ROUND THE GOLF LINKS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 249, 20 October 1937, Page 4

ROUND THE GOLF LINKS

WANGANUI PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP

The triumph of youth, demonstrated in the final stages in the New Zealand amateur championship, was again exemplified by the fact that the “young ’tins'’ again held the stage for the Wanganui provincial (•hampionship. L. (’atliro.'still in his thirties, being the “veteran*’ of the final dav. when Amon carried oil’ the title.

For some people the feature of the provincial championship tournament was the defeat of the amateur champion, B. M. Silk, by R. F. Kitto, brother of the youth who contested the final at Hamilton with Silk. Thus it was a case of brother avenging the defeat of brother. Silk turned on a brilliant 69 in his first round of match play in the morning, but the second round found R. F. Kitto taking advantage of every lapse on the champion's part to make the game secure. He had a lead of 3 up when they came to the I4th, but Silk squared the match brilliantly by taking the next three in a row, a feat which he would not have been given a chance of doing against a more experienced player. They halved the 18th to finish* all square, but a splendid long putt for an eagle 3 at the 19th gave Kitto the match in spite of Silk’s certain birdie 4. It was a fitting finish to a good fight.

It appeared likely that a Seafield final might eventuate when R. F. Kitto contested one semi-final with N. H. Amon, and M. Casey took on L. Cathro in the other semi-final. Again the uncertainty of golf was demonstrated when both Seafield players were eliminated, the two matches finishing at the 15th, with both Kitto and Casey 4 down. Both the defeated semi-finalists are 19 years of age, but it is Casey who appears to show’ the greater promise, for it was his first major tournament and he stuck to his guns splendidly. Lapses on and around the greens proved his downfall, but as he has been playing competitive golf Jess than twelve months he put up a meritorious performance.

The Rangitikei player N. H. Amon sprang a surprise on the cognoscenti when he defeated Cathro, last year's provincial champion, in the final, for his form, though consistent throughout the tournament, had not suggested that he would prove capable of accounting for the Castlecliff champion. However, Cathro had one of those lapses which even the champions occasionally have to suffer. Time after time he was slicing his tee shots and consequently he strayed off the fairways in a manner unusual in him. It must be a long time since Cathro has been in so many bunkers over a round at Belmont.

Bryan Siik was back on his game in defeating F. C. Hutchison in the final of the club championship over the week-end, for he turned on a 71 in the afternoon round of the 36 holes, and although Hutchison was only three over the standard scratch score with 76 he had to suffer defeat, Silk being 6 up with 5 to play. A remarkable feature of the morning's play was the fact that only four of the eighteen holes were halved, but they went in to lunch all square. Hutchison was 2 up at the third, but Silk won the next three in 4,2, 4 to become 1 up. Hutchison turned on the fireworks at the next three holes, carding birdie figures at each, 4,3, 3, to be two up at the turn. Indifferent golf featured the first holes on the homeward journey. Alma being halved in sixes, but Silk, still 2 down, turned on a sequence of 4,2, 4,4, to become 1 up at the 17th. Hutchison squared the match at the 18th with a good 4. In the afternoon both played better golf, Silk in particular getting away to a good start which enabled him to lead at the end of the first six holes, 4 up. He looked like making it 5 up when he sank a 15ft. putt at the seventh, but Hutchison rose to the occasion by holing a putt of approximately equal length for the half, both securing eagle threes. They, halved the eighth and Hutchison notched a birdie 3 at the ninth to reduce his leeway, turning at the end of 27 holes 3 down. It was rather a coincidence that at the same three holes Hutchison had secured birdies in the morning. Silk missed a 4ft. putt at the ninth which would have given him an outward journey in two under fours. They halved the tenth in orthodox threes, but Silk took Long Tom in a birdie 4, Terawhiti in a 3 and Alma in a par 4 to win 6 and 5. He completed the eighteen holes with four fives for 71, Hutchison returning a 76. Hutchison, it may be remarked, was rather unlucky in being stymied several times throughout the long journey.

The annual Labour Day tournament will be held at the Seafield inks on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday, October 23, 25 and 26. Two qualifying rounds will be played on Saturday, and a medal match in conjunction with each round. The first 16 will qualify for match play for the Seafield championship, and the succeeding flights of 16 will go on to match play on handicap for the Springvale Handicap, Maroro Handicap, and Consolation Handicap respectively. Medal, bogey, Stableford bogey, and four-ball matches will also be played. The course is in excellent order, and all preparations are being made for a record tournament. Lunch and morning and afternoon tea will be obtainable at the clubhouse. The privilege of the links is available to all intending competitors from to-day. Entries close to-day with the secretary, Mr. C. S. Brown. Good trophies are being provided in all sections of the tournament.

