GOLF.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143839, 13 July 1912, Page 8

GOLF.

(By “All-Square.”)

At Nga Motu on Tuesday the second rounds of the ladies’ championships \V'il be played. Oh.the Saturday there will be a men’s bogey handicap. r At Tarahua on Saturday there will bo a men’s medal match tor the St. George’s Cross. The New Plymouth Club has arranged to play the Stratford Club at Stratford on Thursday, August 1, the date fixed lor th® Stratford Bachelors’ Ball. On the links of the Itoya) Liverpool. Club, the golf '.-championship' of the Army was won by Captain Skene, of the Black Watch, with 79 plus 79—158. Captain" Boyd, ot the R.F.A., formerly open amateur champion of Ireland, was second with 88 plus 76—164. J^is ( 76 was the best round of the day. '' , On the second day of the, "Wanganui tournament, Miss Brewster non the.nppi caching and putting'with a score pf 4. The Inglewood Club, will probably play a return - match at Nga Motu; on Thursday next. . ' . . *'

Kay,, the new open champion - (says the Referee), is 34 years of age, and, like Harry Vardon, was born in Jersey. He is a tall man, and not unlike Braid in appearance. His record,.includes the following: Reached, the final of £240 tournament in 1903 nnd-ljOll, and the semi-1 inal in 1901 won Northern section tournament in' 1006, 1009, and 1911 ; represented England .v. Scotland each year sinco 19u3; third in Open Championship, 1908; 'sixth in 1902 ; fourth, in 1007 and in 1911 j Tilths in 1009 and 1910;' eighth in 1005 ; ninth in 1904 and 1906, and 13th in 1903 - ; finished second in the French Championship, 1911; third in 1906, and. fourth in 1907.,

Ray’s winning score of 295 has; only once been beaten—viz., by Jpmes Braid,. 291, at Prestwick in !T9OS, although it was.equalled by J. H. Tayk,.- m 19Q9 at Deal. ( ,

Nineteen .Open Championships 'have been decided- since Taylor, the first ofthe three showmen or triumvirate (Braid, Vafdon and. Taylor) to head the list, had his name inscribed ori' the challenge .trophy,- and now the little band has no lees than 14 victories, to its united credit. Only Mr. Hilton,'Alec. Herd, Jack White, A. Massy and now Hay, have succeeded in slipping in a win against them. These ’ statistics are eloquent ofthepowers of the triumvirate, and help to show what a-wonder-ful golfer Hay must be to hay©'prevailed against them. The final imatch between Braid- and 'Ray in the .“News pf the World” Tournament in 19.11 will lopg he remembered for the extraordinary recovery of the latter from what looked like a hopeless position. -At the ninth hole in the afternoon Ray! was 6 holes down. Six down and 9 .to go against Braid on tho letter's* homo course looked* absolutely hopeless. But fliy rose like a hero to the occasion and actually brought the matohi to the last green,' when Braid had to * hole a short putt for a 4 in order to struggle home by 1 hole, Ray having made a gallant effort to hole his third*- which stopped a few inches short. Ip a review of golf for 1011 it was stalled that Ray lad certainly enhanced his reputation more than any player of his age, and. that he did' not look likej 1 giving way to his younger rivals in bhe race ior displacing the older men. -He still lacked, so it was stated, the power of concentration that the veterans i possessed, and at times looked to be* playing positively carelessly.