PILL-CHASING

NZ Truth, Issue 1168, 19 April 1928, Page 12

PILL- CHASING

Echoes of Easter Golf (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Golf Correspondent.) By defeating Sloan Morpeth, H. B. Lusk lived up to his reputation as a great match player. r\N stroke play results it was expected R. Wright and S. Morpeth would meet m the final of the A.P.C., but both went under. Playing the previous round before they met, Lusk and Morpeth were not playing good golf. Morpeth was covering great distances from the tees, but slicing, and pulling were frequent. Lusk, also, was unsteady, especially so on the greens. Followers of the matches fully expected to see Morpeth defeated as all knew Lusk would accept the chances Morpeth was giving. Lusk soon established a lead and kept it throughout to win on the 17th green. Morpeth was not approaching well. His low pitch shot does not excel when a bunker looms up between him and the green and far too often he is left with long putts. He will have to cultivate the high stop shot, a stroke he seldom attempts. In the final, the play towards the end was exceptionally brilliant. Rain had given the greens a "grip" which suited Lusk and he rammed home some wonderful putts. T. A. Goulding made a great fight until Lusk moved on the fireworks at the 10th and from there to the 14th. his figures were, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3. G-'ouldlng had no chance against such Bobby I Jones golf, so Lusk retained the title j of Auckland provincial champion. i At Heretaunga, m a rather weak field, A. D. S. Duncan was the shining star. His old rival of previous meetings, T. H. Horton, could not attend, which gave the younger players their chance. But the G.O.M. of New Zealand golf was too good for them and for the eighth time won the Wellington provincial championship. Rana Wagg, one of the coming Wellington younger players, fought his way to the final, but the uncanny approaching and putting of A.D.S. beat the play"* of the young Hutt player. The experience of a few such matches will improve this fine golfer. A Right Left What a wonderful record Duncan j has? Eight times provincial champion, nineteen times champion of the W.G.C., amateur champion of New Zealand eleven times, and open champion three times. These are only his principal victories', but they constitute j a world's record and still he goes on winning-. Left-handed golfers came to the front j during Easter. Messrs. Menzies and \ Plumley qualified at Auckland. At | Nelson, G. Richmond went further and j won the local 'championship for the ! third time m succession and the fifth J time m eight years. | Richmond had a hard fight m the I final with A. A. Stitchbury, who was I defeated on the 17th green. { Richmond, who is a tall, wiry player, | can whack the ball terrific distances off | the tee and he is probably the best left-handed golfer m New Zealand today. B. V. Wright, the young Timaruvian, served up the sensation at Balmacewen by defeating Dr. Ross after 'a great game. This is Wright's most outstanding victory m match play to date, yet ho did not succeed m winning the title. The medical profession upheld their position and after a final which went to the 20th green, Dr. G. F. Barnett defeated Wright and retained the championship for Dunedin. Christchurch play their championship under medal play conditions. Several of the back-markers were absent, but they would have had to play exceptionally good golf to beat the returns of Avondale player E. Prince, who returned a par score of 70 followed I by a 77, which gave him the honor by five clear strokes. H. P. Dale showed the New Plymouth players how Bobby Jones putts. In the finals against A. S. Hassell, Dale performed on the greens like a wizard. The greens were glass fast, yet up to the 10th green, Dale required only ten putts.