FROM FAIRWAY AND ROUGH

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1934, Page 12

FROM FAIRWAY AND ROUGH

WAIWAKA'IHO QUALIFYING N. P. GREENS CONSISTENT PLAY. PREPARING FOR BELMONT. (By “Stance-.”) With the back tees in operation and the flags right back on the greens, the course at Waiwakaiho was at its full length of 6116 yards for the first qualifying round of the club championships on Saturday. In addition to this the heavy shower during the early morning had taken a lot of sun off the fairways. Under the circumstances' the course provided a stiff test, the difficulty of which was increased by the close lies making a wood second hard to play. Nevertheless the scoring was easily the best ever recorded in the event. Not that there were any really outstanding scores, there were not, but it was in the general standard that the great improvement lay. In nearly all past years two 90s could always qualify in the senior event, but at present the 86’s are just getting in. Among the juniors no less than 19 players broke the hundred, easily a record, . The present leader, N. P. Green, fully deserved his 78. He played fine steady golf going out, his only real mistakes being a topped second at the fifth and an 18-inch putt missed at the eighth. He commenced the second half with a 5 at the 10th, and followed this by running down a 12-footer for a birdie 3 nt the next. A 3 at the 12th and a 4 at the 13th followed. Moses cost him 4, and. the 15th a like figure. He was then left with 4,4, 5 for a 75, but indifferent tee shoes at each hole cost him a stroke at each. Throughout the round his iron seconds and his putting were most reliable. W B. Glasgow was out in 38 and played steadily on the inward journey except for the Hth hole, where he put his second in the hedge and took 6 to hole out. T. A. Thomson maintained his good form. He had a five to break the 80 when he came to the last tee but, after two great shots, he failed badly on the green, requiring four more to get down. A. S. Hasell commenced badly but a succession of good putts in the second half put him in a good position. He only required a 5 at the last for a 78. Tne clump of trees on the left of the fairway proved his undoing, and he had to play seven strokes. The second and final round will take place on Saturday when there should be some keen competition for the last few places. Day of Good Scores.

The wonderfully improved State of the Fitzroy course was reflected in the scores in the medal handicap on Saturday. Three cards of 62 nett, nine strokes under the standard scratch score, tied for first. W. O. Jones, B. S. Whiteside and C. White all returned cards of 62, while J. Lobb, with 79—16—63, was also responsible for a .splendid effort. The work of widening the gap leading through to the first green is now well under way. This will be a big improvement and will enable players to get away much more quickly than at present. Plans have been prepared for the construction of five extra holes for next season. This means that the course will have 18 holes ready for play. This will not be a full-length lay-out, it will be just under 5000 yards, but it will cut out many of those vexatious delays that are caused at present by the necessity of having to play the extra five holes. ■When the big fiat behind the present sixth green can be brought into use the full length of over 6000 yards will easily be obtainable. Governor-General’s Trophy.

His Excellency the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, has offered the council a challenge cup for annual competition. The cup will be known as the Bledisloe Cup and will be held from year to year by the amateur player who returns the best aggregate score in the four rounds of the open championship. It will be competed for for the first time at Wanganui and without doubt it will add very considerable additional interest to the open championship amongst the amateurs who are competing.

Scoring Should be Good. There would appear to be every prospect of some great scoring at the Dominion championships at Wanganui next month. With the big centenary event at Melbourne in view, the New Zealand professionals have been practising this year as they have never practised before. In addition they have had a great deal of competitive play in the exhibition games that have been arranged to raise funds for their trip. Shaw, by dint of his great play in these games, is already a hot favourite for the open, and his 67 at Miramar recently demonstrates that he is right at the top of his form. Though not a great deal has been heard of Moss, the present holder of the title, reports from Auckland state that he is playing that accurate consistent game that carried him to victory last year. There has been some talk of endeavouring to persuade Sarazen and Kirkwood to take part. This, of course, would be a big draw, but what would these two cracks do to the Belmont lay-out? To a long accurate driver this course would be mere child’s play, as he would be able to get his deadly number, six iron into play at nearly every hole, and when Gene can do this, he just burns up the place. Cotton’s Great Golf.

Discussing the winner year’s British op£n golf championship, an English critic rather “let himself’go.” “Cotton’s play was by far the most brilliant seen at any championship within memory. The demon within the man had got the upper hand; there was no straining, no hustling, no worry; and strokes and holes came with the ease of absolute naturalness. On three occasions, indeed, nearing the end of the round, Cotton smiled. It was as if the Sphinx herself had opened her lips and spoken and given oracles; prophetically, one might describe it as the resurrection of British supremacy. Toward the end of his round the excitement was so tense, there was such nervous giggling, that one might have suspected that with the stroke of of one golf club depended the glory past and present, of the Empire. As Cotton finished with his record 65, elderly colonels and crusted golfers clapped their neighbours on the back and invited them to long and expensive drinks, irrespective of cost, in the club house, and women shrieked and yelled. It was a scene that has rarely been seen in a lifetime of British sport.” Nine Holes in 32.

A Hawera golfer who distinguished himself at the recent Rotorua tournament was G. S. Fry. Playing with his father against two Rotorua men, Fry returned a card of 71. He was out in 39 but played remarkable golf over the last nine holes which he did in four under fours. His card was 54443342 3.