GOLF.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 877, 25 July 1910, Page 7

GOLF.

WELLINGTON DEFEATS AUCKLAND. Notwithstanding the unpropitious weather which prevailed on Saturday, tho golf watch between teams chosen from the Auckland aud Wellington clubs was played on the Ileretaunga Links in the afternoon. Tho links, were in a most unfavourable condition, being net and sodden, ami tlio putting greens wero muddy and heavy, which, consequently, was against good scoring. Tile individual games, with the exception of the one between Arthur Duncan and J. C. Burns, were of a. mediocre description. Duncan eventually beat his opponent by 3 up and 1 to play, after a keen contest. A Team. The following are the scores in tho A Team match, tho game being a twoball competition:— A. Duncan (W.) beat J. C. Burns (A.). A. J. Abbott (AV.) beat H. Gillies (A.). AV. Reid (W.) beat Dr. Bamford (A.). J. H. MacEwan (W.) beat P. Upton (A.). The same team played a four-ball match, which resulted as follows:— Duncan and Abbott (AV.) beat Burns and Gillies (A.). Reid and MacEwan (W.) beat Bamford and Upton (A.). B Team. Myers (A.) beat Fairchild (W.). Macintosh (A.) beat E. L. Chalrey (W.). T. Jackson (A.) beat 1(. W. Kirkby (W.). A. S. Biss (W.) beat AV. AV. Bruce (A.). E. J. Reid (AV.) beat L. 11. Bloomfield (A.). A. MacShane (W.) beat H. Ho-rton (A.). C. M'Cosh-Clark (W.) beat 11. M'CoshClark (A.). The competition ended in a win for Wellington by 10, games to 3. SEVEN TIMES CHAMPION. On Friday, July 3, for the seventh tirno in tho history of his brilliant golfing career, Mr. John Ball, of tho Ito.val Liverpool Club, gained tho Amateur Golf Championship. His first victory was recorded twenty-two years ago, and his display on July 3 after that long period fully warranted tho appreciative reference by Captain StodUart at tho presentation ceremony, when lie said that, as far as he could see by tho character of the winner's play, it would bo no easy matter lor any golfer to'wrest tho trophy from Mr. lJall. If confirmation of that view wero wanted, it would ho found in the splendid scoro of 73 strokes in which Mr. Ball went round the course in the forenoon. All whoso good fortuno it was t-o witness the filial, and who have followed Mr. Ball's career, were unanimously of tho opinion that Jlr. Ball is playing as well to-day, in his fortysoventti year, as lie ever did at any period of his life, it goes without 1 saying that the victory was highly popular in Hoylake, as it will also bo in all parts of tho country, for Mr. Ball is indeed a worthy champion.. As Captain Stoddarfc facetiously riumu'ketl, golfers were now playing with all sorts of balls, but they ill uoyluki; always maintained that there was onlv one Ball.

Tho Royal Liverpool player Ims suu* .ceeded whore the other competitors failed —his play wits the embodiment of consistency and brilliancy throughout. Herein lay the difference between tho play of Mr. Ball nml many of tho othors. The week brought to tho front many fine players, of whom more will bo heard, but to their flashes of magnificent golf in one or two, or even threo rounds, they will have to add tho merit of being able to continue these displays at high pressuro for a lvcek before they can hope to enter the list of the uhamiiitms. With the rank's of first-class _ golfers swelling every year, the winning of a championship becomes more difficult as time goes on, and it is extremely doubtful if tho youngest boy on the links will live to seo another player win his seventh amateur championship.. The final as a match was disappointing. After l.lie splendid perlormance lie" mado in tho earlior rounds, Mr. Avlmer was cxpeeted_ to put up. a good fight against Mr. Ball, but this prediction was woefully wide of the mark. The match had not been in progress half an hour when it became evident to all that there could bo only one result. Mr. Aylmer in no department of tho game was playing anything like the gulf ho playctl against Mr. Hilton in tho semi-iinal. indeed, the most that could bo said of his game by comparison with that of Mr. Ball was that ho occasionally outdrove him by tho matter of a few yards. He played a losiug game from the start, ilk driving was often wide of the line, ii is approaching was at no time meritorious, and tho marvellous putting of the previous day was conspicuous l).\ its absence. Indeed, it was not until twentytour holes hail heuii played that ho gut the honour at the tee. From these disappointing features, it is pleasant to turn to tho splendid play of Mr. Ball, which from start to finish was well-nigh faultless. His was an exhibition of sterling golf, recalling that exhibited by Mr. Maxwell and Captain Hutchison last year. "Unfortunately tho play was all on the olio side, and Air. Ball eventually won by tho i;ecord majority of ten up and nine to play on tho two rounds.