GOLF

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19929, 13 October 1934, Page 18

GOLF

SHAW PROFESSIONAL CHAMPION SILK AND MORTLAND LEFT IN AMATEUR By Telegraph—Press Association WANGANUI, October 12. There were two decisive victories in the semi-final of the Amateur Championship at the New Zealand golf tournament at Belmont to-day, the young Taihape player, J. Mortland, putting the local man, L. Cathro, out 8 and 6, and the Wanganui player, B. Silk, defeating the Aucklander, I. Macewan, 7 and 6. Mortland is playing perfect golf and may be described as the find of the tournament. The weather was overcast but perfect for golf. Results:— Amateur Championship Semi-Finals. B. M. Silk beat I. Macewan 7 and 6. J. P. Mortland beat L. Cathro 8 an 6. Professional Championship Final. A. J. Shaw beat E. S. Douglas at the 37th. New Zealand Plate. Semi-Final. 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. After defeating C. Ward 2 up in the semi- final, A. Guy went on to win the final of the New Zealand plate 4 and 3, the other finalist being K. Ross, who had accounted for W. Kuru in the morning 1 up. It was an Interesting match from the outset in spite of the fact that Guy won by a convincing margin.

Shaw v. Douglas. The professionals Shaw and Douglas started off their morning round by halving the first in perfect fours. Playing to the fourth, Shaw hooked his drive into the rough, but a good recovery enabled him to win the hole in 4 to Douglas’s 5, to be one up. At the short fifth, Shaw failed to reach the green with his tee shot, and was short with his chip up, Douglas taking the hole 3 to 4—all square. The 6th was halved in fours and at the next Shaw was almost stymied, but he made no mistake to win the hole 3 to 4, making him one up.

Shaw also won the Bth in four to five, where Douglas hooked his second iron shot into the long grass, making Shaw 2 up. At the 9th Shaw sliced his tee shot into “Tiger” Country. Douglas, with a good drive and a great second, won the hole 4 to 5, Shaw being 1 up at the turn, going out in even fours, Douglas taking 37. At the 10th Douglas got one hole back, winning the hole 2 to 3, to square the game. Douglas, who was driving with better direction, won the 11th, 4 to 5, making him one up. The 12th was halved in fours, as was also the 13th, where Shaw lipped the hole for a win. Douglas was still one up. Douglas took the 14th with 4 to 5, and the 15th 3 to 4, to be 3 up. Shaw got one back at the next, winning 4 to 5. He also won the 17th, 4 to 5. Douglas took the 18th, where Shaw missed a four-foot putt, for a half, leaving Douglas 2 up. In the afternoon Shaw had wiped out his deficit when three holes had been played, squaring at “Dress Circle” with a “birdie” three after a beautiful mashie second to the pin. Shaw was one up at the 22nd when Douglas missed a short putt, but the Otago man took the short hole when Shaw went over the bank, Douglas being able to take two safe putts round a stymie. At the 25th Douglas was on the hill with a hooked second, but he made a good recovery down on to the green and halved in five. At the next Shaw got into trouble on the left with his drive, not being out properly with his second, but Douglas was nicely on in two and took the hole, making him 1 up. Douglas followed this up with a winning four at the 27th. where Shaw was bunkered and Douglas was nicely on with his second, making Douglas 2 up at the turn. After being in the bunker with his tee shot and through the green with his second, Douglas was lucky to halve the next in four, Shaw missing a five foot putt. “Long Tom” was halved in “birdie” fours, and Douglas took “Terawhltl” to become 3 up when Shaw took three putts. With only six holes to go, Douglas was in a very secure position, but he then forgot all he ever knew about putting and literally gave the next two holes away to go to “French Pass” 1 up, There he put his tee shot three feet from the pin to take the hole with a nice two, but Shaw negotiated a stymie at “Bunkers Hill” to win in four. Two beautiful iron seconds on the green at the 35th saw the hole halved in fours. Douglas was in the bunker with his second at the last green, but he got out well from a very difficult lie to finish near the pin for what seemed a certain four which would have halved the hole and won the match, but he missed an easy putt and the game went to the 37th. There Douglas missed a similar putt for a half and the match went to Shaw who was down in a “birdie” four. Cathro v. Mortland. Cathro and Mortland opened, halving the first but Cathro collected the second with a four. Mortland sank a nice six-footer at t ‘ i fourth, and also added another with a good three at the next. The sixth was halved and then Mortland sent down a great 20footer for a win at the seventh. He ran down another good one fo. a win at the nnith, to stand three up at the turn. Cathro then had a bad spasm of three puttings, and Mortland, playing in inspired fashion, won four of the next five holes. French Pass was halved. Mortland increased his lead to eight when he won the sixteentn. Cathro, however, collected the seventeenth and halved the eighteenth, leaving Mortland seven up at lunch. Going out in the afternoon with a margin of seven against him. Cathro had a very difficult task ahead of him. Mortland was playing almost flawless golf, and although at the 24th Cathro had reduced the margin to 5, Mortland took the next with an “eagle” three. Cathro won the 27th with a bogey four, but was then 6 down at the turn. Short with his second and third at “Long Tom,” Cathro became 7 down again, and the match finished at the next “Terawhiti,” where Mortland was nicely on with his tee shot and Cathro in the bunker. Cathro was not so sure of his woods to-day, and, as usual, his putting was weak. Silk v. Macewan. Macewan won the first hole against Silk with a 4, but struck trouble at the next, where Silk squared the game. The third was halved, and then Silk reeling off par figures, won the next six holes in a row, to stand 6 u. at the turn. Macewan then found his game. A beautiful run of 3,4, 3,4, saw him recover four s- .ccessive holes. This reduced the margin to one, when Silk pulled his tee shot into the trees at

the 15th. Tne next was halved In perfect fours, but a weak second cost Mac Ewan the 17th. The 18th was halved, leaving Silk two up at lv ch. Macewan played better golf against Silk in the afternoon, and when three holes had been accounted for had squared the match. The next nine holes, however, were played well by Silk, who did them in three under fours to win the game 7 and 6. After a perfect brassie into the middle of the green at the 25th, Silk sank a 25 foot putt for an “eagle” three, and he lipped the hole for another “eagle’* three at the 29th, laying Macewan a dead stymie and becoming dormy 7. The end came at the 30th. Macewan nearly sank a 30ft putt for a 4 birdie” two, and Silk made no mistake in leaving himself a 12 inch putt for a half, which gave him the match.

Amateur Stroke Handicap. R. B. Carr . 78 7 71 Kapi Tarehu 76 3 73 N. H. Amon 73