GOLF

Southland Times, Issue 23308, 18 September 1937, Page 10

GOLF

SOUTHLAND WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP MRS SPEIRS WINS TITLE The Southland women’s golf championship was won yesterday by Mrs. D. Speirs, who defeated Miss Claire Smith by one hole in the final over 18 holes. The match, which was played in glorious weather, was keenly contested, first one and then the other falling into error, and if Miss Smith could have holed a simple putt of a yard on the last green she might have won the match, as she then playing better than Mrs Speirs. But it was not to be. A putt that she could sink 99 times out of 100 slipped past _ the hole and with it went the championship. Mrs Speirs thoroughly deserved her first championship; she ■ was the steadier of the two and on her performances during the tournament showed that she ranks with the best women golfers in the province. Both can play better golf than they produced in the final, and had Miss Smith repeated her brilliant form of the morning she would have won comfortably. The junior championship was won by Miss I. Shand (Winton), who defeated a club-mate, Mrs Brandford, in the final. At the conclusion of the tournament the prizes were presented by the president of the Invercargill Ladies’ Golf Club (Mrs J. A. Pottinger), who congratulated the winners on their success. The prize-list is as follows: — Southland championship, Mrs J. D. Speirs (Invercargill); runner-up, Miss Claire Smith (Invercargill); junior championship, Miss I. Shand (Winton); runner-up, Mrs Brandford (Winton); first medal, silver division, Miss Claire

Smith; second medal, silver division, Miss P. McCarthy (Invercargill); first medal, bronze division, Mrs O. A. B. Smith (Winton); second medal, bronze division, Miss L. Douglas (Invercargill); first bogey handicap, silver division, Miss Claire Smith; second bogey handicap, silver division, Mrs Carter (Queen’s Park); first bogey handicap, bronze division, Mrs W. F. Clouston (Invercargill); second bogey handicap, bronze division, Miss L. Douglas; lowest gross score of championship, Mrs Speirs; ringer competition, silver division, Miss Claire Smith; ringer competition, bronze division, Miss L. Shand; aggregate in putting, Mrs R. A. Wilson (Invercargill); putting, Wednesday, Mrs R. A. Wilson; putting, Thursday, Mrs Carter; putting, Friday, Mrs Carter; four-ball bogey foursomes, Mrs J. Ross and Miss I. Rhodes; runnersup, Mrs G. King and Miss Tilley (Winton), Mrs Carter and Mrs A. C. Ford. CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL Conditions were ideal for golf when Mrs Speirs and Miss Smith hit off in the final of the championship after lunch. The sun was shining brightly and there was only a light breeze. Miss Smith, who used a brassie from the tees, should have won the first hole, but missed a short putt and it was halved in s’s. She made amends at the second when she followed two fine shots with a delightful chip to within two feet of the pin. Mrs Speirs had duffed her second, and played a good third to the green. She had a putt for the half, but could not hole it. After being within easy range of the green with their seconds, both played poor approaches at Rushes, which was halved in 6’s. Miss Smith socketed her iron shot into the rough at the short fourth and hit her second in the same place, the ball finishing near the women’s tee at Dunn’s Road. Mrs Speirs also hit a feeble tee shot, but was on the green in two and was not asked to hole her second putt. They were both near the edge of the green with their seconds at Dunn’s Road, Mrs Speirs holing a putt of six feet for a win in 4, which made her one up. The sixth was halved in regulation s’s. The seventh was a bad hole. Both drives were sliced into the rough, Miss Smith’s ball being in a pocket of long grass. Neither could gain an advantage and a half in poor 6’s resulted. Mrs Speirs was on the far edge of the temporary green at Long Tom with her third, but Miss Smith pulled her approach. She made a great recovery with a pretty little chip shot that finished two feet past the pin. But it was of no use, for Mrs Speirs’s putt wormed its way over the uneven surface and dropped into the hole with nothing to spare. This birdie 4 made her two up. Neither could reach the ninth green with her second and the hole was halved in s’s. LEAD REDUCED Mrs Speirs outdrove Miss Smith at the tenth, but the latter, using a No. 7 iron, had the better approach. Mrs Speirs’s ball ran through to the back of the green, from where she took three putts and lost the hole to her opponent’s 4. Two fine drives were hit at the eleventh, but the seconds were not so good. Miss Smith was in long grass in the rough and had to hack the ball out with a niblick. Mrs Speirs had the right length with her approach, but was off the line to the left. Miss Smith was at the back of the green with her fourth and hit the cup with her next. She was left with a short putt for the half, but could not sink it and Mrs Speirs won with a 6. Miss Smith’s iron shot at Dardanelles was socketed to glory, Mrs Speirs winning with a wellplayed 3. That made her three up. Although Miss Smith played the better golf to the green at the thirteenth she was too strong with a short chip shot and could not hole a 10-footer for a win, a half in 6’s resulting. Mrs Speirs

