GOLF.

Otago Witness, Issue 2849, 21 October 1908, Page 36

GOLF.

XOTI?S BY BULGEP. The St. Ciair Club oelebratsd th<? commencsmant of a row seafon by holding a mixed foursome competition. The entries tvero Burprwinglv large, and although tho high wind prevailing militated against good scoring tho golf was of a high order, and altogether a pleasant afternoon was spent. The winners lunrod up in W. D. M - O*rtliy and ?>lis>s Lothbridge,' who, with a handicap of 14, carao in 4 up on the colonel — a very creditable score indeed. ilr Ernest Denny, a member of the St. Clair Club since its inception, has just returned from a trip to the Old Country, where he saw some of the leading profeseionak play. He wa3 greatly impressed with Geo. Duncan, whom he saw put down Vardon and Co. at Burrhill. The links, he says, were an eye-opener to him, the turf through the green, to quote his own wo^ds, being like " tenni6 lawns, and the putting greens like bowling greens." The foursome competition on the programme at the New Zcnland tournament resulted in a tie between three Otago pairs — viz., H. C. and B. J. Smith. T. A. Hunter and F. Duthie, and J. R. Park and C. G. Scolon. This was played off on Saturday, when, although the weather was fine, a strong breeze from, the nor'-wcat (the worst quarter at Balmacewen) made tho return, of a good score an impossibility. Du.th.ie and Hunter were fir?t in with a store of 4 down to the colonel. Then followed the two .Smiths with 6 down. This left the i6Sue between tho two colt^. Scolon and Park and Hunter and Duthie. The former pair left the seventeenth green 5 down, and they had to do a 3 at the eighteenth to win the hoie and lialve the match. Scoion sliced his tea shot, and although getting on the green, was in the rushes at ifos edge, bub lying clear. Park made a good approach, lying short of the pin by a coupla of yards. His partner managed to get- his put in. and thus tied once mpre with Hunter and Duthie. They will try conclusions again next Saturday. The Smjth brothers, who liave put up some fine foursome performanceo. wei c not in their best form, although ihry finished the last few ho'.ei in good f.tyk\ On Saturday'.-^ rco." c they f.JiouM ha\e won with ea«e, as 6 down is an un-heard-of fc<.ore for vhe:u. Hun.-er and

Duthie have fought many battles together 1 with- some success. The spectators were treated 1 to a brilliant display of golf in the match between, Vardon and Duncan at Banchory on a recent ; Saturday. Both were in grand driving form, and it was noticeable at some stages ' of" the game that Vardon was more than holding his own with his young rival in thJ6 department. With their irons they showed line judgment, both if^ lofting over the dykes and in running up on the flat. Their putting was also marvellously accurate, and Duncan — who played with great confidence and generally gave his ball a chance — often got down from long distances. Throughout the game was well contested, although Duncan did*, at one time hold a long lead. He we 6 two to the good at the end of the first round, and on resum-, ing play he did a truly great performance. He holed out in five consecutive 3's,* and covered the first nine holes in the^rilliant score of 31. He was rhen four notes up, and at the thirteenth hole he won the* match. Vardon then had a look-in, and he finished in k sensational style, taking the last two holes in a total of 5. His! 2at the eeventeenth was a fine bit of piayv. The hole is 16S yards long, and. with his cleek he played hia ball on tba green, ,aitd holed out with his next. He had. an uphill fight nearly all afternoon, but he finished only three holes down. Tfie match was one . of the^ finest seen in the district' 4«r a long time, and Banchory Clulj and Mr Donald Munro, its enthusiastic, secretary, are to < be congratulated on having arranged it Besides having the better of Vardon, Duncan disposed of Taylor at Lee-on-the-Solent the previous week, so that' he seems to bo coming once more into his old place in the front rank of professionalism. George- Duncan was interviewed recently in relation to the controversy regarding which is the master hand in golf. Many goifers, it appears, consider that the left is the master hand, but M.r Duncan holds quite the opposite opinion. He considers that the importance attached to che> loft hand has done a. great deal to spoil the game of some players. They keep the idea in their minds, and .miss direction. Practically all the pewsr. foe is convinced, is obtained by the right hand, and the transference of weight, though too may golfers nowadays do not '" follow through " after the ball with their bodies. Mr Duncan mentions that he. can drive almost as far with the right hand alone as with both hands. For a y&ar he played with his left hand held below his right, but someone noticing this corrected him in a rather uncomplimentary manner. A thought for the* round. I think it was J. H. Taylor who said that a player who wishes to be successful must never allow himself to think of what he has already done. That has gone, never to return ; idle regrets are useless ; he must concentrate the whole of his attention "*>upon what he has- in front of him. He must not allow a bad or an unfortunate stroke to, put him off his game; he must think only of what is to come, what yet remains to lie jKcompiished. The ordinary player might be thrown out of his stride after making a poor shot, perhaps ; he must educate himself up to the point of feeling no regret for what has already occurred." The following is the result of the Otago JLadies' Golf Club senior medal, piayed on October 13"?— Pts. Hep. Net. Mrs C. Turnbull 95 5 '90 Mis-3 Cl Williams .... 107 17 90 Miss Theoinin 128 15 93 | Members of the St. Clair Golf Club played a mixed foursomes match against ■ Bogey on Saturday to mark the opening of the -year's play. Miss I*ethbridge nnd W. D. McCarthy returned the best card, with a score of 4- up, their handicap being 14-. The following were the best of the other cards handed in: Miss FynmoTe and A. I*. Isaacs — ... All square 16 Miss Scott and A. Laing ... 2 down 14 Mrs Burt and H. Brasch 4 „ 12 Miss Fotheringham and F. W Perre ; .., 5 „ 9 Mrs Tanner and H. L. Ferguson 5 „ 12 Mrs Jackson and W. B. Purchas 5 „ 14Mrs M'Oarthy and T. O. Price 6 „ 15 Miss Barron and J. Forbes 7 „ 8 Mies Tnin-3 and J. H. Fotheringha-m .. > 7 „ 10 Mks Whinam and B. R. Stock 7 „ 15 Mrs Isaacs and E. J. P. Denny 7 „ 18 Miss Chalmer and L. Jardine 8 „ 15 Miss Fisher and W. Petre 8 „ 15 Mrs Brasch and F. W. P. Jackson 8 „ 16 Mra Smith and H. D. Brewer 8 „ ,17 The Ofago Ladies' Golf Club's Bogey competition was decided on Friday, and was won by Miss C. Williams, who had a handicap of 18. and who finished 4 up. Miss Douglas, who had a handicap of 18, finished second, being 1 up.