GOLF.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20056, 20 September 1920, Page 8

GOLF.

CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT. KIRKWOOD BEATS EAST. MORPETH DEFEATS BOSS IN AMATEUR FINAL. [Peu Pnr.ss Assoouttok ] HAMILTON, September 19. Saturday brought to a conclusion the most successful tournament held under tbo rub* picos of the New Zealand Golf Council and •on links which arc a chainnionship test, ns they stand undoubtedly the beat in the country. The game in the final of the professional championships between Kirkwood and East, Australians, was followed bv five hundred spectators. Opening with a three, Kirkwood was one over fours for the first half, where bo was three up. After that the game was pretty much a procession, ending at the sixteenth. where Kirkwood waa 3 up and 2 to nlny, and two over fours. Ho went on and finished in 7/1. East, struggled gamely, but is not quite in Kirkwood'a class. Immense interest centred in the final for the amateur championship, over thirty-six holes, between Dr Boss (Dunedinl and Sloan Morpeth (Hamilton). Dr Boss opened up brilliantly ■ with six fours in succession, and visa two up on Morpeth, whoso card was two strokes worse. Ross increased bia lead at Jbo long seventh. Then Morpeth put in a' run of eight fouia in succession, and before that break had beem completed Boos was one clown. At the sixteenth his deficit had increased to three. He saved with a fine four at the last hole, where, however, Morpeth came wonderfully out of bad trouble with an enormous brassie shot on to the green, and secured, a five. In the afternoon Ross bst the first hole by weak play and went down, down, down the ladder, except that he secured the long seventh in five to Morpeth’s bogey six. After that the game was merely a procession of two players and eight hundred spectators to the twelfth green, where the game ended in Ross's defeat by 8 up .and C to play. At that time Morpeth’ was two over fours. Morpeth, who is farming fifty miles from Te Kuiti, says he is unlikely to contest the championship in future. He is twenty-three years of age, but looks older. He learned his <>olf on the AVaihi links. 11° is master of all his clubs, and plays with beautiful rhythm and precision, his putting being a particularly strong feature of his game. Boss after his first spurt in the morning went back, not because he was not playing well, but because Morpeth was operating with almost automatic skill, even though a peculiarly tricky wind was blowing. Bight throughout the tournament Morpeth's golf was of a high standard, and he had hard luck that the redoubtabb Kirkwood's meteoric appearance deprived him of the open championship. The victory of the North Islander was the signal for a characteristic, ovation. I AVONDALE CLUB. The second round of the ladies' Grand Aggregate was played on Saturday afternoon, the fouir best cards being returned by Mrs Early 104. Miss Baxter 113. Miss Gibbons 11G ) and Miss Rowe 117. The three best cards handed in for the men’s medal match were;— Early, 90.12—78; Foreman. 191, 20—81; Atkinson, 107, 20—87, CHRISTCHURCH CLUB. A tie for the IVerdrop Cleek was played off at the Shirley links on Saturday and (resulted in a win for P. M. Hanna and Mrs Day, 2 down, ‘ RICHMOND HILL CLUB. The final of the Junior Club Championship waa played on Saturday afternoon, when van Ascii defeated Hairris, 4 up and 3 to play. The ladieb also played the final bogey match of the season, Mrs M’Clatchie winning with 4 down.