HIGH STANDARD OF PLAY

Taranaki Daily News, 28 September 1929, Page 11

HIGH STANDARD OF PLAY

FINE PERFORMANCE BY SHAW SLOAN MORPETH NOT UP TO FORM. SEVEN TARANAKI MEN IN RUNNING. (By Wire —Special from “Stance.”) Wanganui, Last Night. A bitterly cold southerly gale, accompanied by drenching showers and occasional gusts of sleet swept the Belmont links to-day and the competitors in the open championship were objects of pity and admiration. Generally speaking, the course stood up to things splendidly, and on only one green did the water fail to run away quickly. However, despite these adverse conditions, the standard of play was excellently high, and though Shaw has a lead of four strokes, the championship still bears a very open appearan'ce. There is going to be some very keen competition, for the thiry-two players in the amateur championship. The outstanding feature of the day was the great play of the Napier professional, A. J. Shaw, who returned two magnificent cards of 76 and 75. In the morning he was out in 40 and home in- 36, and the outward journey might easily have been two or three less. In the afternoon he started by putting his second in a bunker, and then took three putts, but this was the only mistake he made going out, his card leading- 6,4, 4,4, 3,4, 4,4, 4. The four at the sixth, right into the teeth of the gale, was a magnificent effort. Coming home, he ' started with a two at the tenth, and a five at the long eleventh, but missed a putt at the twelfth, and played a weak second at the thirteenth. These were his only mistakes, and he reeled off the remaining holes in 5,4, 4,5, 4, to finish with a 75. HORTON’S POLISHED STYLE. T. H. Horton was playing in his usual polished style, and his morning round of 76 was a fine consistent effort. He ■ played equally well in the afternoon, and his card of 79 would have been at least four-strokes better if he could have laid his chips dead to the pin. E. J. Moss was playing his usual fine consistent game through the green, and his morning round of 77 was an exceptionally fine effort for a player of his inches under the trying conditions. His short work was rather weak at times, and he dropped several strokes round the greens. His morning "card read: —Out: 5,4, 4,5, 4,6, 4,4, 4,; total 40. In; 3,5, 3,5, 4,3, 5,5, 4. He was a model of consistency, the only bad hole being the sixth. However, he is not likely to crack, and will probably prove Shaw’s most formidable opponent to-morrow. Douglas was playing a magnificent game with his wooden clubs, but his irons and putter were not working well. At times he turned on some really brilliant stuff. For instance, he started to come in this morning with 3,5, 2,4, 4,4, but then finished with three ordinary fives for a 37. His afternoon round was somewhat similar, his finest effort being a three at the Encampment, which is 435 yards in length, right into the teeth of the gale. His second came to rest only a yard from the hole. These glimpses of his old form are distinctly encouraging, and it would cause no surprise if he were to be very close uf» at the close of to-morrow.

SILK THE DAY'S SENSATION. J. D. Macintosh returned a 79 in the morning and went out in the afternoon in 38. He started well coming in, ami at the fourteenth had a chance of a fine round, but he put the ball out of bounds, and took six. Another six at the sixteenth spoiled his chanee. The veteran A. D. S. Dunean played really well considering that' the conditions were anything but in his favour. He was playing his wooden clubs very well, and his chips were just as accurate as of old, but his iron play and his putting were at fault at times. Both the Clements brothers were playing steadily. C. C. Clement’s 77 in the morning was a particularly fine effort. Sloan Morpeth is suffering from the after-effects of a cold, and was unable to produce his true form. Nevertheless he played well in the morning for an 80, his card reading: — Cut: 5,5, 4, 4,4, 5,5, 4,6; total, 42. In: 3,5, 2, 5,5, 4,4, 6, 4;'total, 38; grand total, 80. He was unfortunate at the ninth, where the club flew out of his hand, and he putted weakly at the seventeenth. In the afternoon he was never going well. He himself said: “I do not quite know yet how I got an 83.” However, he will probably go better tomorrow. The sensation of the day’s play was the fine showing of the Wanganui youngster, Brian Silk, who returned two splendid rounds of 81 and B°. i , Though the weather does not look promising for to-morrow it will probably be an improvement on that experienced to-day. It certainly cannot be much worse. TARANAKI’S PROSPECTS. Of the Taranaki players Dale was easily the best, his morning’s round, of 77 being a really fine performance. Hie card read”—Out: 4,5, 4,4, 4,6, 4,4, 4; total, 39. In: 3,5, 2,5, 5,3, 5,5, 4; total, 38. His only serious mistake was at the sixth, where he pulled his second shot very badly, and then put his third into a bunker. He was again playing steadily in the afternoon, but the luck of the putt was not with him, and the round cost him 84. Nevertheless, his total of 161 puts him well up on the list. G. W. Ritchie was playing well both in the morning and in the afternoon, and with a little more -luck with his long putts he might easily have been seieial strokes better. Conw'ay played some very good and some very bad holes, but he seems to be coming on to his game again. Grey was still having no end of trouble with his tee shots, but his great powers of recovery enabled him to return an 83 and an 87. Stephenson was playing consistently fine golf through the fairway, but on the greens he was deplorably weak, taking three putts on numerous occasions. Chong played a fine round of 82 in the morning, taking 41 out and 41 but he fell away badly m the afternoon to take a 93. . Riley, though not displaying the brilliant form expected of him, looks sure Leo Quin was playing

