GOLF.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 746, 23 June 1904, Page 13

GOLF.

The final match for the Auckland Ladies’ Golf Club Championship was played on Friday, and despite the bad weather and sodden state of the links there was a very fair attendance. The game was between Miss E. Lewis, the holder, and Miss M. Mort, and after a keen fight in which good play was shown by both ladies, victory fell to Miss Lewis, who finished with three up and two to play. The winner, who has only been playing the game for four seasons, was also successful last year and in addition got into the final of the N.Z. Championships, in which she was narrowlv beaten.

In the driving competition (aggregate of three balls) Miss Blanche Gorrie covered 379 yards, defeating the champion by 21 yards. Miss Pearl Clark won the putting contest.

The news has come from home that the amateur championship has been won by an American, or is he an Australian? He is an American golfer anyway, He is W. J. Travis, and has been three or four times champion of America. He used to be in Melbourne, in McLean Bros, and Rigg’s (writes “Bulger”)., and went from here to America to represent them. He tried to play cricket here, but I believe he was not a success. In America he took to golf, and, by dint of hard work and constant practice, he has attained to the highest honours in the world. Certainly no one seems to practice more, as one never picks up an American paper which has a note of his playing somewhere. As most players know, the amateur championship is played off by tournament of 18 hole matches, with 36 holes for the final. Consequently there is not only the luck of the draw, but also 18 holes is a short test for supremacy. However, no one can go through the trying five days’ play, in which one bad round puts a player out, always playing a first-class player, and get through to the end without being a real good player, and Travis well deserves his win for the way he has stuck to golf after taking it up late in life. He has also done an immense deal for golf in the States. The runner-up was Mr Edward Blackwell. He learned his golf at St. Andrew’s as a boy. and is famous for being the longest driver in the world. He has never been very near winning the championship before, as though a long driver he is weak in his short game. Sandwich, where the championship was played, is a long driver’s course. That Travis had not an easy time in the draw is shown by the fact that he met and beat Mr R. Maxwell, last year’s winner ; Mr H. G. Hutchinson, who has won twice ; and Mr H. H. Hilton, the only amateur to twice win the open championship and examateur champion.