NEW ZEALAND GOLF.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1547, 17 September 1912, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND GOLF.

CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT.

. NOTES' ON YESTERDAY'S PLAY.. The New-Zealand golf- championship "?ojment: commenced on the Wellington n- Club's links nt .Heretauhga;yesterhl ",he day was dull ; and threatening, •'W the'rain held off most, of the day, and most-of the players managed to. get home beforo a steady, drizzle set in. The links,- were Somewhat sodden and tlio balls did not run well, in.fact-in.many they stuck fast—well nigh ..burieit in!>tho-'tnrf.i Tho greens .w;ern. in good order, and-appealed-to be playing fairly well. . ■ . , ;

/The first couple left) shortly after-nine e-'elock, and the lastgot a Way about 11.30, just as the first players were finishing. There were not niauy visitors present, but 1 the weather was hardly enticing, andmost of those present, wero keen golfers. It soon i became apparent that no one was putting up records,', and as the various going, out scores Were •■ passed ''about' the-links' anticipation of quietly vanished.. -|- A." Duncan i did not start well, and for the- first- two holes - was' two down -oir bogey. . -He ! picked-.lip one by -doing: the •third hole in two, but lost it again at the : sixth hole. His going?out total.came to '~13, thus leaving, him still two' down on.'.bogey.. -Coining'in lio'began to play, steadier,'and'did thVtenth,eleventh, and-

twelfth in five, strokes-each. A-couple of fcurs brought him to. the fifteenth, which he';did'hi two, and'he'completed his rpundnvirh a five'for the'last,-thus making a -tijtal. score"of SO,"which",' for a championship round by the present chains pid(i, • was', not good/, ; ... 'Playing! again after Tiinch, - Duncan started with a good clean drive, .but.almost immediately got iiito ; difficulties, anil although' he-got but of them very neatly;.' it generally cost hihi a, stroke. He took" eight to do 'the* seventh -hole,' and six .for th6 ; eighth,':ati_ after, the^intli'.w-ns.l6, as agiiust' bogey's 41! Confing in, he did no better, and landing" in a bunkei - . -at; the' eleventh-hole,- took eight, to.hole. out. He eventually: completed"-, his round in'.- 90.' Duncan .miss jd several- easy putts .that as a',ru!e ;are certainties'with:hii_. Ho'ah-o sSeined'.-unable'■". to -. keep .-' his ■• direotion' straight,'-and several time?.lost a stroke by piilling:his'uall. Duncan's score yras as folioivs:—

First Eound-55273145-1-39. ' 1 "Second R0und—5536580-1-16. ■;.'.'.',.•■■ . 565133655—1-1. " ' B: B;-Wood managed to go out in his first round in, 39,-but he was not playing at his:best, and.several times saved himself by' his /putting. Coming in,- he Was more consistent, and did it,in one. less than his going-out score,' and gavo him tho rou!*l at' 77.' In his second round he did not <lo so.well, and took six to <Io t both the fourth, and the sixth holes, so that he started 1 ; coming, in onoi down on. bogey; Except'Stlie-: fourteenth,', fifteenth;-. and l six--tecnth...holes,- 1 ' which ; h.b'didin'. fours,-'he took five to-do eacli'of the'reihainihg.'fivc',and his total dr6pped.;.froml.77' to-.-M.-' The {Allowing is his detailed "score:— "• " >' Tirst. Round-5,V273-Hsl-39-.- : ; ;;•:• "".- -' .'• .''■:'• 1K533155-3S: ~ '_'"■' Secjnd. . .' i "..' ' J. Ai Clements played at times excellent golf, but was far from consistent, his 'morning:round, being better than his second ;round.. : R. C. Butters, who also finished ;the-day with, .a--,total- of 'IGI, fell away-' in tha'afternoon. In his first round he went out in4l,' thus being.alßsquar-e with* bogey. H&.tooK-six-to do th«CKJith'hole/ biit did" the fifth--audi ninth both"-in'three: In his second-' round he went out in; the same number, as'in tho .morning;' but" lost'two' on. his-'previous score coming in. To-morrow-:the'play should be-more-in-teresting. Duncan loots ..as. if. ho is out 0 ti*' li\? I<a *V ¥' a ° es exceptionally,- well or the others do' badly. Wood seems to have as favourable * a chance :as'i any,; though., Kf? "PTtlfessipnalsvare-wot tike! vt toWo game, .and..ever£'ploying.as/!«hev K e -- r, e |t«™ay,-.' : and-';stating-, into.-account. I the^oddcnness' of'the- ground, they, ■.will most likely improve? their I .scores.; ■