THRILLING GOLF

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 234, 2 October 1929, Page 12

THRILLING GOLF

YESTERDAY AT BELMONT Busiest Day and Best Play Weather conditions could not have been better for the busiest day of the New Zealand golf championship tournament at Belmont, and it was fitting indeed that some of the finest golf ever seen at such a tournament was provided for the large number of spectators. It was almost summer weather, and the greens had acquired some of that fiery touch that is more often associated with summer golf. The first and second rounds of the amateur championship saw the number of contestants reduced to eight, and this was not without some decided surprises, notable among them being the defeat of Horton and Ekstedt, and the victory of Morpeth in his game with Reilly. It was pleasing to see Cathro, the Castlecliff player, obtain a position among the final eight, even though it meant the defeat of the veteran Duncan, while it marked the era of youth when Smith and Ward won their games. Thrilling golf was turned on by the amateurs, who left it to the professionals to furnish the highest class golf, and thus was provided one of the greatest days of golf that has been experienced on the Wanganui Golf Club’s splendid course.

Morpeth and Reilly. Morpeth started off badly, slicing his first into the trees on the right, and taking six, lost the hole to Reilly. Morpeth won the next and they halved the third aft< .• Morpeth had placed his tee shot on the Home fairway and was short with his putt. They came to Exodus all square. Morpeth outdrove Reilly by 20 yards, but topped his mashie and was short. He found the green with a chip shot from under the : bank. Reilly was past the pin with his iron and, Morpeth missing the putt, Reilly was one up. At the fifth both were on with their tee shots, Morpeth laying his putt dead, and they halved in three. Redan saw Reilly’s drive fail to clear the hill and he was left with a difficult lie half-way down the bank. His third was handy to the green. Morpeth’s drive was a good one to the right of the fairway, but his mashie was short and he was past the pin w’ith his approach, the hole being halved. At the seventh Morpeth was in the rough to the left but managed to get clear with a characteristic Morpeth shot that carried past the pin Reilly was just short of the pin with a beautiful iron and his putt lipped the cup. Morpeth laid his putt within two feet and then missed the putt, Reilly sinking his putt to take the hole.—Reilly 2 up. At the Quarries both had good drives of even length. Each played a beautiful high mashie; pitch shot on to the green, being pin high. Reilly just missed with his putt and Morpeth took the hole with a fifteen-footer, and Reilly was only one up. Morpeth hooked his drive over the fence at Land’s End and then found the rough on the right. Reilly was just off the edge of the green with his approach and pin high with a chip shot, but he took two putts and Morpeth sank.his fotPrth to square the match. At Slope Reilly was’just short of the green with a nice drive, while Morpeth was a trifle strong and landed in the grass just at the back of the green. Morpeth’s iron shot was short and Reilly played a pitch and run to within »ix feet of the pin, sinking the putt to become one up again. Both were in the rough to the right with their drives at Long Tom but landed on the plateau with irons. Reilly was too strong with his approach and Morpeth weak, wasting a stroke that gave Reilly the hole, five to six.—Reilly 2 up. At Terawhiti Reilly was in the bunker on the far right of the green, and Morpeth holed a putt from the edge of the green to reduce the lead to one At Alma Reilly was past the pin with his approach, whereas Morpeth was short. Reilly sank his second putt and, Morpeth missing one putt, sank his fourth to halve the hole. Morpeth hooked once more over the out-of-bounds fence on the left at Encampment and then laid a tee shot to the right. Reilly landed his approach shot close to the edge of the green and sank the putt to become two up again. It was then that Morpeth came to light in characteristic style. At French Pass he was just short with a drive to the right, while Reilly was too strong and past the pin with his second. Morpeth played a beautiful second and laid his ball dead, taking the hole when Reilly missed his putt. Morpeth was now one down with three holes to go. Reilly got into trouble at Bunker’s Hill, for his drive failed to carry the ridge and he played an iron from the foot to land close to Morpeth, who was right in the centre of the fairway. Reilly played his iron into the bunker on the right of the green and played it out tod hard, running right through the green. Morpeth was pin high and the hole was his, making them all square. Once again Reilly played with bad luck at Cabbage Tree, for he found the bunker to the right with his approach and Morpeth took the hole and was one up for the first time during the match. Reilly was faced with the task of winning the last hole to square the match, but this proved beyond him and Morpeth emerged the winner one up. Reilly’s card was interesting indeed and certainly encouraging for a young player. Here it is:— Ont: 45443544 5—38 Tn: 3 5 3 4 4 4 5 5 4—37 Wonderful Golf. Some wonderful golf was produced by A. D. S. Duncan and L. Quin, who had a great fight. The first two were halved and then Duncan was short with his second at Dress Circle, Quin being one up with a nice four. Quin was unhicky at Exodus, his putt for a three rimming the tin. Sea View was halved in threes, while at the sixth Quin just stayed out for a four and a win. However, he was two up when Duncan struck trouble from a pulled shot at the seventh. However, Duncan won the next two holes with fours, Quin putting his tee shot out of bounds at the ninth. Duncan commenced by holing a twelve footer at the Slope for a two and he stymied Quin at Long Tom and halved the hole. Quin laid his tee shot dead at Terawhiti, but Duncan holed a twenty-footer for a half. However, he failed with a ten-footer at A-lma and the game was square again. Quin just missed an awkward fourfooter for a win at the Encampment but became one up by winning French Pass with a three. He sliced two shots at the 16t, and Duncan squared the match again. The 17th was halved in fine fours. Quin sliced his tee shot

