GOLF

Opunake Times, 12 August 1932, Page 2

GOLF

SPRING HANDICAP CUP. QUALIFYING ROUND. The following is the draw for the qualifying round of the Spring Handicap Cup, the sixteen best gross scores to qualify. Those qualifying- will be drawn and will play off on match handicaps. Round play will be over 18 holes and the final oyer 36 holes. Any match finishing all square will be continued without handicap until a decision is reached. Edmonds v. Downey, Feaver v. Fouhy, Donnelly v. Mac Diarmid, Turner v. Harding, Stephenson v. Hooker, Dudley, v. Peat, Hammond v. Burton, Marcroft v. McCrone, • Fraser v. Mclvor, Cundy v. Cameron, Kennedy v. Fleming, Oliver v. Willis v. Barraclough. Will any of the above unable to play make a point of notifying his partner. In the event of any of the above being absent, the draw will be subject to alteration. REVISED HANDICAPS. In view of the forthcoming Spring Handicap Cup contest, the handicaps have been carefully revised and are as follows: Medal Match.

OPUNAKE v. TE NGANUTU MATCH ON SATURDAY. The following players will represent the local club in the match on Saturday next on the Opunake links. Games will commence at 1.30 sharp. Players are requested to bring a plate. Cundy, Donnelly, Hammond, Burton, Mclvor, Willis, Hinch, Marcroft, Downey, Fouhy, Feaver, McDiarmid, Fleming, Oliver. NOTES (By "Stymie.") Considerable interest was evinced in the championship play during the week-end, and although these matches have to be taken too seriously'to be enjoyed by the contestants, they are very much appreciated by others. •*• • « The standard of play in most matches was good especially in that between Fraser and Turner. • ■» * « Cundy retained his good form shown in the qualifying round in disposing of Feaver 2 up. Feaveris a hard, man to beat and Cundy had to play good golf to win on the last green. • * * « Fraser and Turner had a great struggle, which ended on the last green in favour of the former. Fraser was hitting a very long ball but Turner made up his deficiency around the greens. To be defeated so narrowly by Fraser shows Turner to be a force to be reckoned with. Fraser looks to have an excellent chance of winning the championship. • # * • Oliver was unsteady against Marcroft, ; who took full advantage of any lapses and ran out a winner by 4up and 3. Oliver is a much better medal than a match player. • »••"■>■.# ■ In the junior event Dudley had some difficulty in disposing of the much improved Fouhy, who took his opponent to the 17th green before acknowledging defeat. The golf in this match was not of a high standard. j 1»* * m

Father Kennedy easily disposed of Hammond by 5 up and 3. Both played rather scratchily but the former was more steady in the wind which made conditions somewhat difficult.

Fleming and Burton had a great match, an extra hole having to be played before the latter prevailed. Fleming again revealed his weekness in match play, but staged a great recovery after being 2 down aud 3 to play, to square the match at the 18th. Fleming should not have lost the 19th, being on the green with his tee shot and taking five to hole out. • ■»•■■«'• This match is an example of the difference between match and medal play. Fleming has been handing in consistently good medal rounds, but fails in match play. Burton, a much improved beginner, apparently plays much better in match than medal play, as his average medal rounds would be several strokes more than Fleming's. •*• « m Donnelly played great golf during the first round against Mclvpr and piled up a lead sufficient to give him an easy win ; despite a rather erratic second i

round. Mclvor is improving steadily and will make an ideal match player. • • • « In a semi-final of the Waiaua Cup Edmonds found Hammond well on his game and had a hopeless task of conceding his opponent ten strokes, being defeated 5 up and 3. Hammond will now meet Feaver in the final and will receive 9 strokes. A very close and interesting struggle should result with the result very much in doubt. • # * * The greens are in excellent condition at present and ; the greenwarden (Mr. D. Fraser) and the greenkeeper (Ron Coad) are to be congratulated. The greens have been carefully and systematically attended to and they are in better condition than ever before. • * * « With the playing of the Waiaua Cup and championship matches, frequent comment is heard by those involved in matches'of the "hard work" involved. There is not the slightest of doubt but that there is a considerable amount of mental strain in matches and the more important the match the greater the strain is. Even the most hardened and experienced players "crack up" under the strain and this strain, which can only be realised by those, who have experienced it, is largely responsible for the ordinary quality of play seen in most finals. The writer knows of one case when a finalist over 36 holes was most violently sick after winning a hard fought match, a striking demonstration of the strain of such matches.

There can be no doubt bowever, that matches such as these ultimately do a player an immense amount of good as golf involves above all, a sense of mental balance, as it were, far in excess of that required for other fames. A player must master is mind as well as his body and the perfect combination of these two, gives perfect golf. To play golf correctly a player's mind must be so controlled that nothing xipsets it. Shots must be "duffed," clubs broken, balls lost, and other exasperating experiences without in any way perturbing the player.

Although the club has a rule that all finals must be umpired, any contestant in round'play may request that his match be umpired. There are always points occurring which involve interf)retation of the rules and in a arge number of cases neither contestant is able ,to state the rule concerned and in the case of junior matches the provision of an umpire would probably prove instructive besides eliminating any possibility of dispute.

It has been decided that a special qualifying round is to be played in connection with the Spring Handicap Cup competition, the best sixteen gross scores to qualify. The club is exceedingly fortunate in having such a handsome trophy and the grateful thanks of all members are due to the anonymous donor.

The competition will fill a long felt want and will ensure interest being retained in golf until the very end of the season.

A very fine series of pictures which should prove, of great value to golfers commences tonight. The famous Bobby Jones demonstrates and explains how he plays various clubs, the putter being the first. All golfers are urged to see these pictures and watch carefully how this peerless golfer does it. Watch how lie. stands, how he grips his club, the movement of his shoulders and hips, the movements of his feet and knees, and whether he stands in front of the ball or not and you will learn something of value. "Stymie" has seen one of the series and can recommend these pictures as being very interesting and instructive to those who watch closely.

D. Fraser 10 8 J. N. Stephenson 12 9 J. Turner 12 9 G. Cundy C. 0. Edmonds 14 11 16 12 G. Feaver 18 14 C. H. Marcroft 18 14 B. S. Dudley L. S. Donnelly 20 15 20 15 Father Kennery S. R. Oliver 20 15 20 15 F. Hammond 22 17 F. Barraclough D. Burton 24> 18 24 18 R. B. Fleming 24 18 P. Harding 24 18 A. McDiarmid 24 18 T. B. Fouliy G. Mclvor 26 20 26 20 W. Willis 28 22 E. Cameron 30 24 Downey 30 24 Rev. A. J. Farnell 30 24 J. Hooker 30 24 D. McCrone 30 24 R. Peat 30 24