CONTEST FOR TASMAN CUP

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19915, 27 September 1934, Page 5

CONTEST FOR TASMAN CUP

AUSTRALIA WINS EASILY By Telegrapb —Press Association AUCKLAND, September 26. By defeating the New Zealand ladies’ golf team by 6 matches to nil, the visiting Australian team won the Tasman Cup, which was gained for the first time by New Zealand in Melbourne last year. The destiny of the trophy was decided on the singles matches in the morning, the visitors winning all four contests so that nothing depended upon the foursomes which were played in the afternoon. In spite of the wet conditions there was a large attendance at the links when the matches were commenced. Those in which Miss Oliver Kay and Miss Gaisford were engaged attracted the biggest galleries. Those people /without umbrellas and oilskins received a good drenching, but that did not damp their enthusiasm and the majority remained to see the foursomes in the afternoon. The singles matches were played in almost incessant rain, accompanied by a strong driving wind. ’ The wet grass impeded the progress of topped drives on the fairways, while approach putts had to be made boldly to ensure final success on the greens. The Australians adapted themselves more readily to the conditions and their greater accuracy and consistency more than atoned for any brilliance displayed by their opponents and swung the issue in their favour. The crowd, no doubt disappointed with the results of the morning play, looked for a better showing from the New Zealand teams in the the foursomes, more especially as Misses Kay and Gaisford had recently captured the Australian title. Mrs Dodgshun replaced Miss Stevens in the New Zealand second pair, while Miss Bailey took Miss Lascelles’ place in the second Australian combination. Miss Bailey used to good effect the experience she had gained in winning the New Zealand foursomes championship. The results were as follows: — Singles Matches. Mrs Robinson (Australia) beat Miss Gaisford (New Zealand). 2 up. Miss Macleod (Australia) beat Miss Oliver Kay (New Zealand), 2 up and 1 to play. Miss Hammond (Australia) beat Miss O. Stevens (New Zealand), 6 and 5. Miss Lascelles (Australia) beat Miss Bams-Graham (New Zealand), 2 and 1. Foursomes Matches. Misses Macleod and Hammond (Australia) beat Misses Kay and Gaisford (New Zealand), 4 and 2. Mrs Robinson and Miss Bailey (Australia) beat Mrs Dodgshun and Miss Barns-Graham (New Zealand), 4 and 3. All four Australian players obtained valuable leads in the early stages of their singles matches, and such advantages were not overcome by their opponents. Whereas the New Zealanders took some time to settle down, the visitors readily adapted themselves to the difficult and changed conditions. It was noticeable that all four Australians were bold with their approaches and were seldom guilty of putting short. Mrs Robinson gave little away in her contest with Miss Gaisford. who mixed some magnificent shots with a number of really shocking efforts. The New Zealander played well out of form over the first half with the exception of a few bright patches. However, she later atoned for many of her earlier lapses and took the match the full distance. Miss Gaisford was 4 down at the thirteenth, and she then commenced a stern uphill fight, winning three holes in succession. She was fortunate in getting a half at the seventeenth to keep the game alive, and then a further lapse decided the issue against her. By getting four sixes on the outward journey Miss Kay gave her opponent a commanding lead of 4 up at the turn. Miss Macleod hung tenaciously to this advantage during the second half, losing only the eleventh and sixteenth to become dormy. She played safely for a half at the seventeenth to win the match. After her brilliant putting Miss Kay disappointed with her failure to hole out from distances shorter than six feet, and had she got these the match may possibly have gone in her favour. Miss Macleod’s outward half in 41 represented steady golf in the ftrcumstances, but it was

hardly worth her lead of four holes. Miss Stevens never really settled down in her match against Miss Hammond, and she was in a more or less hopeless position when she was 5 down at the sixth against a player who could be relied upon to give nothing away. The North Shore player was not happy with her long shots, but played quite well round the greens. Miss Hammond went out in 38 and was only three over the scratch score when she finished the match on “The Wrecker” green.

Miss Barns-Graham fully justified her inclusion in the team by putting up an excellent fight against her experienced opponent, Miss Lascelles. After being three down at the turn she squared the match on the fourteenth, and save for a visit to the gully at “Temptation” should have taken the match to the last hole. The New Zealanders fared no better in the foursomes than in the singles play. The visitors again were more consistent. Misses Kay and Gaisford were expected to make a good showing. This they did to the turn where they were only one down. They failed on the homeward journey.

In the second foursomes Mrs Robinson and Miss Barns-Graham drove off from the same tees. The Australians started strongly and became 3 up when Mrs Robinson holed a 12 feet putt at the fourth after Mrs Dodgshuns tee shot was bunkered. From then on the issue was never in doubt.