NEW ZEALAND GOLF.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1553, 24 September 1912, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND GOLF.

:. -~".'. :.rr:— r —+^ ——.. - v B. B. WOOD, AMATEURCHAMPION, i' , H.E.WRIGHT RUNNER-UP, ■ GOOD PLAT FOR THE FINAL. ';' Shortly before 10 o'clock , yesterday .morning the first of tha two final rounds •for the New, Zealand Amateur Golf - Championship was commenced on the Here-\-taunga links. Tlw links had dried rnp■'idly, since Saturday' and although the •balls were not running much, the greens ". were in good order and the climatic con- \ ditions generally/all that could deVsired.. There was a. fair crowd of visitors :;in the morningf and a number of others ■arrived in time for, the second round. . ( The. first round was the most exciting from the spectators point; of view, but -the. golf throughout was of. n high order ;and quite,up,to.recent championship play v considering the condition of the course. ~;The, putting of both tho;players was very good. They seemed to get the pace of the greens from the start and seldom did .badly, when onco on .the green. .■ AVctvl played a steadily consistent game and '..gave'his opponent few. chances. Wright was the less consistent of the' two, hut pit up an excellent fight to the very ..end.- Wood has.long been aiming at the . championship, but.this is the first time -hs has achieved it. Wright and Wood are club-mates and it is-curious that Wright is the present, club champion.

