GOLF.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21146, 2 October 1930, Page 4

GOLF.

By Divot.

FIXTURES FOR SATURDAY. Otago Club.—Club Championship. Second qualifying round. Every now and then in club fixtures a freak score is returned. In the first qualifying round, which was played at Balmacewen on Saturday, S. L. Wilson had a phenomenal net score of 61, his round of 75 being only two strokes behind that of Dr Ross, who led the field. The conditions for golf were not by any means good, although those who started early missed most of the rain. The ground was very wet, and the standard of the score is undoubtedly good for the conditions. _ The preeent indications are that the limit of the qualifying scores will not be greatly in excess of two 80’e. The final of the Junior Cup of the St. Clair Ladies’ Club was played between Mrs M'Gregor and Mrs M'Ewan. After an interesting match, in which both played sound golf, Mrs M'Gregor secured a well-deserved victory. R. H. Rawlinson and R. Sherriff had a runaway victory in the Fourball Bogey Handicap at St. Clair on Saturday. They finished 7 up, and both contributed equally to the score. The next best score was 2 up, which was returned by a number of pairs. , The National Championship of Australia, which was held last month on the Metropolitan links at Melbourne, provided some of the most thrilling contests that have ever been witnessed in Australia. The Hattersly-Nettlefold duel, which occurred in the round preceding the semifinals, will remain in the memories of those who witnessed it, both for the excellence of the golf and the fighting qualities displayed by both contestants. The battle in the morning was very even, with never more than the margin of two holes between the players. A birdie 3 at the fifth and a 2 at the short sixth gave Hattersley an advantage of 2 up at the turn, but _ Nettlefold responded with an overwhelming counter-attack over the next seven holes, which he accomplished in two under fours, thus squaring the match, at the sixteenth. The "position was unchanged at the end of the morning round. In the afternoon the hard-hitting New South Welshman repeatedly outdrove his opponent, but Nettlefold continued imperturbably to play within himself, and never succumbed to the .temptation to press for extra length,. His own drives were uniformly long and well Placed. The following extract from the Melbourne Age gives a graphic description of the play over the last 20 holes:— ‘ , Hattersley drew first blood in the afternoon with a two at the second hole, which has proved the Tasmanian’s bete noir on several occasions during the'meeting. A winning four at the fourth evened the score again, _ but Hattersley took the second mashie hole with a three to a four, and found both at close range round the flag in three, with Nettlefold completely stvmied five feet from the cup. His putt knocked ball in for three and a win* Score: Hattersley, two up Once more over the second half the Tasmanian staged a spirited counterattack, but it was not to' begin yet for a while. Hattersley made short work of the 440-yard eleventh with a drive and a straight pitch to the green, holing an eight-yard putt for an unbeatable three, and was three up. His drive to the 322yard twelfth was close up towards the green, and Nettlefold, playing the odd, was steady as a rock with his approach, whilst Hattersley duffed and slipped back to two up. Nettlefold forced the pace up the hill at the one-shot thirteenth, with a victorious two after Hattersley had -almost holed a chip from the sand. Again the forunes of war swung the match round to all square at the fourteenth, where Hattersley, recovering much too strongly from a hooked drive, raced through the green and eventually picked up. _ Then followed a clockwork-like succession of halves in par figures alb the way to ihe home. hole. Hattersley was pin high at the seventeenth in the soft grass oyer the mound. Nettlefold'ran up tp. the far edge of the green. A weak chip from the deft, and- Hattersley played the odd to three feet away, the ball resting straight along the Tasmanian’s path towards the cup. Fives halved and they were all square at the last tee. Hattersley, after a long, low drive, pitched through into the uncut: Nettlefold’s approach putt lay “atone dead,” and the Sydney man was left with a downhill putt of five feet for a half. Amidst tremendous excitement the ball rattled into the tin, and the gallery surged across once more to the first tee. Another strong pitch shot placed Hattersley on - the far edge of the green, whilst Nettlefold lay scarcely seven or eight yards away. Hattersley putted up far past the hole. Nettlefold almost holed in six,. the ball resting a few inches from the rim. To the amazement and delight of the gallery Hattersley rammed home the halving putt from nearly 15 feet, and the-match was still alive. By this time the* huge gallery had lined the track to the short second. Nettlefold pulled out into a cuppy lie among the grass, and Hattersley pitched neatly on to the well-bunkered green. It was impossible for Nettlefold to.get under the ball and give it any of the necessary back spin for a “slop shothis only hope of managing a half—and the ball ran past into a grassy hollow. With a three to a five Hattersley took the hole and ended a great match. Afternoon cards (approximate):—Hattersley. 424,043,445—30—1 up; 335,463,554 —3B—74—sq.—43; Nettlefold, 444,444,445 —37—l down; 444,253,554—30—73 sq.— 45. An amazing feature of the principal match of the semi-finals between Sloan Morpeth and H. W. Hattersby, was the boldness with which each of the contestants attacked missable putts. Morpeth is considered one of the best match players of Australia, and his match against the brilliant young Sydney golfer was awaited with keen interest. At the most critical moments throughout the match first one then the other saved himself by holing long putts with amazing confidence. There was one most notable exception. At the thirty-sixth Morpeth had a down-hill putt of six feet for the match. Contrary to all the precedents which he had set himself during the match he hit the ball so ill that the ball wandered weakly off the line. Morpeth pushed out his approach slightly at the thirty-seventh and was bunkered. The match looked to be over, but Morpeth made a good recovery and holed a fourfoot putt for a half. Hattersby was well on the- green at the thirty-eighth and summarily ended the match by sinking a six-yard putt. To the great surprise of the American, golfing public Walter Hagen this year failed to qualify for the. final stages of the Professional Championship of the United States. For 10 years Hagen has been the leading figure in professional golf. Other well-known players also failed, among them being Jim Barnes, Willie Macfarlane, Joe Turnesa, and Bobby Cruickehanks. The cabled news this week gave very meagre details of the American Amateur Championship. Bobby Jones, the wonder golfer, by winning this event, has achieved the ambitious task he had set himself for the 1930 season, that of winning the four major golf championships of the world. The public now take the magnificence of his golf for granted, whilst golf correspondents concern themselves more with such symptoms of humanity as he may have inadvertantly displayed in his methods of producing his shots.