was near the edge of Manuka green with her third. Again Miss Smith hit an iron shot in the socket. She recovered to within 14ft of the hole and sank a putt that drew applause from the gallery. Mrs Speirs had a 10-footer for the half and was also applauded when she holed it. Mrs Speirs hit a beautiful drive at the fifteenth, but was far too strong with her approach. Miss Smith this time caught the ball right in the centre of the face of an iron club and was on in two. Her approach putt was “dead” and she won a hole at a stage when she could well do with it. When Miss Smith duffed her second at the sixteenth it looked to be all over. Mrs Speirs was close to the green in two. Miss Smith put her third pin high to the left and got close to the hole with her fourth. Mrs Speirs had a 10ft putt for the championship, but the ball ran past the hole and she was dormy. Miss Smith made no mistake with her iron shot at Pancake; neither did Mrs Speirs. The former was short and the latter at the back of the green. Mrs Speirs was short with her run-up and Miss Smith putted 7ft past the hole. Mrs Speirs missed her putt, but Miss Smith stroked hers with confidence and had the satisfaction of seeing it drop. Miss Smith was well down the eighteenth fairway with a drive and an iron, while her opponent, who had oushed her drive into the rough, was having a bad time. Miss Smith was on the left comer of the green in three and Mrs Speirs was just on in four. Mrs Speirs’s approach putt stooped inches from the cup right in the line of Miss Smith’s putt. Miss Smith ran past the hole, but was left with a putt of only a yard for a win. Somehow she missed it and the match, which looked like going on to the nineteenth, was over, Mrs Speirs winning by a single hole. The approximate scores for the 18 holes were 90 each. The Semi-Finals

The top semi-final was an easy victory for Miss Claire Smith, who played championship golf of the highest order. Mrs Tansley succeeded in halving only one hole and the match finished at the 10th with Miss Smith 9 up and 8 to

play. Her score for those holes was one over bogey figures, and her card read:— Out—4 (4), 4 (4), 5 (5), 3 (3). 5 (4), 4 (4), 4 (4), 5 (5), 4 (4)—38 In-4 (4). The second semi-final between Mrs J. D. Speirs and Miss P. McCarthy was a closer and more interesting match and many times the younger player had her opponent fully extended. It was not until the seventh that Miss McCarthy won a hole, but she had halved four before that and the match turned with Mrs Speirs only 2 up. She increased her lead again at the 11th, but lost the next. She won the next two and was dormy 4 and the 15th was halved, making her 4 up and 3 to play. JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP The final of the junior championship was a closely contested match between Miss I. Shand and Mrs Brandford, both of Winton. A 5 at the first and another at the second gave Miss Shand an early lead of 2 up. She struck trouble at the next, however, and a 6 was good enough to give Mrs Brandford a win and make her one down. The next three holes were uneventful and were halved. At the Elbow Mrs Brandford played the better game and squared the match. At the long eighth Miss Shand was down in 7 and that made her 1 up. The ninth was halved in fives and the match turned with Miss Shand still 1 up. Another five at the 10th made her 2 up, but here her game became a little unsteady and Mrs Brandford won the next, then halved the 12th and won the long 13th to square the match again with five holes to play. At the Manukas, however, she got into difficulties and Miss Shand took the lead. She drew away to win the next in bogey figures to be 2 up and 3 to play. Knolls was halved and Miss Shand went on to hole her putt for a bogey 3 at the short 18th to win the match, 3 and 1. FOUR-BALL BOGEY A big number of players took the field in the morning for a four-ball