badly at the last hole. He was short with his second and fifteen feet from the pin with his third. He made a valiant effort to hole his putt but the ball just slippel past and Duncan, getting down safely in two putts, won one up. Ward finished his game with Conway in even fours. Both got into the bunkers at the first, halving it in rough fives, while the second was halved in fours. The next three went to Ward, and the sixth was halved. The seventh went to Conway in four and Ward took the next in 3. Ward was four up at the turn, taking Land’s End in 4. The Slope he won in 3 and the next three were halved. Conway took the next in 4to 5, but the end came at, French Pass when Ward won in 3, finishing five up and three to play.

The two Blacks had a tight go, Harold being two down at the turn. Good golf was played and J. L. Black completed his card for 74. Louisson was not in it with B. J. Smith, .Tun., for the latter, who was one up at the turn, halved the next and took Long Tom in 4, Terawhiti in 3 and Alma in 4. They halved Encampment and Louisson the next in 3 and Bunker’s Hill in 4. Cabbage Treei was halved in fours and that completed the game. At The Twentieth, Huggins put up a great fight with. B J. Smith, .Tun., and the issue was not clear until they had carried the game to the twentieth. The first two holes went to Huggins in 4’s, and the next to Smith in 4, but Huggins won the fourth and Smith Sea View. Then Hugging won the next three and halved the ninth, turning for home four up. The next two were halted, and Smith took French Pass in a nice 2, leaving Huggins one up. They halved the next two, and at the 18th Huggins was laid a dead stymie, Smith taking the hole in 4 to square the game. At the 20th Smith proved too good and won, one up. Smith went out in 43 and Huggins 40. On the return journey Smith took 36 and Huggins 40. Grey and Whyte played good golf to Encampment, taking holo and hole, and for the first thirteen holes they were even fours. At the seventh Grey took 3 and Whyte 5. Grey holed out in two from off the green at The Slope, Whyte hitting the back of the hole and just missing the putt. They halved Long Tom in fives. Terawhiti went to W hyte. After halving Alma they both got into bunkers at Encampment, halving in sixes. Grey took French Pass in 3, but hooked his drive at Bunker’s Hill and got into trouble. Whyte missed a putt of tw 0 feet for the match at Cabbage Tree. He was short with his second at Home but chipped up well and holed the putt, winning two up. Sime prov'ed better than Wagg as their game went. The first went to him and the second to Wagg, while they halved the next four. Sime w r n the seventh and eighth in 4’s and Land’s End was halved, making Sime two up at the turn. Sime chipped out of the bunker at the tenth to halve it in 3, and stymied Wagg at the next to win it in 5 to 6. Then the twelfth was halved in 3. Alma went to Wagg in 4 to 5, but he was again stymied at Encampment, Sime taking the hole in 4. French Pass was halved, and Sim? took Bunker’s Hill in a fine 4. Thug he was four up and 2 to go. Sime went round in 76. Both Conway and Dale went out in 39 and they were square at Land’s End. The first went to Conway in 4 to 5, but Dale secured the second and third in fours. With Conway taking th'e’ next, and five, six and seven being halved, they reached the eighth square. This went to Conway and the ninth to Dale. The latter was one up when he took the tenth in 4, and the nevt was halved. Dale missed a putt for a half in three at the twelfth. Conway thus squared the game again, and when he won the next four in 4 5 3 4 it brought the finish. Second Round Play. The defeat of A. D. S. Duncan by L. Cathro, the well-known local player, and the lion of Castlecliff, was unexpected by the southern visitors, who had just seen the veteran dispose of a former amateur champion in Leo Quin, who was, moreover, playing better than at any stage in the tournament. The first two were halved in 4’s. Duncan won the next in 4-5. The next was halved. At Seaview Cathro missed a short putt for a half, and Duncan was 2 up. The sixth was halved in 4’s. Duncan won the Outlook, where Cathro was short with his third, in 4 Cathro took Quarries in 4-6, Duncan being short with his second. Duncan missed a putt at the ninth and turned for home 1 up. The tenth was halved in 3’s and Long Tom in s’s. Cathro took a 2 at Terawhiti, and squared the game. He took the next two in 4’s and stood 2 up, but overran with his putt at French Pass, which Duncan took in 3. Cathro 1 up. At Bunker’s Hill Duncan was short of the grefen with his second, but pin high with his approach, and missed rhe putt narrowly (Cathro 2 up). Duncan won the seventeenth in 4, and a half at the next gave Cathro a win 1 up. In the second round Morpeth came back on to his drives, and though his short game was not as good as he would perhaps like it to be, he did not have any great difficulty in disposing of D. O. Whyte four up and two to play. They started off with three fives and only medium class golf, and continued to halve until at Seaview Whyte was buried in a bunker, Morpeth taking tin

