NOTES ON THE SEMI-FINAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1889, 18 October 1913, Page 7

NOTES ON THE SEMI-FINAL.

60MB BRILLIANT PLAT. (By OorrooDondentj Dunedin, Octobr 17. The conditions woro favourable this morning when tho first pair left tho tee, but later on rain commenced to fall, and by tho time tho semi-final was played in tho afternoon, the conditions wero miserable, rain fallinu in torrents, acompanied by a strong, cold wind. This soon made several of tho greens almost unplayablo. By tho time Duncan and Wood met tho putting dovelopcd into a farce, the players using maahios and trying to pitch their putts into a hole, which was covered by a good, inch of I water. Tho golf in this match for tho first six holes was absolutely brilliant. Thon the difficulty in gripping tho club became apparent, especially in the case of Duncan, whon twico lie nearly let the club j})P h's hands. His experience at tho Bth and 9th holes did not improvo his game, and ho threw away a "rent chanco at tho 11th to sqiiaro tho match. A great gallery braved the weather to wituess tho match, and though soaked through saw a great tussle. I certainly -think the weather iraa tho cause of Dun-

cau'a downfall, tlio element of luck with so 'much casual water on the greens boing greatly in evidence. Wood and Duncan both pulled, t.heir seconds. At the first Duncan all but holed a chip shot. Wood holed a twoyard putt for a halvo in 4. Magnificent drives wero followed by excellent mashio shots, Duncan being only a yard off the pin. Wood, playing the odd, laid Duncan an impossible stymie to the hole. Duncan played safe and halved in *1. Both hit beauties on to the 3 V, where Wood, mission 4-foot putt, became one down. Duncan, holding a 3, his chip was within a foot of the hole again. The players hit fjreat drives, but both wero to the left in tho iron shots over the hill. They wero left with tricky putts, but played safe, Wood holing the longest putt to halve in 4. Duncan hit his drivo oft' tho hill, going to tho 5 but with a beautiful mashio lie all but hit the flag. Wood's drive was on tlio green, and they halved in 3. Going to tho G V tho drives wero long and straight, but Duncan putted his iron 30 yards off the green. Wood, playing straight, was just on tho hill. Duncan played tho shot of tho match. lie took a mashio and pitched it up with a tret/ndous cut, the ball dropping a foot off the hole. It was a marvellous stroko, as the hole was quite near tho edge of the green, the 'bank in front making any other stroke like a run up impossible. Wood rushed his putt, anu missed his next, Duncan becoming 2 up. His score np to here was 4 ( ' 4, 3, 4, 3, 4. Tho 7th hole was halved in 1, Duncan lipping! for a 3. On this green the players had to lift their hall, and place them owing to casual watei. Duncan pushed his cleek shot to the right, at tlio Bth hole, where Wood, with his second, lay two yards off tho pin, tho water pulling up a ball which was shooting through tne green. Duncan attempted to pitch his 3rd into'the miniature lake, where tho hole was but skidded over. Ho tried again, and missed, losing the hole. Tho play at tho 9th holo was tho same as for the eighth, Duncan using a mashie to pitch his putt into the hole, and went almost off the green, Wood winning after having all tho worst of tho hole. Both players went out in- 36, and they turned all square. Wood was short at tho tenth hole, lmt a fine run-up enabled him to halve in 3. Duncan missed his second at the 11th hole, his club slipping. Ho put his fourh" ,''h over tho green, Wood being short, Mashies were again used on tho green, and they halved in six. Wood hit a nise straight ball at the twelfth hole, Duncan again losing control of liig club. He sliced his ball which hit a post and rebounded some 50 yards back. Ho sent his second into a broom bush short of tho green, antl as it was unplayable lie gavo up the, holeDuncan 1 down. His next drive' had a bad lie, but hp made a good- recovery, and was nearest the holo off tlio three rounds. Wood played a down-hill putt with great judgment, and they halved in 5. Wood sliced his tee shot very badly for the 14th hole, his foot slipping on tho greasy tee, while Duncan got in a beauty.- Wood, however, madea fine recovery, and was on the edge of tho green in 3. Duncan putted wildly, and left himself a 3-yard' putt. Wood, ■playing tho odd, took a putter. His ball jumped up, after ,ho hit it, in a very peculiar manner, and dropped a foot from the hole. Duncan failed to holo his putt, and they halved. Wood was short with his next drive, and Duncan, again lp'st his grip and clised his drive into loose ground nmong the rushes. He just got out in two, and got another bad lio. His next was too strong, and Wood won the hole in a four—"Wood 2 up. Playing to tho sixteenth hole, Wood' went clean under his tee shot; and got into a ■ditch, Duncan being safe. Wood, dropping another ball, topped it, 'but afterwards got in on Duncan. Driving for the seventeenth hole Duncan topped his drive some 100 yards along the ground, Wood getting in a long ball. Duncan, risking a brassey from an indifferent lie, sliced it, and was within a few inches from being out of hounds at the hedge. Ho made a marvellous recovery, and lay 4 yards off tho pin. Wood played short in two, and, in playing tho like, ran a yard past, laying Duncan a half stymie. Duncan, playing the putt beautifully, out round Wooer's ball,, and,jumped .over tho holo which was-.hard.'flvcki- Woodvimado a careful study of his putt from both sides and then holed it, this ending the game, which will be remembered for ita brilliance and'the awful conditions under which it 'was played.