ELTHAM GOLF FINAL

Taranaki Daily News, 16 August 1934, Page 10

ELTHAM GOLF FINAL

L. GIBSON’S FINE WIN. GOOD WORK ROUND THE GREENS. In the final of the Eltham golf championship, played in perfect weather during the week-end, L. Gibson beat S. McKay 5 and 3. The contestants were easily the youngest players to take part in a Taranaki club final for many years. The pair teed off with a light westerly wind blowing. Gibsoi waS slow to settle down ana McKay won the first two holes in bogey figures. Gibson reduced the lead by winning the third, and after the fourth had been halved in fours he won the fifth with a four, McKay taking a six. The next was halved and Gibson won the seventh with a four. Both players played +he eighth and ninth holes correctly. At the tenth Gibson was well away to the right and McKay just through the green. Gibson played his second to about eight feet away and McKay to about four feet away. Gibson holed his putt but McKay failed and Gibson was two up. A perfect birdie three at the eleventh made Gibson three up, while a good four at the twelfth made him four up. The thirteenth was halved in par figures, but both played the fourteenth badly. Gibson increased his load to five up at the short fifteenth with a bogey three, but he played a very bad second at the sixteenth and McKay reduced the lead. Another bad second on his opponent at the seventeenth saw McKay fur-’ ther reduce the leeway with a five to a six. Gibson, however, obtained a good four at the eighteenth hole and finished the incoming round four up. His stroke round was 76 to his opponent's 83. j Gibson hopped off in the afternoon with a birdie three, but failed again at the long hole, which McKay won with an easy five. McKay, however, failed at the short third, where his chip received a bad kick and Gibson’s second, although over-strong, hit the back of the hole and

stopped dead. McKay hit a magnificent drive at the next, a perfect second and a good putt for a birdie saw him reduce the lead to four. Another. birdie four at the fifth hole saw him win another hole, Gibson failing badly. The sixth was halved in poor, fives and a stymie gave Gibson a very lucky half at the next hole when McKay looked a certain winner. Gibson won the with a four and the 27th hole was halved in poor fives after both had had beautiful drives. The outward nine had cost McKay 40 and Gibson 43, yet McKay had failed to reduce the deficit of the morning round. Gibson became five up by holing an SfL putt for a win at the next, but he lost the next after playing a very weak second. Gibson again stymied McKay at the 30th hole and gained a half. Gibson won the next hole in four and became dormy, but the long hole again saw him fail, and McKay reduced the lead to four. But it was only on sufferance, as Gibson placed his. tee shot at the 33rd hole within two feet, of. the pin and wdn the hole with a two, and thereby became the Eltham champion for 1934.

The winner’s short game stood to him, for although the scoring was not up to standard during the afternoon his short work—brilliant during the morning round—had won him many holes. McKay’s driving was very long but he was inclined to push them out of line and his seconds, usually much shorter shots than Gibson’S, left room for improvement. He was invariably short, but when he gets the idea to hit them right up to the pin his scoring will improve considerably. — In the intermediate final Clemow showed that he has improved his game by disposing of that very rapidly improving youth D. Thompson. Clemow got a flying start which he held to the finish, despite that Thompson played very good golf over the last 18 holes.