hole with a three. Nothing further of note occurred until they reached the ninth, which Morpeth took with steady play when Whyte’s putting let him down. The return journey was commenced by Morpeth with i two at the Slope, putting his tee iron shot abou x a couple of feet from the pin. Whyte \va.in trouble at the next when h’s drive was badly buried and he m.e, ed his ball less than a foot. Morpeth took the hole with a four. Morpeth was again brilliant at the next, placing his mash'ie dead and taking the holo in two. At Encampment Morpeth lost the hole through bad play on the green, but French Pass was halved, leaving him dormie three. The end came at the next, Bunker’s Hill, where Whyte chipped badly and then could not negotiate a stymie, Morpeth winning four and two. The Palmerston North man, A. R. Ekstedt, brought off a decided surprise in the afternoon when he defeated T. H. Horton, the Masterton champion, three up and one to play. Splendid golf was played in spite of several lapses. The first was halved in sound fours, but at the second Ekstedt missed an easy putt and the hole went to Horton four to five. Horton missed a 2-ft. putt at the Dress Circle and the Palmerston North man squared with a four against Horton’s 5. Ekstedt was in the rough to the right with his second and Horton sank a four to Ekstedt’s six. A half in three’s at Seaview and another in fours at Redan, was followed by a half in fives at the seventh. Ekstedt made it all square at the eighth when Horton missed a 2-ft. putt, and th'e ninth was halved in fours. Horton’s club slipped from his hand when he was playing the tee shot at the ninth, and he finished in the rough to the right of the green. Ekstedt was on the green and won in three to four. Long Tom wont to Horton with a perfectly played four Ekstedt finishing in the rough and taking six. At Terawhiti both were on the green with their tee shots but Ekstedt popped the sphere in with a 30-ft. putt. The Palmerston North man won the next when Horton missed a 4-fr. putt, but Horton squared the hole off when Ekstedt missed a putt for a half at Encampment. Fours were carded at French Pass. Disaster arrived for both at Bunker’s Hill, where both found the rough with • their drives. Horton duffed his second, a spoon, and Ekstedt, taking five, won the hole, Horton taking six. Borh were through the green at Cabbage Tree with their seconds, and their next were short. Horton was stymied and took five to hole I out, while Ekstedt sank his putt and won the match, three up aVI one to play. Horton wont out in 38, equal to the standard score, Ekstedt taking 39, but the latter came back in one over fours. With the Professionals Some of the finest golf that has ever been seen on the Belmont links was produced in the professionals’ championship round, played over 36 holes. In spite of the fact that Shaw lost a ball at Alma and took 6, he put up the following splendid card in the morning: Out: 443434 5 4 4—35. In: 44364354 5—38. In the afternoon round his figures were as follows: Out: 43443544 4~-35 In: 443 At the end of the outward run he was dormie 9, Douglas went round in the morning in 70, being five up when they had completed that round. He had a putt for a 69, and his card read:— Out: 4444 3 4 5 3 4—35. In: 35344444 4—35. When the match finished he was even fours. Much closer than the others was the match between Rutter and Moss, and it was rather too near for Moss. The cards in the morning read as follows: Moss—7o. Out: 54443 3 44 4—35. In: 34344444 5—35. Rutter—73. Out: 4 55 4 4 3 4 3 4—36. In: 25444455 4—37. In the afternoon Moss went out in 35, and even then Rutter had more ofen than not beaten him off the tee, dropping strokes on the greens. His long putts were missing by the narrowest of margins, and at times they went in and came out again perversely. He had several stymies. Both were within a few feet of the pin at Terawhiti, and Moss stymied Rutter from the tee. The latter tried to pitch in with his mashie. Moss putted and again stymied Rutter, who this time succeeded ’in sinking his pitch for a half in

