GOLFING CHAMPIONSHIP

Taranaki Daily News, 17 October 1927, Page 9

GOLFING CHAMPIONSHIP

THE NEW PLYMOUTH CLUB IICTORY RESTS WITH CHONG, SPLENDID GAME AGAINST GREY. Apart from two light showers in the morning, the weather was good for the final of the New Plymouth Club championship on Saturday. The course was in splendid order, both the greens and the fairways being well-nigh perfect. The great feature of tho game wae the fluctuation of the fortunes of the playerg. In the morning Grey wae playing very well and Chong was not showing his customary steadiness, the result being that the former was in the strong position of having a four-hole lead at lunch time. In the afternoon, however, his game slipped and Chong, coming on to his, squared the game at the Oth and then, playing as fine golf as has been seen on the links, went on to win by the comfortable margin of 4" up and 3 to play. Grey started off with a fine tee shoi,while Chong was rather lucky when a pulled ball hit the shed instead of going out of bounds. He signalised this let off by winning the hole with a four. Grey then took a hand in affairs and with 4,4, 3, won the next three holes, putting himself two up. The fifth waa halved in fives and Grey looked certain to win the next, but Chong laid a fiftyyard approach dead and halved the hole, A nice three at the Roadside put Grey three up and this lead he retained to the turn, the Bth and 9th being halved in lives. Grey had come out in 39 to his opponent’s 42. Tlie 10th was halved in bOgie threes, but Chong, by dint of a long putt, won his first hole at the 11th, He pulled his tee sliot at Moses and struck a lot of trouble and Grey was three up again. Grey had his turn of trouble at the 13th, where he put his second into the bunker at the right of tho green, and Chong, sinking a nice eight-footer, reduced the lead again. Both were astray with their tee shots at the Redoubt, but a great mashie shot to the pin gave Grey a three and the hole. The 15th and 16th were halved in bogie figures, but Grey became four up by winning the 17 th 4 to 5. However, he put his tee shot out of bounds at the 18th, but Chong threw away a good chance by taking three putts. THE AFTERNOON ROUND' Commencing the afternoon Chong put his tee shot out of bounds, but Grey was weak with his approach and a half in fives resulted. Grey half stymied Chong at the 2nd and another half in five was recorded. Neither played well at the 3rd, which was likewise halved. Grey was now iu the very strong position of being four up with only fifteen to play, but his game seemed to deteriorate, while that of his opponent improved. Chong won the 4th, Sth and Oth in a row and Grey’s lead was reduced to one. Grey appeared to have the 7th won, but missed a putt, the ball running round the hole and staying out. The Bth was a remarkable hole. Both hit good tee shots, but Grey completely duffed his second, the ball going off almost at right angles. He tried to recover with his brassie, but duffed again, Chong played a fine second and was close to the green with his third. From out in the rough on the left Grey played a magnificent mashie to w-itliin about six feet of the pin and Chong’s approach wag very short. However, he canned a 20feot putt and Grey had the six-footer to eave the hole. He proved equal to the occasion and it went down. Grey put a ball out of bounds at the 9th aiid Chong, playing a fine four, gave him nb ehanoe to recover. The game was now all squared with nine to play, and a great fight was confidential ’elxpected, but Chong was well into his stride and started to tarn on the fireworks. Grey failed to get up the hill at the 10th and his putt for a three stood on the edge. Both hit long tee shots at the 11th, but Grey sliced ills second into the dongha and Chong, with a perfect approach, won. with a four. He followed this by winning the 12th with a three, putting himself 3 up. Grey then made a big effort. He halved the 13th in four and.the 14th with a three, but duffed his drive at the 15th, put his third out of bounds and his fourth into tlw bunker. Chongg in the meanwhile, had placed his third about five feet from the pm and Grey, had te hole out from the bunker to save the match. He failed and Chong had won the New Plymouth Club’s championship for 1927. VICTORIAN CHAMPIONSHIP. Bj Telegraph—Brass Asm.—Cocjrlriit. Melbourne, Oct. 15. H. Boorer won the Victorian professional golf championship with * score of 302.