The First Round. With a keen following behind them the two Christchurch men started off to contest the golfing event of the year. Both got. well awoy.'with' clean drives, Wood's being.'somewhat the longer and better ' of the two. Wright took an iron for his .second and landed on "the edge .of" the • green, and Wood, with a mashic, got 'well on to tho green. Wright "' had a''.long :putt, .but. just misted the hole, and. Wood' won tho first hole in 3. At . tho next, Wood again got. the'better of ' the drive, but Dvordid his iron slio't,, and got to the far side of the green. Wright. ha'd:a bad lie for his secon'd, and took ■'three.to'get on to the grien aiid five to hole out: whereas'.Wood finished in four. '■ They both got oh to .the third green with ' their tee shot, but'Wright managed to hole a longish putt, and, despite Woods's betteritee.stroke, -halved, the holo with a three. Driving from-the fourth tco Wood ' got of? tho. fairway, into ' the long grass by the river-side, -and missed his second altogether; .Wright got well on to tho ■ green'ivith' his third and' holed out- in four. This was • tho first hole- Wright won. 'The-'fifth was halved in four, both ' . driving a little short of. the green and '"overdoing their approach shots.' From the .sixth both/ drives-were good, -and within a few feet'of each-other, but their second' shots wont astray. Wood's was too far and Wright's went into the long grass and spoiled his approach shot. ■ Wood won the hole>in four. At the .L'seventh'- Wood.. came to'.' grief with his eecond shot. The .'lie v;-as .not too good, -.'■'' but ho took - his brassie .and landed on "the top of a bunker. He got clear in two, but gave up the h01e,.-which.would most likely have taken' him seven against ' ■-Wright's'probable five. For ■ the next Wright got in tho best drive but tho ■• '• ' worst-'second, and as they were both on the green' in three tho hole was -halved in four—Wright getting in. an excellent putt. From, the ninth, tee, neither, of 'them' did much' good'. 'Wright landed close.up against the fence in what looked -like-.:trouble,", and .Wood, .a little closer t&. .the'green, -but- in long grass. '--•With hardly. :room 'to swing his-club,' .Wright made a magnificent shot, with a, niblick and landed well in centre of the -Otreen. „...Wood.did not_.do .sd well, arid, hampered with the long grass,' he failed ' to get a good'approach; Wright won the. hole in three, thus making them all square. Approximately Wright went out in 37 and Wood in 38. For' tho first hole on .the homewaru journey Wood got well on tho green in :two, but' Wright made a bad second, ,and !i'although 'Wood took four: to hole-out, he "won it. At the eleventh 'Wood got the ■best drive, and was on the green in two against his opponent's three. They both took two putts and AVood won again m four against live. AVood also won tho next in four. Both had fair drives, and good seconds. Wright's fell short, and' a bad approach cost him the hole. From the thirteenth tee both got out of the fnirwav, and Wright got bunkered with his second. Ho got out again nicely, and ■'managed to,-halve the hole with a four. .At:,the next Wright got ,in a splendid . drive, and landed on tho edge of the green, -but Wood saved himself from losing the holewith a good putt, and they halved it'in three. The fifteenth was also halved in three; Wood had the best ot -it.-and only just missed doing it. in two; .■i'his putt hung on tho edge of the' hole. At the sixteenth. Wood got away with a verv long drive, but unfortunately it "landed just oft", tho'fairway-in the.lcng grass, and Wright, with a neat approach, halved it in'four. From the seventeenth ' tee Wood again drove a long ball off tho . fairway, and with a- perfect approach shot •Wright won the hole in four against ' '"•.: WoSd's five. For the third time running Wood drove off tho fairway from the > eighteenth tee, but got an excellent sec- , V'on'l- ■ Wright also got in a good second, buc ■unluckily landed in casual water just, over the,bunker. Ho also-missed an easy putt, , and Wood won tho holo with a nve against a six, thus finishing the first ' ..round three up. Their approximate scores ■coming in were: Wood, 36; Wright. 311. Thus making the .approximate totals: Wood, 74; Wright, 70. The following is an approximate card 'of the first round:— .. "'" Hole.'' Bogey. Wright: Wood. _. 3 5 4 3 -.» ■ 5 5 4 3 3 '3- 3 4 ............ 5 . -I.a .5i I t "6 .- .....5 5 , -l 7 "-.'..:.....'.'.. 5 5 7 5 '5 -1 f .-. .- ; 9 4 3 i ■-.;-., Total;-.;. ;U. : - ; 37- 38. •■'•■ 10": :.'..'••'* ' - ■»"' * ■"■'. ii'. •— .* . ? :" } • :12 .....,; .5 .u . I. 13 5 . 4 I . ' 15 ............ '3 ~,.:! » Hi ~ -1' . 4 4 17 1 t .' a •,;■" 18 :..... .5 ./.-. ji ,;.-• J ■ .■"".'' Total ...39.'. ''.'»?' "'.. .'.38. The Second Round, ■'■■ After the arrival' of the special train horn town the number of spectators increased 'to nearly double, and • despito ■ the 'fact" that with 3 up'against him WTight had a very difficult problem" in fronc cf him, there were not lacking those who tfould 'have been willing to favour' his ch'an'coi'if'there had been a totalisator handy. Wright,.; however, was rather unlucky at the first hole in. laying a stymie" ; within six inches of his opponents' ball, and thus giving '-Wood a holo in iour that-might cther--wise have been halved. Four up was not "a promising outlook, and when otter a - fair drivo and good brassie shot Wright -missed "a fairly easy putt, and Wood gained the hole with four against five, thus getting a lead of five; some players would have b?en disneartened. But not so Wright, and from the third tee ho landed nicely on tho green, and with a good putt halved the hole in three. At tho fourth they both got away with good • lengthy drives; Wood getting 'a rather difficult lie,,and Wright beat him in the approach. They halved tho hole in four. At the next Wright got on to the green , with, his drive, and .only, just .missed a long putt, but did tho hole in three. Woou teok two to get on to tho green and four -to holo out. The sixth might also have . be"n halved had not Wright just over.run tho holo with a long putt. k«i good' drives Wood- got, off the fairway, and'Wright did not reach the green with his brasr-ie, so-it. toek.-them three to get on the green. Wood got m a good putt,, and won with a four against a JiW- The 'evsiith. should have fallen to Wri'i'hf, as Wood lost, a stroke picking ■ bis ' ball out - cf a bunker. ■ But ' Wri'ht had a bad lie, and consequently got a bad second, and miesed a putt 'thus enabling Wood with a good approach to halve the nolo in five. At the ei»hth" thev both drove beautiful "balls, and, Wright followed up with iv good brassie: - and Wood with "'on -equally '• good . iron ;sliot. Both their approach, shots fell a little Fhnrt. Wright just-missed his.putt, and lay close to the hole, giving Wood a