Moss was accuracy personified in his morning round and finished the first eighteen holes three up on Rutter after the round had taken 70. The most expensive holes for the Middlemore professional were the first and the last, where fives were carded, but there were four threes in his round. Both Rutter and he, however, were playing great golf, being brilliant in every department. Their accuracy on the greens was uncanny, and Rutter sank three long putts in succession, this being at the eighth, ninth and tenth holes. Moss went out in 35 and Rutter in 36, the first-named coming back in 35 to his opponent’s 37. On the last green Moss over-ran a long downhill putt, and the hole cost him five. Rutter’s iron work is worthy of special mention. Rutter made special efforts in the afternoon to overtake his opponent, but Moss held on grimly and maintained the same high standard as that which marked his morning round. The first hole in the afternoon was halved in fours. Butter knocked one off the lead at the next, his second being 7 feet from the pin, and he took three against bogey four. Dress Circle and Exodus were halved in fours though at the fourth Moss was only a few inches short with his long putt for a three. Sea View was done in a three by Moss to Rutter’s four. The sixth was halved in fives, both being short with their approach shots. Moss got his second three at the seventh, a full brassie being put three feet from the pin. With Moss four up, the next five holes were halved in 4 4 3 5 3, but Alma went to Rutter with a four (bogey 5), while Rutter also took Encampment. Rutter hit his tee shot over the fence at French Pass and Moss took the hole with a three. At Bunker’s Hill Moss slipped the pill in with a 10 foot putt, winning the match three up and two to play. He was one under fours for the afternoon round ana throe under fours for the whole day’s play. In the afternoon Clements came home in 34. He was 4up at the turn in the morning, but Mclntosh won three holes coming in, leaving Clements one up. Mclntosh won the first three holes in the afternoon, but Clements won the next two. squaring the match. In the return journey in the afternoon Mclntosh failed to win a hole.

RESULTS OF THE PLAY The following are the results of yesterday’s play: — Amateur Championship First Round IT. Horton won from C. A. Seymour 3 up and one to play. A. E. Ekstedt won from L. Seifert, junr., 1 up. H. J. Black won from J Harold 5 up and 3. J. L. Black won from J. Quin 8 up and 6. A. E. Conway won from H. P. Dale 4 up and 2, K. C. Ward won from C. N. Armstrong 4 up and 3. A. G. Sime won from Rana Wagg 4 up and 2. A. R. Blank won from B, M. Silk 3 up and 2, Sloan Morpeth won from W. B. Reilly 1 up. D, O. Whyte won from P. Grey 2 up. D. C. Collins won from T. S. Park 7 up and 5. E. Macfarlane won from J. A. Morgan 6 up and 4. N. Louisson won from Kapi Tareha 3 up and 2. B. J. Smith, junr., won from F, Huggins at the 20th. L. Cathro won from J. Goss 1 up. A. D. 8. Duncan won from L. Quin 1 up. Second Round A. E. Ekstedt won from T. H. Horton 3 up and 1. J. L. Black won from H. A. Black 2 up and 1. K. C. Ward won from A. E. Conway 5 up and 3. A. G. Sime won from A. R. Blank 4 up and 3. Sloan Morpeth won from D. O. Whyte 4 up and 2. E. W. Macfarlane won from D. C. Collins 2 up and 1. B. J. Smith, junr., won from N. Louisson 2 up and 1. L. Cathro won from A. D. S. Duncan 1 up. Professional Championship A. J. Shaw w.pn from T. S. Galloway 7 up and 6. C. C. Clements won from J. D. Mclntosh 2 up and 1. E. S. Douglas won from J. A. Clements 8 up and 6. E. J. Moss won from F. Rutter 3 up and 2.

