BRILLIANT GOLF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26731, 29 March 1948, Page 6

BRILLIANT GOLF

OTAGO' CHAMPIONSHIPS PLAY IN FINALS TO-DAY FERGUSON MEETS LEMON The final of the Otago golf championship will be played by J. N. Lemon and T. B Ferguson over 36 holes at Balmacewen to-day. Neither has won a provicial title before so that a new name is destined to appear on the honours board in the clubhouse. Ferguson has twice before reached the final of the championship and Lemon has once been a finalist. The latter won the Dunedin championship at St. Clair recently. The semi-final matches yesterday produced some brilliant golf, both Lemon and F. W. Dixon, whom he defeated at the eighteenth green, doing rounds of 71. It was a particularly meritorious performance ori the part of Lemon as, at the third green, his approach shot skidded on the green and went out of bounds. Lemon thus took five strokes for the hole to Dixon's three. Dixon, after being 2 down at the thirteenth, fought back well and squared the match at the sixteenth green. The seventeenth was halved, but a brilliant recovery shot from a bunker at the last hole followed by a matching-winning putt decided the issue in Lemon’s favour. It was an excellent game and it was only Lemon’s steadiness when the pressure was on which clinched matters. When he met Ferguson yesterday, J. A. Scouler failed to reproduce the form which he showed on Saturday in heavily defeating the South Island and Otago champion, A. H. Boyd. He was less certain than usual with his putter and eventually lost 2 and 1. Ferguson, who has had a lean patch recently owing to illhealth, showed that he has regained top form and his play yesterday was consistent throughout. Both men played some first-class iron shots, but one or two good putts helped Ferguson to a narrow victory. The high standard of golf shown m the senior matches was not confined to that section as there was a surprising number of holes played in par figures or better in the intermediate and junior semi-finals. The intermediate final will be played to-day by A. Wardale, who has revealed a penchant for prolonging his games beyond the eighteenth hole, and A. R. Timms, a highly-promising 16-year-old. The junior finalists will be F. A. Leslie and E. Keen. The former, whose handicap at 16, did a round of 80 yesterday, including an 8 at the sixteenth. N H. North and G. C. McKay will meet in the final of the Otago Plate. Results: — Otago championship Semi-finals. —J. N. Lemon (Otago) defeated F.iW, Dixon (Otago) 1 up, T. B. Ferguson' (Otago) defeated J. A. Scouler (Otago) 2 and 1. Intermediate Championship Semi-finals.—A. Wardale (Otago) beat R. Deacon (Otago) at the nineteenth. A. R. Timms (St. Clair) beat F. E. Hunt (Otago) 8 and 7. Junior Championship Semi-finals.—E. Keen (Chisholm Park) beat A. F. Ross (Otago) 2 up, F. A. Leslie (Otago) beat C. O. Pratt (Otago) 6 and 5. Other matches played in the week-end resulted:—Single Stableford: N. W. Parker 42 points. Single Bogey: L. F. Johnson 3 up. Four-ball Bogey: W. Paterson and E. W. Humphreys 7 up. Play on Saturday The standard of golf in the Senior Championship rounds on Saturday ranged from brilliant to mediocre. The chief surprise of the day’s play was the ease with which J. A. Scouler defeated last year’s champion, A. H. Boyd, in the second round. Boyd halved only the first hole, the match ending on the tenth green. , F W Dixon played brilliant golf in defeating' W. G. Wight, and was one under fours when the match ended. J. N. Lemon was again a model of consistency in his match with L. Whinam, and some excellent putting decided the issue in his favour. After a close struggle, T. B. Ferguson defeated the St. Clair player, D. C. Bennie. Results: — Senior Championship First Round.—A. H. Boyd beat S. J. Macdonald 3 and 2, J. A. Scouler beat I. McLennan 5 and 4, D. C. Bennie beat E. N. Elder 8 and 7, T. B. Ferguson bea. N H North at the nineteenth, J. N. Lemon beat J. W. Mclntosh at the twentyfirst, L. B. Whinam beat G. C. McKay 3 and 1, F- W. Dixon beat A. C. Macdonald 4 and 3. W. G. Wight beat A. Gibbs 3 and 2. , . _ . _ Second Round.—Scouler beat Boyd 9 and 8, Ferguson beat Bennie 2 and 1, Lemon beat Whinam 2 and 1, Dixon beat Wight 5 and 4. Otago Plate S. J. Macdonald beat I. McLennan 4 and 2 N. H. North beat E. N. Elder 4 and 3. G. C. McKay beat J. W. Mclntosh by default, A. Gibbs beat A. C. J4ac.donald by default, McKay beat Gibbs 2 and 1. Intermediate Championship First Round.—A. Wardale beat A. J. White at the nineteenth, J. B. Quaile beat I A Forgie at the nineteenth, E. J. Reid beat E B. McDonald 2 and 1, R. Deacon beat R. W. Maskell 4 and 3, A. R. Timms beat W. D. McKenzie 2 and 1, H- W. Horder beat G. H. Burgess 2 and 1, C. K. Goodin beat E. J. King 2 and 1, F. E. Hunt beat A. Gill 4 and 3. Second Round.—Wardale beat Quaile at the twenty-first, Deacon beat Reid 5 and 4, Timms beat Horder 6 and 4, Hunt beat Gill 5 and 4. . Junior Championship First Round.—L. H. Carter beat W. Peterson 4 and 3, E. Keen beat A. E. Greensmith 4 and 3, A. F. Ross beat L. Miller 1 up, T. Slme beat C. J. Read 3 and 2 C. O. Pratt beat R. A. Scott 1 up, T. H.’Brown beat J. P. Cartwright 1 up, F. R. King beat I. S. Fowler 5 and 4, F. A Leslie beat K. Foxton 8 and 6. Second Round.—Keen beat Carter 3 and 2, Ross beat Sime 3 and 2, Pratt beat Brown 2 up, Leslie beat King 2 and 1.

CHISHOLM PARK CLUB

The Single Bogey Handicap played by the Chisholm Park Club on Saturday resulted in a win in the A Grade for A. Giles (all square). Other good cards returned were those of J. Simmons 2 down, A. W. Sinclair 3 down, and S. Jewiss 5 d °ln n the B Grade J. Lee won with the good card of 1 up. J. Harrison and B. C. Abernethy 1 down and G. Grey 5 down also returned good scores. The Juvenile Club played a medal handicap which was won by T. Woulfe 85— 19—66. Other good scores were those of B. Ward 89—21—68. I. Mclntosh 93—22—71. and G. Skelton 85—14—71.