bogey handicap and three pairs tied with the score of 1 up. They were Mrs J. Ross and Miss I. Rhodes (Gore), Mrs G. King and Miss Tilley (Winton) and Mrs Carter (Queen’s Park) and Mrs A. C. Ford (Invercargill). After the count back that was the order of the placings. PUTTING COMPETITIONS A tie occurred in Thursday’s putting competition between Mrs Carter and Mrs P. J. Israel, and Mrs Carter won the play off. Mrs Carter also won the competition yesterday, and Mrs R. A. Wilson had the best aggregate for the three days. NATIONAL MEETING DRAW FOR FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS (United Press Association) HAMILTON, September 17. Following is the draw for the first round of the open championship and first qualifying rounds for the amateur and professional championships to be played on September 30. A star denotes the professionals: — J. L. Dinsdale and T. W. Green*; N. W. H. Amon and B. J. Smith*; J. P. Homabrook and T. S. Galloway*; J. P. Mortland and H. R. Blair*; W. J. Davidge and J. Weir*; R. H. Glading and R. M. George; A. R. Kitto and F. Branch*; H. D. Brinsden and C. C. Clements*; H. N. Wiggins and C. L. Taylor; B. R. Menzies and G. B. Ward; L. R. Curtis and W. H. Dillicar; K. Ross and E. L. Bartleet; H. P. Dale and J. D. Mclntosh*; B. G. Thomson and R. C. Butters*; A. Sandeland A. J. Branch*; B. M. Silk and A. Murray*; R. D. Harding and J. R. Galloway’ D. C. Collins and F. S. Douglas*; H. A. Black and N Bell*; J G. Ferguson and J. Lambie*- V. Salek and J. Watt*; I. A. Ewen and L. A. Reid; P. G. F. Smith and A. E. Guy*; A. D. Smith and R. Duthie; J M Ramsay and V. J. Stichbury; S. H. Abel and H. Hedley; H. W. Hattersley and A. J. Shaw*; K. M. Wilson and S. I. Peacock; L. J. Bryant and B. J. Smith, jun.*; T. R. Bloomfield and W. Morrice*; R. A. Boon and B. Strathmore*; E. Baker and G. L. Martin; H. H. J. Preston and J. Mowat*; F. H. McDonald and L. J. Clifford; J. H. Young and W. Allbon*; W. Monk and J. Galloway*; J. L. Black and A. G. Sime; K. P Tompkins and lan Orr*; G. Holland and G. P. Roberts; F. C. Hutchison and A. Caldwell; R. E. Bell and H. J. Longstaff; I. A. Mac Ewan and N. H. Fuller*; J. R. Hobbs and A. E. Browne; D. W. McCathie and C. Riddell; C. N. Jacobsen and Aubrey Dyke*; A. A. Holland and C. L. Monckton; M. R. Moore and J. H. Earle; P. C. Savage and G. W. Ritchie*; K. C. Ward and M T. Houlihan; J. Jefferies and J. S. Park; S. G. Cooper and K. Williams*; R. C. Hayward and K. P. Dyke; J. A. Scouler and H. E. Crosse; P. L. Peacock and Jack Galloway; J. M. Coltman and J. A. Clements*; R. H. Wallace and G. T. Wynyard; T. H. Horton and W. A. Donald; R. G. Handley and R. J. Love; C. B. Thomas and A. L. McLean; A. R. Blank and A. E. Ekstedt*; A. J. C. Runciman and L. R. Haworth; A. D. S. Duncan and E. J. Moss*; J. Shelley arid P. R. Godby; W. D. Barker and 5. Watson; W. T. Kuru and R. F. Kitto; J. W. Jackson and J. Logan; J. G. Shanly and D. Anderson; W. G. Horne and E. O. Heney; R. Hersant and B. Kiernan; F. C. Feyer and G. W. Melvin*. SECOND ROUND Following is the draw for the second round of the open championship and the second qualifying round for . the amateur and professional championships to be played on October 1 beginning at 8.30 a.m.:— B. J. Smith* and B. Kiernan; J. F. Homabrook and H. A. Black; J. Watt and R. Hearsant; Aubrey Dyke* and R.

G. Holland; J. R. Galloway and K. L. Caldwell; W. Morrice* and Thomas; T. S Galloway* and Hutchison; Douglas* and Reid; N. Bell* and Ewen; McDonald and Monk; Stichbury and Hedley; Ritchie and Godby; Runciman and Houlihan; Lambie and Roberts; Murray* and Ross; Guy* and < Scouler; Ferguson and Boon; Melvin and Martin; Blank and Date; Jacobsen and Hayward; Young and Peacock; Collins and Glading; Clements* and Hobbs; Duncan and McEwen; Fuller and Sime; Allbon and J. Galloway; Longstaff and Shelley; Wallace and Ward; Mclntosh* and Menzies; Thomson and Ward; Moss and J. L. Black; Blair* and Bartleet; Davidge and Bryant; Shaw* and Morton; C. C. Clements* and Donald; Stratmore* and Earle; Hattersley and Silk; Williams* and Duthie; Ekstedt* and George; Galloway and Browne; Green* and Handley; Holland and Love; Branch* and Heeney; Preston and McCathie; Smith and Jefferies; Sandel and N. W. H. Amon; Orr* and Crosse; Cooper and Tompkins; Dyke* and Park; Riddell and Taylor; Wynyard and Abel; McLean and Peacock; Mowat* and Baker; Brinsden and Hurtland; Harding and Savage; Ramsay and Wilson; P. E. Bell and Jackson; Branch* and Dillicar; Smith* and Kitto; J. Weir and Moore; Coltman and R. F. Kitto; Watson and Kuru; Butters* and Clifford; B. J. Smith* and Horne; Salek and Dinsdale; Anderson and Haworth; Bloomfield and Fryer; Logan and Barker; Curtis and Monckton; Shanley and Wiggins. PROFESSIONAL TITLE OF AUSTRALIA WON BY ERIC CREMIN SYDNEY, September 17. A slim 23-year-old assistant professional at Kensington, Eric Cremin, today won the Australian professional golf title, defeating V. S. Richardson four and two. E. Cremin was formerly caddy at the Australian Club. MANAWATU WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT (United Press Association) PALMERSTON NORTH, September 17. The Manawatu women’s golf tournament was concluded in showery

weather. The Hokowhitu course was heavy. The winner of the championship was Mrs J. F. Field, of Manawatu, who beat Miss Cynthia Wilson in a hardfought final. The other winners were Miss M. Evans and Mrs Earle Wimsett, of Manawatu, and Mrs G. Duncan, of Miramar.