THRILLING GOLF

Taranaki Daily News, 13 October 1934, Page 9

THRILLING GOLF

AMATEUR SEMI-FINALS NEW ZEALAND TITLE PLAY MORTLAND TO PLAY SILKSHAW DEFEATS DOUGLAS (Special from “Stance.”) Wanganui, Last Night. Though the New Zealand amateur golf *emi-finals did not produce the close contests expected, the big gallery at the Belmont links to-day saw a.. thrilling struggle between A. J. Shaw and E. S. Douglas in the professional final. After being two down with three to play Shaw finished in grand style to win at the 37th. Except for one great burst coming home in the morning I. Mac Ewan did not reproduce his previous good form against B. M. Silk in the amateur semifinal, and the Wanganui player gave him no mercy, j. P. Mortland owed his decisive victory over L. Cathro to the devastating work of his putter. Cathro in the morning was lamentably weak on the greens, but showed a glimpse of his true worth in the afternoon. Mortland topped his drive off the first tee against Cathro, but was lucky to run through the bunker, and he snatched a half in fives after Cathro had pushed his second out. The Taihape man was well short with his second at the next, where Cathro notched a win with a steady four. Dress Circle was halved in correct fours. Cathro failed with a wood shot from the rough at the 4th and Mortland sank a five-footer to square the game. Cathro was bunkered at the short Sea View, but recovered well, only to see his putt for the half rim the can. Cathro played a great second to within ten feet of the flag at the 6th, but the putt would not go down, and Mortland secured his half. Cathro was in trouble at Outlook, and took four to reach the green. Mortland’s third was too strong, but he sent down a twenty-footer for his four. MORTLAND UP AT TURN. Quarries was. halved in good fours. Both played indifferent seconds at the 9th, but Mortland rose to the occasion by holing another good putt. He had reached the turn to stand 2 up. Mortland was through the green at the 10th, with Cathro well on. Mortland chipped dead, but the Castlecliff man required three putts. Two great shots saw Cathro on the green at Long Tom, but again his putter failed and Mortland with a chip and one putt was four up. Both were on the green from the tee at the next, but once again Cathro was weak with his putter. Alma was a similar story. Mortland was bunkered with his second and only just out with his next. He sank a forty-feet putt and Cathro required three putts after being on with his second. A splendid iron second to the green at the 14th saw Mortland win another hole to increase his lead to seven. Perfect threes at French Pass followed. Mortland cannoned into the hole off Cathro’s ball for another win at Bunker’s Hill, but pulled his drive at the 17th, where Cathro, with a good four, won his only hole on the inward journey. With his second in the bunker and Mortland’s on the green at the last, matters did not look bright for Cathro, but he staged a splendid recovery to snatch a half. Mortland had come home in 34 to complete the round in 71. Cathrd'S long' game had been steady, but his putting lamentably weak. Mortland and Cathr. opened the afternoon’s play by halving the first hole. Cathro took the second by placing a fine iron shot a foot from the flag. Both obtained splendid fours at Dress Circle. Cathro seemed sure to win the 4th, where his second was only 15 feet from the flag and Mortland’s chip was short, but Mortland sent down an eight-feet putt. He was in trouble at the sth. His tee shot was through the green and his second over the green down the bank. He approached to twelve feet from the cup and sank the putt. Cathro's five-footer for the half hovered on the edge and fell in. This reduced Mortland’s lead to five. Cathro almost holed a long putt for a three at the 6th, but /Mortland, who had been short, sank a yard putt for the half. \ SENSATIONAL SHOT. After two good shots Mortland sensationally holed a difficult chip for a three and a win at the 7th. The Bth was halved, but Cathro pulled one back when Mortland duffed his tee shot at the Sth. Mortland made a gallant attempt to recover and chipped his third to about six feet from the pin, but his putt missed. He appeared likely to lose the 10th, where he was in heavy rough and Cathro was just- through the green. However, he brought off a fine shot that finished three feet from the flag, and he won the hole when Cathro failed to chip dead. Cathro fluffed his third badly at Long Tom, and Mortland Was not required to hole his four-footer for a four. He was then dormy and the end came at the short 12th, where Cathro was bunkered and lost the hole, leaving Mortland the winner 8 up and 6 to play. The Taihape player was one under fours for the 12 holes. .■ : 11 -1 Commencing his match against I. Mac Ewan, B. M. Silk found the heavy rough on the left with his tee shot, and though he recovered well was short with his second. Mac Ewan, making no errors, took the hole with a four. He threw away this advantage by pushing his second out badly at the next, and Silk,’ who had made a great recovery after an indifferent drive, squared the game with a four. Dress Circle was perfectly played in fours by both, but at the 4th Mac Ewan found the rough on the right with his tee shot and Silk took the lead with a good four. He increased this to two by taking the short fifth with a three. Both players were just short of the green with their seconds at the 6th and chipped up well. Silk sank his putt, but Mac Ewan did not, leaving Silk 3 up. At the next Mac Ewan was never out of trouble. Silk played a great second to give him a four and another win. He found the heavy rough on the right with his tee shot at Quarries, but recovered splendidly. His opponent, after a fine drive, sliced his second and was too strong with his third. Silk chipped neatly to be 5 up. He sliced his tee shot badly at the 9th, but again staged a great recovery when he holed a 15footer for a four and a win. A fine three gave Mac Ewan the 10th hole, and he won Long Tom with a splendid four after a very long drive. Silk was short from the tee at the 12th, and Mac Ewan obtained his three to win another back. Both were on with their seconds at Alma, but Mac Ewan was well short with his approach putt. However, the unexpected happenea. He holed his 10-footer and Silk’s yard putt missed. Mac Ewan was then only two down—a wonderful recovery.

