COMMENTS ON THE PLAY

Taranaki Daily News, 2 May 1935, Page 10

COMMENTS ON THE PLAY

MANY CLOSE FINISHES

WANGANUI PAIRS IN FINAL.

NEW PLYMOUTH PAIR BEATEN.

(By

“Stance.”)

The two semi-finals of the autumn foursomes at the Ngamotu links yesterday produced two grand struggles and the best golf that has yet been seen at the fixture. Both New Plymouth pairs were defeated. Mrs. Quilliam and Mrs. Nicholson gave Mrs. Russell Grace and Mrs. Young .a rare fright when, with the aid of their strokes, they won four successive holes to stand two up with only three to play. The other match between Mrs. Waddell and Mrs. Fisher and Miss Currie and Miss Blyth was sternly contested all the way, but a missed putt at the 17th proved fatal to the New Plymouth pair. Pipy in Third Round.

Miss Blyth and Miss Currie had a hard struggle with Misses P. and E. Blundell, but, their greater steadiness, especially over the last seven holes, gave them victory. They won. the first, when their opponents made mistakes round the green, and halved the second after a grand recovery shot over the bunkers by Miss Currie. A stroke at the 3rd enabled the Misses Blundell to square the game, but they struck trouble at the sth and lost the hole. Fine threes halved The Dell, but the game, was square again when the Wanganui pair required four putts at the next. Even their stroke did not enable the Misses Blundell to halve the Bth, and Miss Currie and Miss Blyth turned one up when the 9th was halved. A perfect mashie over the creek by Miss E. Blundell at the 10th squared the game again. The Wanganui pair won the next two but lost the 13th where their opponents received a stroke. The Misses Blundell were in all sorts of trouble at Moses, but their stroke enabled them to win the 15th. However, Misses Currie and Blyth won the 16th, and a half at the next gave them the game. Though* the standard of play was not high, the game between Mrs. Waddell and Mrs. Fisher and Mrs. Curtis and Miss Gavin was well contested all the way. Only two holes were halved on the outward journey, Mrs. Waddell and Mrs. Fisher winning the Ist, 4th, 6th and Bth to their opponents 2nd, 3rd and sth to stand one up at the turn. They increased this to two by taking the 10th, but Mrs. Curtis and Miss Gavin won the 11th and looked like taking the 13th after a great drive by Mrs. Curtis, weak play eventually losing the hole. Moses was halved in fine threes, but the next two holes produced poor golf. Mrs. Curtis and Miss Gavin appeared sure to win the 16th, but the ball came to rest in a mysterious hole in the green and Miss Gavin could only just knock it out. A soundly-played five gave Mrs. Waddell and Mrs. Fisher the 17th and the match. Mrs. Taylor and Mrs. Wilton put up a great fight against Mrs. Grace and Mrs. Young for the first nine holes, after which they were only two down. Mrs. Grace sank a long putt for a win at the 10th and the Wanganui pair increased their lead to three by taking the 11th. The New Plymouth pair halved the next two with the aid of strokes, but the end came when Mrs. Grace and her partner won Moses. Mrs. Young was not as reliable as usual from the tees, but Mrs. Grace made few mistakes on and around the greens. Mrs. Quilliam and Mrs. Nicholson had to go to the 19th hole to defeat Mrs. Rich and Miss Home after a close contest. The game was all square at the 14th, and after the next two had been halved Mrs. Rich and Miss Home won the 17th to become dormy. On the last green Miss Home had a yard putt for the half that would give her side the match, but the ball failed to drop and the game went on to the extra hole, where Mrs. Nicholson" and Mrs. Quilliam’s putting gave them the victory. The winners’ experience just enabled them to snatch the victory, their accurate work on the greens being the deciding factor. Wanganui Pair’s Gallant Finish. Staging a gallant finish after being two down with three to play, Mrs. Russell Grace and Mrs. Young won the last three holes against Mrs. Quilliam. and Mrs. Nicholson to snatch a last-minute victory. The game opened evenly, but the fourth hole was sensational. A splendid iron shot to about four feet from the pin by Mrs. Nicholson seemed sure to gain a win for her side, but Mrs. Grace holed a very long putt for the half. The Wanganui pair was one up at the sth, but Mrs. Quilliam and Mrs. Nicholson squared the game at The Dell. They had a stroke at the next and looked like winning until Mrs. Grace sank a 15-footer for a half. Mrs. Quilliam’s drive went out of bounds at the Bth, but they looked likely to snatch a half when Mrs. Grace was short with her approach putt. Mrs. Young was equal to the occasion and down went an eight feet putt. A beautiful chip by Mrs. Grace gave the Wanganui pair another win at the 9th, and they turned two up. Two halves followed, and then the New Plymouth pair proceeded to take four holes in a row. Mrs. Grace failed to recover from the bunker at the 12th and a fine second by Mrs. Quilliam payed the way for another win at the 13th. Superior work on the green saw the New Plymouth pair take the lead at Moses, and a good putt by Mrs. Nicholson increased this to two at the 15th. The New Plymouth players were never cut of trouble at the next, and despite a fine recovery from a bunker by Mrs. Nicholson and an equally fine putt by Mrs. Quilliam, the Wanganui pair was not to be denied and Mrs. Young put down a four feet putt for a win. Things did not look bright for the visitors when Mrs. Grace half topped her second at the 17th, but a grand spoon, by Mrs. Young from the top of the hill to the centre of the green retrieved the situation and the game was square. New Plymouth’s chances faded when Mrs. Quilliam’s tee shot failed to clear the creek at the last and came to rest in an unplayable position. Mrs. Nicholson played her third from the tee, but two strokes of leeway was too much to make up. Nevertheless the local pair made a great fight against their formidable opponents, more especially as Mrs. Quilliam was off her tee shots all day. Fatal Missed Putt.