First Bogey Handicap The First Bogey Handicap resulted in A. R. Blank and B. M. Silk tieing with 3 up, and they will divide. The following were the best cards handed in:— A. R. Blank 8 up. B .M. Silk 3 up. K. C. Ward 1 up. L. Seifert, junr., 1 up. R. Kissling 1 up. L. Cathro 1 up. A. A. Stewart 1 down. R. O. Gardner 1 down. B. J. Smith, junr., 1 down. TODAY’S PROGRAMME. Stroke. Handicap. Amateurs (18 holes). a.m. 8.30 —G. M. Chong v. A. S. Hassall, B?34—A. N. Goulding v„ C. E. Howden 8.39 L. D. Hurst v R. T. Tosswiss. 8.4,3—A. Wilson vE. J. Pumphrey. 8.48 J. P. Aldred v R. Kissling. 8.52 — I. Saunders v W. O’Callaghan. Amateur Championship. Third Round (36 holes). 9.O—A. E. Ekstedt v J. L. Black. 9.5 —K. C. Ward v A. G. Sime. 9.10—5. Morpeth vE„ M. Macfarlane. 9.15 — B. J. Smith jun. v L. Cathro. Professional Championship. Second Round (36 holes). 9.20—A. J. Shaw vC. C. Clements. 9.25 —E. S. Douglas v E. J. Moss. Stroke Handicap. Professional (36 holes), 9.35 —T. S. Galloway v L. Ross. 9.39 R. C. Butters v A. C. Ross. 9.44—F. Rutter vJ. Lambie. 9.48 N. Bell v N. H. Fuller. 9.53 B. J. Smith v F. Branch 9.57—j; a. Clements vE. W. Perry. 10.2 A. H. Dykes v J. R. Galloway. 10.6—J. Mowat v G. W. Ritchie. 10.11 — J. D. Mclntosh v James Watt. Stroke Handicap Amateur (18 holes). 10.15 R. L. McNiven v Rana Wagg. 10.19 A. D. S. Duncan v G. N, Pharazyn. 10.24—H, P. Dale v S. Powdrell. 10.28 —F. Quin v L. Quin, 10.33—J. uin vJ. A. Mangan. 10.37 —D. O. Whyte v T. H. Horton. 10.42 —C. H. Seymour v F. C. Fryer. 10.46 —J. Jamieson v R. D. Harding. 10.51 —A. A, Stewart v J. S. Dick. 10.55—D. C. Collins vK. U. Gardner. 11.0—R. O. Chesney v F. G. Heaven. 11.4—W. T. D. Harman v K. W. Robinson, 11.9 L. Seifert jun. v T. Park. 11.13 —P, Grey v G. Richmond. 11.18—F. S. Parkes v J. P. Mortland. 11.22—H. J. Grieve vN. Totty. 11.27 —11. W. Macfarlane v Kapi Tareha. 11.31 —T. Kuru v F. Huggins. 11.36 —A. T. Hunter v F. Wagstaff. 11.40—M. Hunter v L. J, Le Cron. 11.45—J. D. Lawrence v C. C. Holmes. 11.49 —A. J. Craighead v J. H. Dean 11.54 —J. B. Jack v W. Lints. 11.58—H. Thomson v, H. Lightband, p.m. 12.3 — L. Bassett v G. Broadhead, 12.9 A. F. Woollams vF. Wood 12.12 — J. Graham v E. Fair. 12.16 — K. E. Adams v W. Bull. 12.20 M. J. Seehau v E. W. Clark. Post entries will be accepted, entrants to start following from 12.20 p.m.

LADIES’ TOURNEY SEMI-FINALS REACHED YESTERDAY’S RESULTS [ Per Press Association J CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 1. The weather was perfect for the fourth round of the New Zealand ladies’ golf championship to-day. Two of the four matches in the championship were won on the eighteenth green, results: — Mrs Dodgshun beat Miss Barnett 3 and 1. Miss O. Stevens beat Mrs Fraser 1 up. Miss O. Kay beat Miss Beadel 7 and 6, Miss Chrytall beat Collinson 1 up. In the semi-final to-morrow Airs Dodgshun plays Miss Stevens and Miss Kay plays Miss Chrystall. The Donnelly Cup bogey match this afteroon was.won by Miss E. Harkness (Nelson), 81—11—70. Other scores were: Miss R. L. Wilson 79 —8—71; Miss Chrystall 761 —75; Miss Acheson 81—5 —76; Mrs Kerr 86 —9—77; Airs Guy Williams 83 —6—77. The teams match for the Innes Cup (four players) resulted in a tie between Auckland A and Christchurch A with total scores of 338. Otago were 339, Christchurch B 355, Wellington 358, South Canterbury 358, West Coast 366, Auckland B 383. The Melksopp Cup for the best aggregate in three medal rounds was wan by Aliss Kay 79, 80, 83, total 242. Mrs Dodgshun was second with 84, 84, 79, total 247.