GOLF NOTES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22515, 24 September 1938, Page 21

GOLF NOTES

♦ WOODWARD CUP, WON BY RUSSLEY EXCELLENT SCORING IN CO WLISHAW CUP GOOD WIN FOR R. GRIMMER | AT TEMPLETON (By THE RABBIT.) . Because of an unfortunate misunderstanding, the final series of the Woodward Cup competition was marred by a default; and it was the more unfortunate that the leading team was concerned. This was the position in the Russley-Rangiora game when the country team defaulted to the leader in the competition. With this win Russley emerged the first winner of the inter-club pennant competition one point in front of Harewood, who was likewise one * point clear of Avondale.

It was stated in this column last I week that the Avondale team would have to default to Kaiapoi because the members of itp team- would be engaged in club championship play; but in preference to defaulting, the club fielded a team of players who were not competing in the club championship. This was a most worthy action on the part of the Avondale Club, and it is only an example of the enthusiasm that can be aroused over pennant matches. Avondale was lucky in the respect that J. W. Jackson was able to play against Kaiapoi, havipg finished his championship game early. Jackson beat J. Millard (former Avondale Club champion) in the top } game, and D. E. Climie (Kaiapoi) beat K. C M Ward, this pair playing in second place. The match ended in a draw, giving each team one point for the championship table. Many followers will be sorry to hear that Millard had the misfortune to break his “bread-winning” niblick in the match against Jackson. Millard has had the club for 15 years and except (for the last two years he played during that, time at the Avondale Club. It seems ironical that the club should be broken on the field where it had done so much damage. Even those who have muttered darkly that they “would like to break that weapon” will no doubt hope that Millard will not be deprived of the shot that made him so well known. This club has .carried Millard through many of the province’s major championships including the Canterbury amateur championship and the Dobson Cup. The calamity occurred at the eighth hole when Millard attempted to recover from a practically impossible position in the broom. Harewood v.‘ Templeton

Harewood had a difficult problem to face at Templeton, when it was without its No. 1 player, -A. R. Blank. The Templeton team has always been regarded as very strong on its own ; course; and Harewood just managed to I win one of the most evenly contested matches in the series. J. L. Blair led the Harewood team in the absence of Blank, and succeeded in beating J. A. Higgs, the Templeton Club champion, on the seventeenth green after an excellent tussle. The pace was keen from the first hole and any mistake that was made was eagerly seized by either player. After winning the first hole with a two, Blair held an advantage throughout and stood in the comfortable position of dormy 3 up. Higgs was not to be easily disposed of, however. and won the sixteenth with a birdie four, which was obtained by Jioling a 40-feet putt. The seventeenth 'and the match went to the visitor when Higgs smothered his second shot and failed with his chip. Although L. W. Fleetwood beat B F. Keene by the comfortable margin of 4 up and 3 to play, the game was decidedly more interesting than the score indicates. Fleetwood was fortunate to win the first three holes, a lead which was varied little in the following holes. Keene holed several ticklish five-feet putts to keep the score from mounting: but he was just lacking his usual punch and accuracy with the shots to the green. Fleetwood is still playing in the fine style that won him the Harewood Club championship and he will undoubtedly be one of the more favoured ones for the South Island amateur championship. The following table shows the final positions of the various clubs which took part in the competitions:—

Few players appreciate the vital necessity for poise; many do not think that it is worth worrying about, and many more have never been aware that such a thing exists. All, however, have heard of the term “stance” and given the opportunity would talk about it for a long time. It is impossible to attain the correct stance without poise, whether the player is naturally inclined towards the game or whether he must persevere to acquire , this fundamental of the swing. The average player regards poise as something that has no connexion with the game and pertains more to the stylish wearing of clothes. He also fails to realise that an athlete is dependent on poise for any success he may be striving for. Poise can also be described as balance and to have a good balance it is necessary to be physically fit. This implies that the player must be fit; but it does not imply that a physically fit player must necessarily be the possessor of- correct balance.

