GOLF

Waikato Times, Volume 91, Issue 14174, 26 September 1919, Page 3

GOLF

SOUTH AUCKLAND CHAMPIONSHIP. WON BY SLOAN MORPETH. BY 4 UP AND 3 TO PLAY. The final gam« for the South Auckland Golf Championship was played on the Hamilton Golf Club’s links at St. Andrews yesterday between H. T. Gillies (Hamilton) and S. Morpeth (Waihi) over a 36-hole course. The Hamilton player was one up. at the end of the first 18 holes of the morning’s play. Gillies played good golf in the morning, but in the afternoon he did not play so well. Morpeth’s play improved then, and the game terminated at the 33rd hole in Morpeth’s favour: 4 up and 3 to play. Morpeth was runner-up, after a tie, in the New Zealand open championship recently decided at Napier, being beaten by Douglas (professional).

Tho First Eighteen. Gillies w«m the toss on the tee. The first hole was halved in 4 and the second i n 5. The third saw Gillies in the rough, and Morpeth won the hole in 4. Gillies made a good drive going to the fourth, but his opponent landed in the rough. He made a good recovery, however, and won the hole, again in 4. Gillies started badly going to the fifth, but a brilliant 15ft putt gave him the hole in 4. After both had got in good drives to 'the sixtii, Gillies made a wonderful putt of 24ft to hole out in 3, and made the game all square. At the seventh both were on the edge of the green in 3. Gillies made his third successive long putt and won the hole in 5. The eighth was halved in 4 and Morpeth won the ninth in 4—all square again. Tho tenth and eleventh were halved in 4, Morpeth making a splendid putt of 18 feet. Going- to the twelfth Morpeth got into the rough, and Gillies won the hole in 4. Gillies 1 up. The thirteenth was halved in 5. At the fourteenth Morpeth was bunkered in an unplayable position. Gillies holed in 3, While his opponent did not hole out. Gillies 2. up. The fifteenth was halved. Morpeth won the sixteenth in 4, while the seventeenth and eighteenth were halved in 4. Both players putted over 12ft to the seventeenth. Gillies’ card for the round was 79, or 4 below bogey. Morpeth’s was 74, plus the hole not holed out. The Afternoon’s Play. Several heavy rain showers fell during the afternoon’s play, which was followed by a goodly sprinkling of interested spectators. The play was particularly notable for the consistently long driving of Morpeth, who only made one bad drive during the afternoon. Details of the play read;— The 19th hole, the opening one, was halved in three, Morpeth registering a fine putt of 15 feet*

Going to the 20th Gillies found the bunker, his opponent’s drive going 60 yards further. Morpeth was just off the green with his second, Gillies getting there with his third. Morpeth’s third was within a yard. Gillies missed with his fourth, holing in five. Morpeth also missed his putt. The hole was halved.

21st: Morpeth got a long drive, slightly pulled. Gillies got a medium straight drive, but on the fairway. He missed his second, Morpeth getting on the green with his. Gillies got in a good third within 15ft of the pin. Morpeth failed to get up with his third. Gillies was down in 4, his opponent missing his fourth. Gillies 2 up. 22nd: Morpeth again outdrove Gillies by 40yds. Gillies sliced his second to the rough. Morpeth got a nicelyplayed iron with his second and reached the green. Gillies plaved a nice maahie out of the rough with his third, and reached the green. Morpeth played his third dead and went out in 4 to Gillies’ 5: bogey 4 and Gillies 1 up. 23rd: Morpeth topped his drive, failing to clear the rough. Gillies also pulled his drive into the Gillies took a brassie for his second, but pulled again into the rough. Morpeth reached the green with his third. Gillies duffed his third, but reached the green with his fourth. He just missed his putt and holed in 6. Morpeth holed in 5, making the game all square. 24th: Morpeth’s drive was good, but rather off the line. Gillies drove well, but played a bad second, finishing on the lip of the hunker. Morpeth played a perfect second over the bunker. Gillies got, the green with his third, missed the fourth and holed in 5. Morpeth won the hole in 4, leaving him 1 up. 25th: Playing to the long seventh (over 500yds), Morpeth played a beautiful drive against the wind. * Gillies pulled his into the rough. Morpeth played a beautiful brassie for his second. Gillies got a good third, but it failed to reach the green. Morpeth played a pitch mashie with his third, reaching the green. Gillies played lus fourth short out of the rough. He holed ia 6 to Morpeth’s 5, leavihg the latter 2 up. 26th: Both men drove well, but Gillies finished in the rough. Gillies’ second was a good shot, but it just failed to get over the •— est. Morpeth was on the green with h s second. GilI’es played a short third and his fourth finished two yards to the right of the Dole. Morpeth’s third almost holed, and he won the hole in 4, Gillies not holing out. Morpeth 3 up. 27th: Morpeth again drove well, but tff the left,, almost reaching the bunker on the 11th green. Gillies got in a fairly good drive with the wind against him, and his second was particularly good. Morpeth got a gpod iron for his second. Gillies' third was foozled, but his fourth was good. Morpeth lay his third within 2ff, and won in 4: Gillies not holing. Morpeth-4 up at the turn and the 6th hole he had won in succession.

°stli: Both tee shots were good, just failing to reach the green. Morpeth missed his putt for the. third and holed in 4 to his opponent's 3. Gillies 3 do^'n.

20th ; Oilhes got over the chasm with his first; His second he slived into the rough. Morpeth got a magnificent dr*v» and reached the green with a me slue for h : s second. Gillies played two. fnihng to get out. of the rough with either, and gave the hole to Morpeth. Morpeth 4 up;

30'h: Both niavors trn* gnnd drives. Gillies also played a good second, Morpeth’s being short, H's third was ,o(T the line. Gillies', with a good putt, holed in 3 and won the hole, 3—5, Morpeth 3 tin and 6 to play. 31st: Morpeth’s drive was doubtful whether it was out or not, so he played a «eennd. but found on reacting the ball that the first was playable, Hi on eh in the rough. He played his second, narrowly escap'ng go'ng out of hounds! and was almost on the green with h's 'bird n'avimr out of the rough. Gil)!es reached the rr i- .'! Morpeth holed out ! n .". leaving Gillies f n hole to win. He faded: IioW) wiib the next, and the hole was halved. Morpeth 3 up. 32nd: Gillies’ fee shot, pit the p-nn n and bounced back info the rough, making the ball almost unplayable. Morpeth was on the green in one. Gillies’ second lodged about a yard and his third was still very short. Morpeth over-ran the hole, which he won in 3 to his opponent’s 5, and made the game dormy 4. 33rd: Both played good drives. Gillies’ second was also good, but Morpeth socketed his iron, his only really bad shot in the round. The hole wag halved in 5, making a win fol> Morpeth by 4 up and 3 to jrtay*

FOUR BALL TEST BALL. In a four ball best ball bogey handicap played during the afternoon the best cards handed in were:—Bond and Nicoll 8 up; Webster and Gardner 8 up; Seifert and G. Morpeth 5 up.