GOLF.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16512, 24 August 1921, Page 3

GOLF.

AT HOME AND ABROAD, (By ‘' THE CADDIE.”) AVONDALE CLUB. The final of the ladies’ championship was played between Miss Rowe and Miss Kitto, the latter winning by a putt at the twentieth hole. Both played excellent golf, finishing all square at the eighteenth hole. They halved the nineteenth, and at the twentieth (” The Hollows ”) both were on the green in three. Miss Rowe niiseed a twelve-inch putt, giving Miss Kitto the championship. The final of the men’s championship was played between J. H. Early and R. W. Morgan. The former won after a very strenuous game at the thirtysixth hole, being 2 up and 1 to play. The follo wing were the strokes played : First eighteen holes—Early 86, Morgan 87. Early was lup at the eighteenth hole. Second round—Seventeen holes were played ; Early 89, Morgan 89. Early thus won the championship. Early won ten holes and Morgan eight. Seventeen holes were halved. Morgan’s driving throughout was excellent, Early duffing a number of tee shots, but the latter’s approaching and putting won the match for him.

The semi-finals for th© Scales Cup were played during last week-end. Harding and Miss Gibbons met Martin and Miss G with a Shand. Tho match resulted in an easy win for the latter pair. Morning and Mrs Mills jpet Humphrey and Mrs Early, this match resulting in a comfortable win for the latter pair. The final will be played between Martin and Miss Shand and Humphrey and Mrs Early. The Avondale Club are sending a tearm of twelve men to Ashburton on Saturday next to play the Ashburton Club. A ladies’ bogey match Trill be played next Saturday. CHRISTCHURCH CLUB. The semi-finals for tho Denniston Cup were played last week. G. Beadle won by default from J. A. Garr. A. L. M’Fariane beat D. O. White by 3 up and 2 to play. The Shirley links are looking very well just now*. It is expected that the new lay-out will be tried early in September. Of the three new greens, two are now practically ready for use. , Programmes for the New Zealand championship are likely to be out during the first week in September. Variations of the ancient and Royal game are many. The latest is, naturally, American, and may be called “ elimination golf.” In this form of the game, an unlimited number of golfers start from the first teo. Those having the highest score drop out and form the gallery after the first hole is played. In like manner those having tho highest score at the end of the seoond hole must drop out. And so the, game goes on until only one player is left, who wins the match. Golf etiquette is entirely abandoned, the gallery being permitted to make all the noise or any remarks it likes, but it must not interfere with or crowd out the players.

The open championship of Canada was won at Toronto on August 3 by Trovenger, of Detroit, U.S.A., with a score of 293 for the seventy-two holes. Brady, of Detroit, was second, with 296; M’Donald (Chicago) third, 298; Armour (Scotland) fourth, 299; Kirkwood (Australia) nfth, 301.

“ Out of this representative field of players (the best in Britain and U.S<A.) a British golfer has survived (says the “ Glasgow Herald,” in reference to the game between Mitche'll and Kirkwood). Mitchell has shown himself again the great golfer that wo knew he was. He came near enough to being beaten one day this week, but since his wonderful 'escape he has played irresistible golf, and it has seemed clear enough for a couple ot days that nothing here could stop him. But Kirkwood, the Australian open champion, went down to-day with colours flying. Ho lost his match, but ho has lost nothing in his reputation. Indeed, he has this week more than justified all that was written about bis game before he came among us. He lias played in only two big tournaments since he arrived—the other was at Oxhey—and he has taken second place in both. He is a methodical, calculating player, but very inspiring to watch. He is methodical, too, in bis living, a teetotaller, and nonsmoker, and very careful of his diet when big tournaments are going forward. This afternoon, when it was ail over, he had a glass of milk when everybody in tho dining-room was drinking tea. He leaves Glenagles with a great reputation as a golfer, and an even greater as a fighter. He was fighting an uphill battle all the day., and ho fought it very pluckily. But he was up against one of the great- { est golfers or the world, and a man of maturer years and infinitely wider experience every .way. He . drove tremendously well, but Mitchell’s driving was simply fearsome. Against the wind, and a very stiff wind at that, he made the long holes look quite short, and down the wind he of course made ; them look still shorter. He drove down the wind almost to the edge of the second green (390 yards), this afternoon ; ho was hole high below the green at 1 Heich o’ Fash ’ (130 yards), and he required only a short mas hie pitch at - ‘ Braid’s Bra west' (435 yards), while into the teeth of the wind ho was on ‘ Blink Bonnie' (455 yards) with two of his best off his wooden clubs, though so was Kirkwood both morning and afternoon. Mitchell’s golf was unbeatable, but Kirkwood fought with indomitable courage. Nor was it the courage of despair. He looked more anxious than he had done all the week. But he never cracked. He was not beaten by really bad play in any department of his game, but he made slips here and there, and against the golf that Mitchell 4 played the full penalty was exacted. Kirkwood is a very likeable youth. H© is modest and unassuming, and he wishes to Refute a rumour which is going round that he has issued a challenge to any British golfer. He has done nothing of the kind. He is going to St Andrews to do his best, but he is under no delusion as to what it means to win ill© British Open Championship.”