GOLF

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19865, 13 June 1927, Page 3

GOLF

IN NEW SOUTH WALES CHAMPIONSHIP CONTEST. NEW ZEALANDERS QUALIFY. Received June 12, 5.5 p.m. SYDNEY, June 12. Rose Bay was the scene of the qualifying rounds of the golf championship. The New Zealanders again performed well. Duncan made an indlifferent start and took 43 to go out but he played splendidly coming home, completing the course, in 80. In the afternoon he was out in 38 and homo in 40, his grand total, 158, giving him third position. Horton also had a bad start but finished in great stylo for a similar morning score. In the afternoon ho returned a well-played card of 79, only marred by a seven at the thirteenth holo. MacFarlane played steadily for two 83’s and has tied with five others for the last three places. Quin was playing good golf through the greens, but for once his putt deserted him and he finished outside the qualifiers. Dr. Ross was never going well and was well back with 89 and 87. Whitton was in fine form and finished with 79 and 77, a score that, headed the list, Murdoch with 77 and SO being next. The following are the qualifiers: Whitton (Vic.) 156 Murdoch (N.S.W.), .... 157 Duncan (N.Z.) 158 Horton (N.Z.) 159 Harrison (N.S.W.) .. .. 159 Russell (Vic.) 159 Nigel Smith (N.S.W.) .... 160 Sturroek (N.S.W.) 162 Thorn (N.S.W.) 162 Wines (N.S.W.) 162 Coonan (N.S.W.) 163 Morrison (N.S.W.) .. .. 163 Bettington (N.S.W.) .. .. 164 Smith (N.S.W.) 165 MacFarlane (N.Z.) .. .. .165 Sydney Jones (N.S.W.) .. 165 Apperly (N.S.W.) 165 Eastway (N.S.W.) 165 The draw for the first round on Monday is not yet available. The Now Zealanders were entertained at dinner last evening, when the Governor- General presented the Kirk-Windeyer Cup.

THE WILSON CUP NAPIER BEATS MASTERTON. [Per Press Association.] MASTERTON, June 12. The Masterton Golf Club was defeated by Napier Club this week-end in a match for the Wilson Cup which the I locals have held in four challenges I since winning it from the Wairarapa Club last year. Napier won by eight matches to four. The course was almost unplayable, the match being contested in a rainstorm. SEAFIELD AND CASTLECLIFF INTER-CLUB GAME DEAWN. The following are the results of the inter-club match played on Saturday at Castlecliff, The match was of a very even nature and resulted in a draw, each side winnnig nine games and halving two. Results are as follows, Castlecliff players being mentioned first: — Cathro won from Masters. Wilson won from Shirriffs. Greenhill won from Moulder. Whitton won from Goldsbury. G. Broadhead won from Jackson. H. Broadhead lost to McArtney. Wood halved with Smart. Caswell halved with Peattie. Wagstaff lost to McKay. Forbes won from Ormsby. Dean won floor Foster. Marks won from Young. Hawkins won from McDavitt. Edwards lost to North. Barton lost to Steel. Dingwall lost to Daffy. Sharpin lost to Sole. Haywood lost to Pritchard. Weller lost to Hackshaw. Totty lost to Hean. Totals:—Castlecliff, 9 wins and 2 halves; Seafield, 9 wdns and 2 halves. WANGANUI CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP AND CAPTAIN’S PRIZE—SECOND ROUND. The second qualifying round for the Wanganui Golf Club championship and captain's prize was played at Belmont on Saturday. Although the course was soft after the recent heavy rain the weather was perfect for golf, resulting in no less than seventeen players returning net scores under bogey. J. M. Hussey handed in the best card for the day, going out in 37 and coming in in 39, a total of 76. This was a good performance, especially after he had duffed his drive from the first tee. W. H. Cunningham, J. B. Jack, and A. Doig all tied for the best net score, each returning a net 75. Championship Scores. The following are the sixteen leading scores in the first two rounds:— Bounds

Although the above represent the first sixteen, there is liable to be some changes after the third round is played as J. Goss, 79, I. Saunders 82, W. C. Christie 83, who failed to put in a card in the first round, are still to bo reckoned, with. Captain’s Prize. This competition, which is played on the best two net aggregate scores out of three medal rounds, in conjunction

with the qualifying rounds for the 1 championship, is creating great inter-; est this year. In the first two rounds there are five players within three strokes of each other. Several who did well in the first round but failed badly in the second have only to come on their game in the finai round to be well in it. The following ar<- the best half dozen leading scores for the first two rounds: — Rounds Ist. 2nd Tl. H. R. Jones .(14) .... 76 77—153 A. Doig (16) 78 75—153 D. Murchie (7) .. .. 76 78—154 J. B. Jack (10) .... 80 75—155 F. C. Hutchison (15) . 75 81—156 N. G. Armstrong (14) 74 83—157 Medal In the A Grade, competition for the best day’s net medal round, three tied, for first place, namely: — J. B. Jack 85 .10—75 W. H. Cunningham . . 83 8 —75 A. Doig 91 16—75 In the B Grade J. R. Franklin, 103—30 —76, topped the score, with A. A. Barton second, 107—30—77. STRAY SHOTS (By “All Square.”) Down in One. The first Hagley golfer to notch a hole-in-one this season was P. G. Greenwood, who put his tee-shot into the cup at The Crater on Friday of last week.

