GOLF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21828, 15 December 1932, Page 4

GOLF

By Divot. FIXTURES FOR SATURDAY Otago Club. —Semi-finals, Club Championship and third round Balmacewen St. Clair Club. —Single Bogey Handicap. OTAGO CLUB The second round of the Otago Club Championship was played on Saturday under very trying conditions. There was a very strong wind blowing with the result that distances were extremely hard to judge. , , , , The surprise of the day was the defeat of B. V. Wright, who has had a distinguished career in championship go.f, by J. M'Dougall, although the surprise was created not so much by the defeat itself but by its magnitude. M'Dougall, however, thoroughly deserved his win, and his golf under the testing conditions was of a sufficiently high standard to extend anyone. Starting with a good four, Mr Dougall played impeccable golf over , the first five holes to gain a lead of 5 up, his figures being 4 4,3, 2, 4. Wright had not yet settled down. He tost the first hole by missinu a difficult putt for a half. At the second he hooked his approach to finish below the bank on the left. At the third he failed to gauge the strength of the following wind and his brassie tee shot was much top strong, finishing out of bounds through the fence at the back of the green. M'Dougall more or Jess “ rubbed it in ” with a birdie 2 at the fourth, although Wright very nearly obtained a half. At the Terrace neither reached toe green in 2, but M‘Dougall played the better approach and won the hole in 4, to be 5 up after five holes had been played. This was a disastrous start for Wright, and even the strongest nerves could not fail to be affected by a suc'cession of shocks of this nature. Wright stopped the rot temporarily by winning the sixth in 4, M'Dougall taking three putts. The seventh was halved in 4, and M'Dougall won the eighth with another 4, to be 5 up again. The ninth went to Wright with a 4, leaving him 4 down at the turn. Both were too strong with their tee shots at the tenth, and a half in 4 resulted. Tiperary was halved in 6, both players having driven over the hill to encounter bad lies for their second shots. M'Dougall played M'Glashan’s w r ell to win in 3to 4, but Wright won Manuka against a stiff wind in 5. This only staved off defeat for a while, as won Roy’s in 3 to 4, and the match 5 and 4. M'Dougall’s figures were; Out—4, 4,3, 2, 4,5, 4,4, 5—35. In: 4,6, 3,6, 3. one over 4’s for the 14 holes. Scouler played steadj' golf to defeat Dodgshun, who sensationally defeated Ross in the first round. This game was very close and there was very little be* tween the players in the first half. In the second half, however, Scoiiler gradually gained the ascendancy. Dodgshun won the first in 5, and then maintained this lead up to the fifth, the intervening holes being halved in 4’s. Scouler squared with a 4 at the fifth, and took the lead with a 4 at the seventh, the next two holes being halved. Starting for home with a lead of one hole, Scouler obtained a birdie 2 at the tenth, but Dodgshun replied in kind to win Tipperary with a 4. The twelfth was halved in 4, and Scouler became 2 up again at Manuka. Roy’s was halved in 3, Dodgshun having made a great recovering approach shot. Scouler was not to be denied, however, and won Spioh Kop with a steady 4. Dodgfehun fought back strongly and won the sixteenth, but he trouble in the long grass at the back of the seventeenth green and conceded the hole, Scouler thus winning 3 and 1. Spence started auspiciously against Butcher by winning the first four noles. Both played very sound golf and after a bad start Butcher played a gallant uphill fight. The match ended at the sixteenth, waere Spence was 3 up. Spence was level fours for the sixteen holes, which is' an indication of the high standard of the golf in this match. Wight, and Ferguson had another very dose match. Ferguson put up a good fight against ■ his experienced opponent, and was defeated only on the eighteenth green. ST. CLAIR CLUB The links are in almost perfect order, and this' augurs well for the New Year tournament. The cluE has expended a lot of work and money in maintaining the links, and the praiseworthy efforts of the committee and greenkeeper should be amply repaid by the general satisfaction of the members and the praise of visitors.

The St. Clair tournament which was inaugurated last year at rather short notice promises to be a very popular meeting with Otago and Southland golfers, The St. Clair course is not of championship length, but it nevertheless provides a good test of golf, and is, more* over, a course which provides the player with a very enjoyable round. The environs of the course are distinctly picturesque, and from different parts of the links very beautiful views of the sea and of the city, which can compare favourably with anything in the Dominion, can be obtained. This year the tournament opens on Saturday, December 31, when the qualifying rounds for the Dunedin Amateur Championship and the Otago Junior Amateur Championship will be played. The match play rounds of these major events will be played on Monday and Tuesday, January 1 and 2, the finale taking place on Tuesday afternoon. The programme has an interesting series of handicap events, including stroke, bogey, and four-ball bogey events. Entries for the tournament close with the secretary, Mr W. W. Clayton, P.O. Box 215, Dunedin, on Thursday, Deeember 22. The present holder of the Dunedin Amateur Championship is J. A. Scouler, of the Otago Club, the runner-up being W. W. Clayton, of St. Clair. Mr F. Shirriff, of the St. Clair Club, holds the junior title.