LADIES AT GOLF.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1536, 4 September 1912, Page 7

LADIES AT GOLF.

(THE CHAMPIONSHIPS. FOOKTH DAY'S PLAY AT NELSON. (Br Telegraph.—Prosj Aasoolatlon.) Nelson, September 3. Glorious weather, carrying with it a certain amount of glaix , , prevailed for to-day's piny in tlic A'cw Zealand ladic3' championship nolf tournament. The fourth ruiind of tho championship in the morning produced two comparatively easy wins and two tremendous tussles. ' Miss Collins had littlo difficulty with Miss Knodgrass, who gave a display, in no way equal to her previous performances in the tournament. Mrs. M'Carthy also failed to extend Miss I'earce.

Tho games which drew tho spectators and caused sensations as they progressed were tho-i> lielweeu Mr?. Guy AVillinms and JU.ss Burns?, and Mrs. Slack mid Miss Wood. It was generally conceded Hint tho latter meeting would produce the closest of struggles, and so it did. Tho win of so young a player as Miss Burnes over Mrs. Williams, who is tile most experienced player in tho tournament, was almost as unexpected as it was meritorious. Miss Burnes won tho iirsb hole, G—7, and Die next two were halved in ,«ne above bogey. "Tho Saddle" wont to Miss Burnes making her ftro up, this lead being reduced by her opponent at the next hole, but was regained at the "Pot." A line drive, followed by a clean shot over tho hill, then enabled Mrs. Williams to cut the (ally down by one. She mado tlio ninth hole in five, leaving tho journey out all-square. Mrs. Williams went out in '18, and her opponent in one more. It was on tho way homo that splendid scoring was done by both ladies. But for ono misfortune Mrs. Williams's stroke score would liavo l>een perhaps as good as that of Miss Burnes—J3. Homo really remarkable holes were done with no fewer than six bogeys by each player. The "Gorso" was divided in 4, a long putt by tho younger player nearly f,'oin# down for 3. Both drives cleared the rabbit' warrens at the eleventh, and Mrs. Williams holed out with, a pretty three. With a lead of , one, Mrs. Williams drove for Spiou Kop, the worst hole of the links, but disaster soon overtook her. Miss Burnes, on (he other hand, was under tho hill with (wo powerful strokes, and a clean inashie saw her lie handy up on tho lop. Her opponent lost three more in gaining , the green, whereas Miss Burnes achieved the holo in i—ono under bogey. The "poplars" wont to tlio. younger player, who equalled Mrs. Williams ill cosiness. The fifteenth hole saw both players over the hill in two with long wooden shots, but Miss Burires took three putts to go down, nnd lost the hole. Both drives across tho swamp carried well, nnd the sccoud brassey shota lay within a couple of yards of each other. \Uiss Burnes .then ran through tho green, but the other player chonped the t'irf, limiting her worst shot ir. tho round. She recovered, howover, with a pretty inashie shot, which dropped handv on the green. Miss Burnes ran wido with her next putt, and then holed out in five from 12 teet away, Mi's. Williams going down in 'bogey. The excitement grow intense cis Miss Burnes got ready at the sixteenth hole, with ono up in her favour, and even then most people faacied Mrs. Williams as winner, as she has a reputation for never being without a "shot in her locker." Miss Burnes pulled her shot, and the othnr went past the green. A difficult putt well handled enabled Mrs. Williams to win tho hole by 3 to 5, and leavo the score all square. Now, if ever, it was expected that the strain would tell on tho less experienced of the pair, but such was not the case. Both wero o.n tho green in two and a couple oil putts saw Miss Burnes down, and Mrs. Williams required to putt in two feet; to halve, but the ball only gijazed tho Up of the hole, and the match went to Miss Burnes.