the green, but he was also very weak on the green®. He will have to improve considerably to qualify to-morrow. Frank Quin was playing steadly,. and should get in the final 32. J. Quin, O’Callaghan and A. A. Stewart were never going well. At the conclusion of the second round Dale, Riley and Grey look like qualifying, and F. Quin, Conway, Stephenson and L. Quin all appear to have reasonable chan'ces. HAWERA LADIES’ GOLF CLUB. Next Tuesday the L.G.U. monthly medal round will be played by the Hawera Ladies Golf Club. Following is the draw Mrs. Thomson v. Mrs. Little, Mrs. Walkley v. Mrs. Glasson, Miss D. Hawken v. Miss G. Death, Miss Richardson v. Miss L. Pease, Mrs Wake v. Mrs. Dickie, Miss E. Bur*. gess v. Mrs. Whitehead, Miss T. Gibson v. \ Mrs. Mcßae, Mrs. Hawthorne v. Mis® J. Page, Mrs. Gibson v. Mrs. McQuin, Miss J. Powdrell v. Mrs. McAnerin, Miss Edna Hawken v. Mrs. Corfe, Miss Caplen v. Mrs. Collins, Mrs. Davy v. Miss W. Huggins, Mrs. Me William v. Miss R. Hawken Miss E. Buist v. Mrs. Treweek, Mrs. Bright v. Mrs. Ritchie, Mrs. Rudge v. Miss R. Pease, Mrs. Foyster v. Miss D. Meyrick, Mrs. Fearon v. Mrs. .Corey. In the 12-hole bogey match played last Tuesday, two pairs, Mrs. Walkley and Mrs. Collins, and Mrs. McWilliam and Mrs. Joll, were equal with a score of three up on , bogey. The winners were decided by taking the result of the seednd half, and it Was found that Mrs. McWilliam and Mrs. .. Joll were two up, and Mrs. Walkley and Mrs. Collins were all square. The following handicaps have been reduced:—Mrs. McAnerin 108, 29; Mrs. Fearon 112, 33.. PATEA GOLF CLUB. RETURN MATCH AT MAXWELL, • 1 Fourteen players from the Patea Golf Club motored to Maxwell on Wednesday and played a return match with the Maxwell Club. Although weather condi-. tions were not pleasant an enjoyable afternoon was spent. The match proved an easy victory for Pa,tea, details be* ing as follow, Patea players being men-: tioned first:—-Wills .beat’ E. Morrison;] Findlay beat H. Siddall; Hunger beat J. Blair; Fraser beat S. Wills; Rook beat F. Handley; Jones beat L. Dalrymple; Gilbert beat J. Ireland; I# Honeyfield beat D. Morrison; C. R* . Honeyfield beat H. Pederson; Pearce lost to T. Smith; Sheild beat S. Billing* hurst; Haddow lost to A. Handley; F. Modre beat R. Handley; T. Shcahan beat K. Handley. , J Totals; Patea 12. Mr.nv.c I 2.