stymie. Wood tried to get post, but hit his opponent's ball and knocked if into (ho hole, while his own ran round the top of the hole, and remained on the edge, losing him the half. At tho ninth Wright got the better drive, and landed on the edge of j;he green. Wood's fell, short in a patch of long grass, but. with a beautiful approach shot he recovered, but missed his putt, and lost the holo four to three. By winning the eighth and the ninth Wright managed to bo all square-on tho nine holes, not. counting tho 3 up he started with against him. The approximate going out scores were: Wood, 38; Wright, 3S. In tho morning Wright had gone out in one less, and Wood in. the same.

With .1 up, still against him, Wright started for home by getting badly into tho rough, and taking three (o get up lo tho green. Wood got on to the green in two, and holed out in four against Wright's five. The eleventh was halved in four, after two good drives, Wright's a little the better of tho two, and fair seconds. Wright just missed another long putt, which lie needed to win. Tho twelfth proved an eventful hole. Wright drove into a bunker, but got out very neatly. Wood drove out into the rough, and had a struggio to get clear of the long grass. They both got on to the green in three. Wood laid a stymie, and Wright, trying to get past, hit his opponent's ball and failed to go down, and the holo was halved in five. At the thirteenth Wright drove off the fairway, and failed I'o do any good with his second. Wood put in a* beautiful approach, and gained tho hole with a four against a probable six, 'thus making the score dormy five. From the fourteenth tec the drive's were good, and it looked as if Wright would be able (o win the hole as he had a more favourable lie. However, ho mismanaged his approach, gave Wood his chance, lost the hole, and the game— 6 up and four to play.

Approximately the going-out card for the second round was as follows:— ! Hole. Bogey. Wright. Wood. 15' 3 4 2a■ 5 I . !i 3 .3 3 i 5 I i 5 1 3 4 (i 5 5 4 7 5 5 5 8 ............ 5 5 6 9 4 3 4 Total ... 11 38 38 Presentation of Prizes, . At .the' conclusion of play the presentation of tho various prizes took place. Sir Joseph Ward, president of the club.formally introduced his. Excellency Lord Islington, who proceeded to distribute the trophies. After the prizes had been presented his Excellency, in an appropriate speech, said that ho was glad he had had the opportunity of presenting the prizes both for the ladies"' championship and for tho gentlemen's championship. Ho was sorry that he was not "able to present a prize to himself also, but for this he had only himself to blame, and if he had only backed up his partner (Mr, A. Duncan) a little better they would have won. The Christchurch men wero having their innings this year, but. be felt quite sure that Wellington, with Mr. A. Duncan, Would account for itself again next year. The latter had bad a lons innings, and it would promote tho interest of tho game when Wellington strove to regain their former ■ position. Besides the usual challenge cups sevenl prizes were presented by Wellington gentlemen. Mr. C. Elgar presented a gold cigarette.case to .the winner of the amateur championship; Mr. J. Coates a silver cigarette box to the runner-up of the same; Sir J. G. Ward a cup to tho run-ner-up of the open championship; Mr. Martin Kennedy, a gold matchbox to tho winner of the Bogey Handicap; Mr. T. J. Webster, a champagne cup to the run-ner-up ; Mr. T. S. Weston, a pair of silver brushes to the winner of the Medal Handicap; Mr. A. Pearce, a whisky flask for the runner-up; Mr. A. Myers, a pair of gold links and silver cigarette ease for the winners of the Four-ball .Match. The Wellington Golf Club gave the putting prizes and a medal to the winner of the Open Championship and of the professionals' match.

PLAT AT INVERCAEGILL. (By Telegraph.—Press Associa,* ! on.} Invercanjill, September 23. The Invercargill Golf Club's championship was won to-day by G. Cuthbertson, who defeated E. Kussell over 36 holes, 3 ifp and 2 to play,