The 14th was halved in splendid fours, but Silk was in trouble again from the tee at French Pass and Mac Ewan reduced the lead to one. Fine drives and grand seconds to the green saw Bunktv’s Hill halved in fours. Splendid drives followed at the 17th, but the Aucklander’s second was lamentably short and Silk with a fou., was two up again. Neither found the green with their sec-

onds at the last, a half in fives resulting, leaving Silk with a two-hole lead halfway. After lunch Mac Ewan started in good style by winning the 2nd and 3rd holes to square the game. Silk was bunkered at the 2nd and his shot at the green at Dress Circle did not go up the hill. The 4th was halved in fives, but at the short sth Mac Ewan was in trouble, giving up the hole. He was too strong with his second at tire 6th and Silk, with a perfect four, was two up again. Silk placed a splendid brassie second 15 feet from the flag into the teeth of the wind at the 7th. Mac Ewan was short but chipped dead, only to see Silk hole his putt for a birdie three. Silk’s second at the Quarries was on the green and Mac Ewan’s close to the right edge. The Aucklander failed with a four-footer, increasing Silk’s lead to four. Neither played the Sth well, being bunkered with their seconds. Mac Ewan missed a short putt for a half and Silk was five up with nine to play. A good three at the 10th made the lead six up, and he was dormy when he placed a splendid iron on Long Tom green with Mac Ewan’s second well short. Both played fine shots to the green at the 12th, the Aucklander’s being the closer to the hole. His putt was not up and the match was over, Silk being the winner 7 up and 6 to play. A. J. Shaw and E. S. Douglas set off on their morning round by halving the Ist and the 2nd in fours. Playing to Dress Circle, both made good drives to the foot of the hill. Shaw pitched up within six feet of the pin and Douglas 20 feet past. Shaw missed his putt for a win in three, and the hole was halved in fours. At the 4th Douglas’s drive against the wind was a fine long and straight one, while Shaw hooked his to tlie left in the rough. Shaw was on with his second. Douglas’ mashie chip up came to rest within eight feet of the pin. Shaw narrowly missed with his long putt. Douglas failed with his putt for a four and a half, and Shaw won in 4 to 5, to be one up. DOUGLAS DRIVING BETTER. At Quarries both had long drives. Douglas, who was driving with better direction, being in the middle of the fairway, while Shaw was just off the fairway, but his second was on the green. Douglas hooked his iron second to the left of the green into long grass, nearly out of bounds. He chipped p short and haw won the hole 4 to 5, to be two up. At the 9th Shaw sliced his tee shot into the rough, but he got out well. Douglas followed a splendid straight tee shot with a great second in line with the flag. Shaw placed his third on, but failed to sink a 20-footer, and Douglas won the hole 4 to 5, to be one down at the turn. Shaw went out in even fours, while Douglas took one stroke more. Playing to the green, Douglas was on with his tee shot, while Shaw was short of the green, but his chip up was only four feet away. Douglas, however, holed a 