More than once at the national golf tournament at Hamilton the criticism that it was the worst tournament in their experience was made by competitors with a wide knowledge of national events, comments the Evening Post. Their criticisms chiefly concerned the organisation of the meeting, inefficiency of service in the lunchroom at the clubhouse, and the absence of any set plan for controlling the galleries for important matches.

It is doubtful whether the censure of some of the points of the meeting was quite deserved, but on others it undoubtedly was. The absence of control of the galleries was noticeable, and was a serious omission of organisation by those con-1 cerned with the tournament. Even on the last day there w’ere no stew-1 ards to control the gallery for most

of the morning round of the amateur final between B. M. Silk and A. R. Kitto. In the afternoon, stewards were present, but they were not particularly efficient, and no ropes were used.

In the circumstances a player of Kitto's inexperience was handicapped considerably. Silk has played championship golf long enough to appreciate the conditions imposed by a large gallery. Kitto has not, and it must, for him, have been disheartening and disturbing to play shots with whispering onlookers on three sides and within about five yards of him,

Then, too, the absence of proper facilities for the players produced :he tragic moment of the tournament when E. J. Moss’ approach shot to the eighteenth green in the play-off for the open tournament struck a woman spectator on the bound. Had that shot been given freedom, it is possible that it would have rolled to within one-putt distance of the pin, for its flight already had been perfectly judged. It was, not to put too fine a point on it, a serious omission by the controlling committee that spectators should have been allowed to congregate in front of a

As for the service at the clubhouse, it was bad to start with, and it did not improve. B. IL Menzies, of Auckland, and W. G. Horne, of Wellington lunching before their second round match in the amateur championship, were curtly informed that they had exactly 35 seconds to finish and get on to the tee. Service of a meal usually was at least 20 minutes, and generally longer.

Golf, as a game cannot, of course, compare in excitement with football or tennis. It has its dramas, however, and that preceding the disqualification of Murray in the open championship was as nerve tingling as one could wish. So much depended on a foolish little practice putt on the eighth green, and so much was said for and against, that the adoption of a properly-detached view was difficult. Even now, debating on the question has not stopped. From that incident, however, many things have been and can be learnt. For one thing, the ignorance of a large part of golfers of the rules governing the game is profound. Even most of those at the championships were uncertain on many points. Tales were told, after the Murray incident, of championship competitors doubtful of the most elementary points, ignorance which may affect some important game in a player's career. There was another lesson, that in important final rounds the appointment of an independent marker ?/id umpire would simplify incidents as unfortunate as the Murray case.

The form of players at the tournament was inclined, except in notable instances, to be patchy. The first day's play in the Open did not produce a general run of good scoring, mainly because the majority of the competitors tell victims to “Openitis.” Competitors with long experience of tournaments claimed that they had never known a national entry so afflicted with nervousness as on that first morning.

Several points became clear, however, during the nine or 10 days of striving. One, that A. J. Shaw is still about the finest golfer in New Zealand. He is not as good a shotmaker as Moss. But no other competitor so ill-favoured by fortune revealed such capacity for cheating it by resolution as Shaw. His third round of 74 should have been a5B at least. It wasn't because the luck was against him. Yet Shaw was capable in that round of shooting scratch figures be-cau.-e of his ability and not because lucky long putts were rattling into the can.

Shaw's weakness during the tournament was on the green, and the weakness chiefly was an inability to be up with his approach putts. Sometimes he did hit them past the hole. More often if he missed a longish putt it was because the ball stopped short.

Another point clear in the welter was that J. P. Hornabrook is New Zealand’s finest amateur, in spite of B. M. Silk’s unqualified and deserved success in the championship match play. Hornabrook was unfortunate in meeting a Horton so keyed up to victory that he had to win. Hornabrook next day would probably have been successful. At any rate, he has, without disparagement to Silk, one or two gilts that Silk has not, and no amateur competing at the tournament revealed a game as well rounded in every respect as Horr.abrook’s.

It would have been a fine test, a final between Silk and Hornabrook. Silk, one imagines, would have found Hornabrook much more difficult than he found Kitto because of Hornabrook’s tactical experience. A number of players at the tournament were inclined to regard the absence of Hornabrook from the final as a tragedy. The view, possibly, is somewhat narrow, but it would have been an interesting sight nevertheless. More interesting, too, would it have beeii if Hattersley, the Australian, had been battling against Hornabrook or Silk in the final.

A very fine sportsman and a line opponent, Hattersley would have been a difficult proposition with longer experience of the course. Even so, he struck form several times and returned fine scores, but the edge was often lacking from his play, and when that happened his putting dropped considerably. In the morning round of his semi-final match against Silk he was short with everything except his drives. Hattersley really showed his ability as a golfer by recognising the necessity of developing an approach on the run-up style. In Australia, he has been used to playing high stop-shots. Tlie purposeful Silk’s second win of the amateur was popular, for he