[Playing the Wrong Ball. ; A common fault among players, especially beginners, is the playing of the [wrong ball. For the benefit of all, I quote this rule: “If a competitor play a stroke with a ball other than his i own, he shall incur no penalty, provid[ed ho then play his own ball; but if he ‘play two consecutive strokes with a .wrong ball he shall be disqualified.” [The only exception to this rule is when •a ball is lying in a hazard. The player jis not penalised for playing the wrong jball in a hazard provided the mistake is discovered as soon as the ball is outside the limits of the hazard. Get into the habit of looking at your ball each time you advance it. So many players used the same brand of ball that it is advisable to put a small distinguishing mark when the ball is taken out of the paper. New Zealand’s Win.

The fact that the Dominion golf team was successful in winning the Kirk-Windeyer Cup in Sydney on Thursday will be haded with enthusiasm by all golfers, especially so A. D. S. Duncan’s win over the open champion of Australia—Whitton. From reports received the veteran is playing as well as ever and his win will be very popular. Leo Quinn, also, is playing up to his best form, still retaining some of his characteristic winning shots. Altogether the Dominion’s win is verv gratifying. “Bobby” Cruickshank for St. Andrew’s. “Bobby” Cruickshank, who has won five big professional golf tournaments in America this year, has notified ms friends in Edinburgh that he will compete in the British open championship at St. Andrew’s next month. - Cruickshank has never before competed in the open championship, but in 1920 he played iv the amateur championship at Muirficld, and w*as beaten by Cyril Tolley, the ultimate winner, in the third round- by one hole. In the following year Cruickshank turned professional and is now attached to the Progress’ Club, New York.

FIRST-CLASS FORM BIG TOURNAMENT AT HOME. (Special to “Chronicle.”) LONDON, April 20. The professionals have picked up the threads of competitive golf surprisingly well. In the first of the big tournaments for .the Roehampton Cup the form displayed was really first-class, and one was convinced that there was no real reason to fear American competition. This, indeed, has been the impression even during all the years the Americans have carried all before them in this country. Mitchell, Duncan and the other leading players secured the figures at Roehampton just as well as the Americans could have done, and, moreover, they lacked nothing in cleverness. The Roehampton course is short and there are as many as seven holes whiffi can be reached from the tee. But the one-shot hole leaves no margin for error, and to qualify for" the match-play stages of the competition it was necessary to maintain an average of nearly fours over thirty-six holes. That repre sented first-class golf. The man who led the field in the preliminary test was Ernest Whitcombe, who is the eldest of three golfing brothers, all of whom were brought up on the links of the Burnham, the Somerset club, where J. H. Taylor received his first appointment. This Whitcombe excels with his iron clubs, and, on the form he displayed this season, it seemed as though a mistake had been made in leaving him out of the team to visit America. His younger brother Charles has been included. The event was notable for the revival of George Duncan. For two years he has had a heart-breaking experience. All his splendid play through the green has been destroyed by wretched putting, lie got into a style of hitting the bail cn the greens which was hopeless. 1I‘; would cut underneath the ball, and make it jump as though he were playing with a mashie. Last year, when the American amateurs were here, they played a good deal with Duncan in practice and they were horrified by his hopeless putting. ; After one round George von Elm, who lon going home robbed Bobbie Jones of the American championship, said t.o him: “What you say about golf up to the hole goes without a question, but I wish you would let us show you how to putt.” So von Elm started to try and get Duncan to roll the ball into the hole in the general American style, ; and it now seems as though he has suc- [ eeeded. At any rate, Duncan to-day is a much improved putter and at Roe- [ hampton he equalled the record for the I course with a wonderful round of sixty[•six. There were seven members of the team to go to America in the field, and four of them —Duncan, Mitchell, Charles Whitcombe and Arthur Havers —qualified for the match play stage of the competition. The three to fail were Ray, Gaddj and Robson.

U. G. Williams . . .. 1st. 2nd Tl. 7 9 82—161 J .M. Hussey .. 85 76—161 J. Harold .. .. 82 84 —166 F. 8. Parkes 84 83—167 L. B. Rhodes .. 82 86—168 C. Hutchison .. 82 86—168 D. Murchie .. .. 84 85_169 F. G. Beavcn .. 86 84—170 D. A. Fulton .. 87 84—171 R. L. McNlven . 87 88—175 J. B. Jack ..'.. 90 85 —175 R. A. Sutherland 88 88—176 W. H|. Cunningham. 94 83—177 W. G. Scannell .. 90 88—178 D. Meld rum 91 88—179 H. R. Jones .. 90 91—181