GOLF.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXV, Issue 19008, 16 October 1931, Page 5

GOLF.

LADIES’ CHAMPIONSHIP. WON BY MISS GAISFORD. By Telegraph—Pr«u Aaaociatlan ROTORUA, October 15. Miss B. Gaisford (Marton) defeated Miss O. Kay (Otago) In the final of the New Zealand Ladles’ Golf Championship, 5 and 4. In the first eighteen holes in the final of the New Zealand Ladies’ Golf Open Championship this morning, Miss B. Gaisford (Marton), led Miss O. Kay (Otago—present champion), one up at the eighteenth. Miss Gaisford was three up at the sixteenth, but Miss Kay won the last two holes and reduced her lead to one for the morning’s play. Miss Gaisford played better golf to the tenth, where the champion’s staying powers carried her through to even play at the last holes. Both were playing excellent golf, and except on occasional holes made no mistakes. Both were indulging in long driving of even length, but Miss Kay’s green work was slightly patchy over the outward journey. The champion also struck bunker trouble more frequently than is usual in her play. On the eighteen holes, play was remarkably even and the final issue over the second round this afternoon is very much in the balance. The cards read — Miss Gaisford — Outward—4, 4,3, 4,5, 3,5, 4, 4—36. Inward—o, 4,3, 3,6, 5,4, 4, 5—34 Miss Gaisford picked up at the tenth hole. Miss Kay— Outward—4, 3,4, 4,5, 4,5, 5, 4—38. Inward—s, 4,4, 3,4, 6,5, 3, 4—38 Morning Round. The first hole was halved in bogey figures, both being on the green in two, taking two putts. At the second Miss Gaisford got off the fairway, but played a beautiful mashie approach to recover her position. Miss Kay. however, laid her second three feet from the hole, and holed out in three to her opponent’s four. Miss Kay found the bwaoker at tfar third, bat Gaisford, with a fine approach, was two feet from Did pin with her second, and sank in three. Miss Kay was well out of the bunker, but took two to

sink to be all square. Their drives landed together at the fourth and both were on the green in two, taking two putts; the hole was halved in bogey fours. At the fifth both played great golf and halved the hole in birdie figures. Both drives found the creek, but were lifted back without penalty, and two long brassie shots saw both lying on the edge of the green in three. Miss Kay laid her opponent a dead stymie, but Miss Gaisford played round to hole out in two putts. Miss Kay found the bunker at the short sixth, but Miss Gaisford was on the green, and holed in bogey to her opponent’s four, to stand one up. Long driving at the seventh saw both well on the way and with a drive and brassie shot apiece, were on the green with their approaches. Both took two putts to halve in bogey fives.

At the eighth Miss Gaisford pulled her drive to the left on to the seventh fairway, the ball landing among the crowd and striking a spectator on the bounce. Miss Kay was straight, but Miss Gaisford hit a beautiful brassie with her second, to lie on the edge of the green. She laid the 'third, an approach putt, right beside the hole, and sank in bogey four. Miss Kay missed a short fourth and Miss Gaisford was two up. Miss Kay struck trouble at the ninth, where her tee shot fell short and landed in the bunker on the edge of the crater. Miss Gaisford was on the green, but missed a chance to increase her lead by being short with her putt. Both took four to sink and halved the hole. The tenth saw both lying together, and two long brassie shots placed both balls handy to the green. Miss Gaisford, however, played over the pin with her approach, and the ball stuck in loose ground beside a tree just in bounds. She played a provisional ball on to the green, but decided to endeavour to play her first ball from a very difficult lie. She could not get a righthanded stance, and played lefthanded with the back of her club, failing to lift the ball. Her second attempt also proved fruitless and she conceded the hole. Miss Kay was on the green with her third and holed out in two fine putts, taking birdie five. Miss Gaisford was one up with level pegging. At the eleventh both were on the green "in two and the hole was halved in bogey fours. Miss Kay sliced her tee shot into the bunker on the right at the twelfth, but Miss Gaisford was on the green and holed in bogey three to her opponent’s four. Miss Gaisford was now two up. Both were lying in handy positions on the green from tee shots at the thirteenth, and the hole was halved in bogey threes. Two good drives at the fourteenth put both well on the way, but Miss Gaisford sliced into the bunker on the right of the green and Miss Kay was on the edge of the green with a straight second and holed in bogey four. Miss Gaisford was too strong with her bunker shot and ran across the green into a second bunker, taking six to sink her putt. Miss Gaisford was one up but the Marton player regained her lead at the next hole, where after both were on the edge of the green with their seconds, Miss Kay was short with her approach putt and took six to her opponent’s bogey five. Miss Gaisford was two up. At the sixteenth, the lake hole, both pulled into a rough on the right. Miss Gaisford had the better position and played out well to be on the edge of the green, narrowly missing the bunker, but Miss Kay, who was lying almost among the trees, had to take short chop shots to reach the fairway. She played a beautiful third on to the green and recovered her position, but Miss Gaisford laid her ball close to the pin with a nice approach putt and holed in four to Miss Kay’s five. Miss Gaisford was three up. Miss Gaisford was lying in a handy position on the green from her tee shot at the seventeenth, while Miss Kay was a little strong and overran the pin to lie on the edge of the bunker on the far side. She had hard luck with her second, which lipped the cup and jumped over the hole on the other side. Miss Gaisford had a comparatively short easy putt for half, but missed, and Miss Kay took the hole in bogey three to stand two down. Their drives were level at the eighteenth, but Miss Kay had a better position under tho trees to the right, and she found the green with a good second, but Miss Gaisford, hitting over a tree, found the bunker to the left of the green. She played well out, but ran past the pin and Miss Kay sank in two putts to take the hole in birdie four to Miss Gaisford’s bogey. Miss Gaisford was one up. Afternoon Round. VlTith a lead of one up, Miss B. Gaisford maintained the strength and steadiness of her morning play, but the champion, Miss O. Kay, fell away on the greens and dropped steadily back to lose the match and the title on the 14th green. By winning the highest prize for Dominion’s lady golfers, Miss Gaisford completed an exceptionally successful season, winning the Masterton open championship and establishing a new course record of 75, in addition to the Napier, Dannevirke and Wanganui championships. A gallery of over five hundred fol-' lowed the game. Miss Kay lost the match on her green work, which over the final holes was never reliable. She was a trifle unlucky in missing putts, but any luck in the game was evenly divided. A feature was the consistent long straight driving by both players, the tee shots lying within a few yards of each other on the fairways. Both were very reliable in approaching, but here also Miss Kay fell away somewhat. The cards read:— Miss Gaisford: Outward—s 4 4 4 5 3 6 4 4—39. Inward—s 5 3 3 4—total for five holes, 20. Miss Kay: Outward —5 4 4 4 6 4 4 5 5; 41. Inward—s 4 3 4. Total for four holes 16. Neither did so well at the first as in the opening round, requiring three each to reach the green. They halved in 5. Both were lying near the green at the second in opposite corners. Miss Gaisford was short with her second, and Miss Kay, after running past the pin, needed a ten-foot putt to win, but lipped the cup, and the hole was halved in four. Miss Gaisford over-ran the green with her drive at the third, but Miss Kay was in a handy position. Both Both played short seconds, and Miss Kay was beside the pin with her third. Putting for a win. Miss Gaisford missed a short shot and the hole was halved in bogey fours.