As leading professionals have so often tried to impress, perfection in golf can only come from long and persistent practice and attention to detail. Few have the initiative to watch an expert in action. This is a detail that does not receive the attention it deserves. The timing of the good player is perfect and his club-head will always move in a perfectly designed arc. This precision and harmony in the swing is all due to one thing—poise. ' The best encouragement for the average person is to watch a beginner who has received too many instructions. His movements are rigid and ungainly. All the time he is trying to think about the correct position of the hands, or if the left leg is braced and so on. If the beginner would concentrate on swinging smoothly and taking his tuition in gradual stages, it would soon be found that a more polished and rhythmical swing is attained. The Cowlishaw Cup The Cowlishaw Cup, which is competed for by the women’s clubs of Canterbury, attracted its usual large and representative entry at Shirley on Wednesday. Unusually good scoring was aided by the fine weather, and the perfect condition of the course, which is now better than it has been since last spring. The scoring of the two leading teams was an eye-opener and probably the best any two leaders have had in this event. The Hororata Club won the cup for the first time with a total three strokes better than that of the Harewood Club, who recorded 309. The standard after that was not so good; but Avondale’s'aggregate of 322, 16 strokes behind the winner, was good enough to win the cup last year. Considering its small membership of women. Harewood gave an excellent performance

and also considering the steadiness of its scores, was perhaps unlucky not to win. It was impossible to miss noticing the preponderance of young players, many of whom show by the neat compact swings they have developed, that they are on the right track, a fact that augers well for women’s golf in Canterbury. One of the most promising of these young players was Miss Betty Morrow, from Ashburton, who plays on a 13 handicap. She has got an ideal, crisp, compact and busi-ness-like swing, and with plenty of match-play, should develop into championship class. The local players who were competing for the Manuwhiri Cup, showed the visitors that they were also capable of producing fine scores, which were the best that haye been returned at Shirley for a long time. Mrs Geoffrey Hamilton reduced her handicap substantially with a brilliant 68, three strokes better than Mrs W. Toomey, who also reduced her handicap. Good Win for Grimmer Last week-end at Templeton produced a rousing match in the final of the club’s intermediate championship, in which R. Grimmer beat C. Fairbairn by 2 up and 1 to play. Everything went smoothly in the morning, there being very little difference be.tween the two players. The highest tally at any stage of the round was at the thirteenth, where Grimmer stood 2 up. Fairbairn reduced the lead at the fourteenth with a sterling 4 and further reduced the score with another 4 at the following hole. Grimmer, however, won the seventeenth with a par 4, Fairbairn making up for this at the last hole with a sound par to stand all square at lunch-time. With steady figures early in the afternoon. Grimmer manoeuvred himself into the position of 3 up at the twenty-fourth; but Fairbairn gradually reduced the deficit, squaring the match at the twenty-eighth with a 3. Grimmer played a badly hooked drive into the ditch at the next hole and his opponent was quick to snatch the opportunity to go into the lead. Although this made the outlook ominous for Grimmer after leading for a greater part of the journey, it did not deter him and he squared once again at the thirty-second. Fighting hard, , he carded pars to win the thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth, where Fairbairn capitulated. Grimmer qualified well down the list and had some trying games to reach the final. He eliminated J. Cunneen, who qualified first, in the semifinals after being dormy 3 down, by scoring four pars in succession. Grimmer’s driving is giving him trouble at present: but with this remedied and combined to his other assets he will go far in this branch of sport. ,

Played- Won. Lost. Dwn. Pts Russley .. 5 4 1 0 8 Harewood .. 5 3 1 1 7 Avondale .. 5 2 1 2 6 Templeton .. 5 2 2 1 5 Kaiapoi .. 5 1 2 2 4 Rangiora .. 5 0 5 0 0 Necessity for Poise