NOTES ON THE PLAY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1881, 15 October 1913, Page 3

NOTES ON THE PLAY.

(By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) , Dunctlin, October 14.

The weather conditions were not of the best when the final stages of the open championship started to-day. Rain was still falling, and the greens were sodden with causal water. Later on the rain cleared away, and the afternoon turned out good for play. At the end of the day's play Douglas still held the position he gained by his smashing round of yesterday, and came in an easy winner by nine strokes. In the

■ rounds to-day ho was partnered by Wood, and this pair took a large gallory with ' them. Douglas, who was playing full of confidence, was not risking any rash strokes, and all through played a steady, sound game. This morning's round was made up with two 39's. His only pieco of bad luck was at tho 14th hole, where, after a groat drive, lie found a ditch and lost a stioke. Ho started badly in his last round, but three fine threes at the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th pulled him up, and from that his play was sure rather than brilliant. Ho deserves his victory, for all round ho is a fino golfer, his swing boing a beautiful free movement, and ho gets a terrific ball, where ho hit tho ball at the back of the holo every time and got soveral long ones down./ His iron play is good and straight, while during tho day's play he proved

he could mako a great recovery. Wood was playing improved golf ill the morning round, but was warned by the groans in tho afternoon. He was socketing his mashie shots and finding tho rough through this fault. A.. Duncan, partnered by D. Hood, took a large following, and found troublo at tho short sixth, where he ran up a 6 and got out in 41. After scratchy golf he pulled together coming home, and built up a 35 in with faultl/iffs golf. In liis last round his short game was first-class, but the greens again troubled him, and his wooden shots were not hit too truo, causing him to have to play several awkward shots.

Butters played fine golf, going out in 37, but in the "in" half lie dropped a stroke on two greens, and finished in 76, a score which put him well in tho running. His afternoon round was _in and out, a 6 at a 6hort hole spoiling his card. This score of 79 enabled him to get second place. lies camo to grief at the, long Bth, where ho failed to carry the bank, and a 7 was the refcult.' A sixth at tho next made him 45 out, and this score spoiled all his chances of victory. He recovered well with a 77 in ,the afternoon with the aid of several mashie shots laid up against the pin, and he filled third position on the list. F. Hood played a line 76 in tho morning, a score which contained 3 sixes. His final effort was not good, as he was playing rather 100 carefully, and thereby lost several chances of improvement. Kidston played well for two 82's, but his putting was very poor. Taylor/ after three consistent rounds lost several shots in the last round by weak approaching and putting. Ken Duncan struck a good patch in his first round and got to the turn in 37. Coming homo he took S to the 12th, an easy 4 hole, and followed this up by 2 sixes. His score of 78 under the Circumstances was fino golf. He was going well in the afternoon when ho got into trouble at tho 11th, and a ten was the result. Wright, of Christchurch, who is playing sound golf, built up a well-played 78, where his figures were practically the same as bogy. He fell away in the last round and took 83. Clements and MacEwan wore late in starting, and though both played a fino long game the greens seemed to worry them, and both took 79. Clements went off worse in his last round, and on 3 greens took 4 putts, while MaeEwan was not much better. • Simpson was disappointing in the morning, his shots going against him, but a five played in half of 36 enabled him to return a 78. In tho last round Forbes, of Christchurch, who is a player who will take beating this week, was very steady, and in his two scores to-day he did not have I a six. Dr. Ross did best of the local men, and his last round showed a well played, in half, of 35. He struck troublo at the sixth and ran up a 7. The brothers Smith all showed up well to-day and qualified with their local knowledge. They will bo hard nuts to crack when'it comes to match play. Goss also kept .well up with two steady scores. His first score could easily have been 4 strokes butter, as on two greens whilo putting for an easy 2 he took 4. N A groat interest centred in the competition for the Oroho Vase,. and it was not until the last couple in, that the result was known, H. Smith bringing in an 82 and thus putting Otago in tho lead by six strokes. Had Wellington had a stronger fourth man they would have won it again. Right up to the last it was a toss-up if severa' well-known players would qualifyv for tho amateur championsfrip, but as it turned out they just- got in. A bit of sensation was caused by several players saying that Douglas could be disqualified through a mistake when he lost his ball at the ditch at tho 14th. His ball could "not be found, being a non-floater, but several said it wont into the ditch. He went back to tho tee and drove another, and on coming up to his partner they found that a local rule covered the lost-ball rule in this case. He then dropped and counted one, and did not play tho second ball. He drove from the tee. I understand that this local rule .was the correct one, but several players thought otherwise.