30-footer to win and square the game. Shaw again sliced his drive at Long Tom into the rough, while Douglas was very accurate. Shaw was short with his second, and on the edge of the green with his third. He putted short and Douglas won and was one up. At the 12th both were on the edge of the green with their tee shots, Shaw just missing a bunker. At the 13th Shaw’s tee shot was 40 yards further than Douglas’. Douglas was short with his second, but sank a six-footer. Shaw lipped the hole with a 5-foot putt for a win, and a half in fours went on the card. Douglas was one up. Playing to Encampment, Shaw was in a bunker with his second, Douglas being on to take the hole with a four. At French Pass Douglas was on the green with his tee shot and Shaw in 3 bunker to the right. At Bunker’s Hill both found the green with their seconds, but Douglas’ approach putt was a trifle strong and Shaw won’the hole in four. SHAW WIPES OFF LEAD. At the 17th Douglas’ second was strong and found a bunker on the left of the green. He made a chip to within five feet of the pin, but missed the putt and the hole went to Shaw. At the 18th good drives and seconds found them both on. Douglas made a perfect approach .putt, Shaw missing a four-footer for a half. In the afternoon it did not take Shaw long to wipe off Douglas’ lead, and a fine three at the 3rd squared the game. Shaw was one up after playing the 4th, but Douglas took the short sth. The next two were halved:and Douglas won the Bth and 10th with par figures. Long Tom was halved in perfect birdie fours. Shaw was through the green with his tee shot at the 12th, and as he failed to chip dead Douglas took the hole to be three up. Weak putting cost him the next two. He then came to light with a glorious two at French Pass and, being two up with three to play, appeared to have the title in his grasp. A too merry chip and a weak putt cost him the 16th, but the next was halved and he came to the -last tee dormy one. Here he pulled his second into the bunker at the left, while Shaw was rather lucky that a not too well played iron finished above the pin. Douglas recovered from the bunker in great style, the ball coming to rest only four feet from the flag. Shaw’s long,, putt missed and Douglas had only to sink his putt for the title, but he was short, and the game went to the 37 th. The big gallery surged to the first fairway. Both hit fine tee shots. Shaw was on the green and Douglas just short with the second. Douglas’ chip finished four feet from the flag, while ShaW laid his dead. Once again Douglas failed with his putt, leaving Shaw the champion for the fourth year in succession. Results were:— AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. Semi-finals. B. M. Silk (Wanganui) beat I. MacEwan (Auckland) 7 up and 6. J. P. Mortland (Taihape) defeated L. Cathro (Castlecliff) 8 up and .6. PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. Final. A. J. Shaw (unattached) beat E. S. Douglas (Otago) 1 up at the 37th. NEW ZEALAND PLATE. Semi-finals. A. E. Guy beat C. J. Ward 1 up. K. Ross beat W. T. Kuru 1 up. Final. A. E. Guy beat K. "Ross 4 and 3. AMATEUR STROKE HANDICAP. R. B. Carr 78-7—7l' Kapi Tareha 76—3—73 N. H. Amon 81 —3 —73