth) by a four-foot, but he lost the ninth through a short third shot and weak putting. He struck trouble at the twelfth, when he twice duffed hi 3 drive, and gave up the hole. At the next, he missed a short putt to win, and halved. The same thing happened at the fourteenth hole, and at the fifteenth, he again missed his putt, Moss winning by 5 up and 3 to play. The amateurs GOSS v. LUSK. In'the Goss —Lusk match, both hit good drives at the first hole, Lusk then hooking his mashie, arid Goss being short of the pin. Lusk failed to get up with his approach putt, and Goss won in 4 to 6. Goss one up. Lusk won the second hole in 4 to 5, after hitting two fine shots. Goss missed a short putt for a half. All square. The third hole was halved in 4, Goss sinking a twelve foot putt for a half, after finding the of a bunker. The fourth was halved in 5, and the fifth in 6. ALL SQUARE AT THE TURN. The sixth was won by Goss in 4 to 5. Goss one up. The seventh, was halved in 3, and the eighth in 4. Lusk won the ninth in 5, Goss taking 6, after being short with third and all square. The tenth was halved in 4, Goss being half stymied, and he missed a foot putt for a win. Lusk won the eleventh in 4, Goss losing a penalty stroke by getting into some shrubs at the edge of the riverhank, and taking 6. Goss won the twelfth in 5 to 6, thus making the game all square again, but missed a five foot putt for a half at the thirteenth. Lusk winning in 4 to 5. Lusk one up. Lusk also won the fourteenth and fifteenth, through Goss missing short putts, and became 3 up. Goss won the sixteenth in 4 to 5, Lusk being short with his approach, and also putting short. Lusk 2 up. The seventeenth was halved in 5, and Goss won the eighteenth in a good 4 to 5. Lusk getting into the rough. Lusk was therefore one up at the fininsh of the morning round, hut Goss squared the game at the first hole in the afternoon, after Lusk had missed a three foot putt for a half. GOSS IN THE LEAD. The next two holes were halved in 4 amd Gobs won the fourth in 4, Lusk duffing two mashie shots in the rough amd taking 6. Both missed short rtts at the fifth which was halved in Goss won the sixth in 4, after Lu skbod sliced his drive over the river and taking 6. Goss two up. Lusk got a nice 3 at seventh, Goss t-nking 4. The eighth was halved in 4, ana Lusk won the ninth in 5, Goss going through the green and taking 6. This made the game all square. Goss got nicely on the green at the tenth, going down in 3, while Lusk failed with a nine-foot putt for a half and took 4. Goss om up. Goss also won the eleventh a good 4, Lusk finding the tee shot, and then getting into s' sand bunker. Goss two up. Lusk won the twelfth in 4, his third half styming Goss who took 5. Goss one up. FIGHT TO THE FINISH. fUhs (thirteenth, was halved in 4, and Lusk won the fourteenth in 4 after a closer approach putt than Goss, who took 6. All square. Goss won the fifteenth in 4, Dusk being short with his approach and missing hie putt for a half. The sixteenth was halved in 5, both missing putts for 4. The end came at the seventeenth, Goss hiding in 4 to 5 and winning by 2 up and 1 to play. A HARD MATCH. A hard match was played between Gunson and L. Quin. The former started away well in the morning and steadily increased his lead to 3 up at the turn, although at the fifth hei drove Ids tee shot over the plantation fence and lost his penalty hall. Going home he took the short tenth in 3 to 4, amd the next in 4 to 5, making him 5 up. QUIN’S FLAY IMPROVES. Quin became steadier and halved the twelfth in 5, then won the thirteenth in 2 to 3, the fourteenth in 4 to 5 and the. fifteenth with a similar score, all the results of very sound play from the tee to the hole. Tho remaining, three holes were each halved in s’s It was a poor round, neither breaking 80. REMARKABLE RECOVERY. In the afternoon, the match became very (distinctive because of the remarkable recovery of form by Quin and the complete reversal of positions. Gunson started very steadily and won the first hole in 3 to 5, and the seconvl in 4to 6, making him 4 up. Quin took tho next in 4 to 5, while the fourth was secured by Gunson in a well-played 3to 4. The fifth was halved m 6‘s, while the next was taken brilliantly by Gunson in 4 to 5, giving him a lead of 5. Quin got the seventh, while the eighth and ninth were halved in 4 and 5 respective!}’, the outward journey finishing with Gunson 4 up. GUNSON GOES OFF. From the short tenth to the sixteenth hole Gunson’s play was very rough, while Quin never made a mistake and played very sound golf. His iron shots frequently being magnificent. He won seven holes in succession in the following order, tenth in 3 to 4,' eleventh in 4 to 5, twelfth in 4to 5, thirteenth and fourteenth each in 3 to 4, fifteenth in fi to 6 and the sixteenth in 4to 5. Quill thus won the match, by 3 up and 2 to play. FOUR-BALL MATCH. A four-ball, best ball bogev. was won by T. H. Horton (Masterton) and ,-T. L. Fetley (Miramar) with 8 im. R. D. Wright and H. Horton (Auckland) were 7 up and R. O. Ghcsney and C. E. Robieson (Wellington), 7 up, being equal for socond. LADIES’JOURNEY MRS BELL WINS CHAMPIONSHIP. Per Press Association. WANGANUI, September 12. The lady golfers had another fine day for the continuation of their tournament, and the games proceeded without a hitch. In) the semi-final of the championship Miss Bell (Wellington) beat Mi's Collinson (Palmerston North) by 5 and 4, and Mrs R. Bell beat Mrs Grace (Wanganui) by 2 and 1. In the final Mrs R. Bell beat Miss Bell by 2 and 1. BOGEY MATCH. Mns Broderick and Miss Brandon

tied, -with 2 down. In the play-off they tied again, and they will play on Monday to decide the winner. JUNIOR BOGEY MATCH. Mias Blythe won, with one down. The putting competition was won by Miss Earlong. IN AUSTRALIA , SINCLAIR WINS TITLE. BALL STRIKES A BIRD. Bv Telegraph -"Press Assn.—Copyright (Received September 13, 0.6 a.m.) MELBOURNE, September 12. The final amateur golf championship of Australia was responsible for a great ebruggle between Sinclair (N.S.W.) and! Russell (Victoria). Sinclair eventually defeated the Victorian champion, 2 up and 1 to play. There was a epectacular incident in the match when Sinclair was driving his hall in mid-air struck and brought down to the ground a lark. Luckily nis drive was not affected.