Misses Currie and Blyth began steadily against Mrs. Waddell and Mrs. Fisher and were two up at the Bth hole, where Miss Blyth played a glorious iron third right on to the green. The New Plymouth players took the 9th with a three and squared the game at the long 10th, where they received a stroke. The 11th was halved, but Hillside was dramatic. Mrs. Waddell duffed her tee shot, but Mrs. Fisher played a great mashie to within a yard of the flag. Miss Blyth chipped cleverly over the bunker- and Miss Currie was equal to a five feet putt and they won the hole when Mrs. Waddell failed with her putt. A finely played mashie by Miss Currie to the green at the 13th appeared likely to put the Wanganui pair further in front, but they were stymied and a half in fives resulted. Indifferent putting by the Wanganui women enabled Mrs. Fisher and Mrs. Waddell to square the game at Moses. With the aid of a stroke they halved the 15th, and there was a similar result at the next.

Two grand woods by Miss Currie and Miss Blyth paved the way for a win at the 17th; where Mrs. Waddell missed a four feet putt for a half. Playing safely, Miss Currie and Miss Blyth made no mistake in securing their half at the last. The game was productive of some fine golf, with Miss Blyth’s steadiness as the deciding factor. . / ■ Too Many Long Holes at Ngamotu. There is no doubt that with the course in its present condition, there are far too many long holes. These do not provide a fair, test of golf for'women’s'matches, as the player who has hit two good shots has gained no real advantage. She is still well short of. the green, while another with three quite ordinary shots is on the green. This is the type of hole that all modem golf architects go to great pains to avoid, but at present the Ngamotu links bristle with them. The 2nd, the 4th, the sth, the Hth, the 16th and 17th are definitely of this type, while at least three others are doubtful.

A. fine field, the best for many, years, will contest the Taranaki women’s championship to-morrow and Saturday, and in order to make this event a fair and proper test the tees at these six holes should be advanced from 40 to 60 yards in every case. This would enable the good players to reap a just reward for their shots.