The match between Mrs. Slack and Miss Wood was most sensational from start to finish, the former winning a closelycontested game nt the 20th hole. The first holo was won by Mrs. Slack, who narrowly escaped disaster in a water hazard. Miss Wood equalised at the.second by landing a nice approach from which she holed out after playing indifferently through the green. Some 5001! golf followed, excepting an occasional "top" by Miss Wood—a remissness which resulted in Mrs. Slack being 2 up at the seventh. Then, playing , very determinedly, Miss AVood gradually improved in steadiness and drove off the tee ond through the green very cleanly, overhauling her opponent. and then* getting a lend of two up at tho thirteenth. Mrs. Slack was getting a length with her wooden clubs, but not always hitting the ball true. At the fourteenth hole Miss AVood, after playing well through the green, -missed a short putt, and onlv secured a hnlf, and kmiic mistake at the fifteenth holo turned n certain win into another hnlf. This failure on, the part of Miss Wood gave her opponent a frcsli lease of life, and she -made 'no mistake at the "Waterloo" or tho "Pitch and Toss," both holes being won by Mrs. Slack, thus leaving the gamo "all square," ■ with one to ploy. Tho eighteenth holo was halved in four, and both drove well from the nineteenth, tee, Miss AVood getting n splendid wcond. This compelled Mrs. Slack to play tho odd, and she ran her third close in. Ones more Miss AVood made a fine putt, gaining a half in bogey. The. drives to tho twentieth holo were good, and play even until tho green was reached—where Miss Slack gained the advantage, and thus won a very strenuous match.

In the afternoon a bogey handicap was played, and it resulted in a win, for Miss Twc'ed with the good score of 20 up. Her actual stroke performance was 90— a 'remarkably good score, for a ff handicap player when the scores of the scratch markers on the local links are taken into consideration.

Mrs. M'Lean nnd Miss Davis (i down) tied for first place in the junior division. To-morrow (ho semi-finals for the championship and Coronation medal competition will bo played. Results were as follow:— ■ ■ i CHAMPIONSHIP. Third Round. Miss Collins beat Mies Snodgrass, 5 Up and 3 to play. Mrs. Slack beat Miss Wood, 1 up on the 20th hole. Miss Burnes boat Mrs. Williams, 1 up. Miss Pearce bent Mrs. M'Carthy, 5 up nnd 3 to play. BOGEY HANDICAP. Senior Grade. Miss Tweed (hep. !>), 2 up. Miss Collins (hep. 5), 2 down. Miss Rattray (hep. 5), 4 down. Miss Burnes (hop. 8), S down. Miss R. Gorrie (hep. 87, (i down. Miss Abraham (hep. 8), G down.' Miss N. Brandon (hep. !)), 7 down. Miss G. (lorrio (hep. a), 8 down. Mrs. ffnmlyside (hen. 11), 8 down. Miss Fisher (hep. 0, 8 down. Miss Pearce (hep. 1), !1 down. Miss Tlannay (hep. 0, !) down. Miss D. Anderson (hep. 11). 10 down. Miss M. Hindmarsh (hep. C), 10 down. Miss Grny (hep. 14), H down. Junior Grade. Mrs. M'Lwin (hep. 12), 4 down. Miss Davis (hep. 18), 4 down. Miss Ada-ms (hep. 13), 5 down. Miss Stafford 'hep. 17), !> down. Miss Holmes (hep. 18). f> down. Miss Lucas (hep. 18), 0 down. Mrs. Donald (hep. 12), 7 down. Miss R. Dndson (hep. 18), il down. Miss liewlcy (hep. M), 11 down.

LADIES' GOLF UNION. NAPTER THB VENUE NEXT YEAR, (By Tolofrapli.—Press Association.) Nelson, September 3. Tho Now Zealand Ladies' Golf Union met last night. It was resolved (1) That tho championships lx> held not earlier Hum September, and that tho centre holding it notify at the previous animal meeting the date on which it will begin. (2) That the interisland contest be plnycd by match piny, nine α-sido. (3) That, in ftthiM, the draw for partners in handicap events at tho championship mooting bo aitranpod in threo erode*, viz.; 0 to li, 1!) to 20, and over 2(1, instead of the present grading of 0 to 15, and over 15. Tho dale of the next, championship wn,? fixed for September 10, 19H. and is to bo played at Napier. Tho dalo of the next Coronation Medal Handicap was fixed for the last Friday in Jfay. Tho secretary's 'report shows that the number of afiiliated clnbs has increased from .12 to :18. with p. membership of 2.)I11, T.nst year's crorlit balance vns .C2O 111! , . od.. and (lii« year's 4:1.1 "■«. !)i!., Hie npnnrciit docrens«. being owing to cost of Inst rear's medals coming in this year's .account, J