GOLF

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 178, 23 April 1919, Page 3

GOLF

. , : —;—♦'.,.■,. ■ , PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP WON BY ARTHUR DUNCAN Perfect weather condition's prevailed at Heretauuga. yesterday when the Wellington Golf Club concluded its Easter tournament. ..,; \ i The, event of the day-was tho contest for the Wellington Provincial-Amateur Championship between the present holder, Mr. Arthur Duncan, and Mr...P. Richmond, of the Miramar Club. Tho morning round, which finished just after noon.', left Duncan with 8 up, and the seventh hole in the afternoon's play saw Duncan with 12. ap «nd 11 to play. Duncan played ono of his best games, showing all his skill and finish of years ago. His play on the greens was in every way superior to that of, Richmond. Nevertheless, Richmond met with a good deal of bad luck, and he was sadly off his game'on the greens, which were in splendid order and very keen. Although other games wore in progress, the championship match attracted quite a -gathering of enthusiasts. . ( iTho success of the tournament is large-ly-.due to tho untvcing'efforts of tho secretary, Mr. A. Wyhe, 'who was most '. generous in his efforts to ensure the smooth' working of '• arrangements. Details of Play. ■ Winning the toss, Duncan led off, hut' hooked his drive into tho rushes,.and took Z to niako the-green. He; missed his putt, ' Richmond was up in three, and ho-hadto hole a. twpryard putt to. win. -Ho made the shot safely. Riohniond, 1 up. " '"....' . Both . players made good tee-shots for "the. Second hole, hut.-Duncan'sliced his secoriOntp a bunker.-' With a' perfect out shot/' ,: He',made the green, bud almost the hole. 'Richmond was short with his ' second, and then, ho failed on the green. Duncan ..had hard luck'ln missing his putt. The hole, was halved in five. ■>. Richmond made a; good drivo for the third hole, and' landed/just short'of the green. Duncan again 'got off tho course, and.again found,.rushes, eighteen yards off the green.. Two strokes were, required to reach th' : 'green,'arid the ball ray.somo few feefironi'tKe'lible. Richmond missed two putts, and let/;Duncan ; out of it with a half- in 'four; '" ■ Play for the fourth-hole'^ns'-even, and'the hole was halved 'in. five?'''; 1 " 1 - In two-strokes Duncan roached the fifth • greon, and with two putts holed.. Rich--mond's. first was good, but his second landed' in rough grass and tussocks to the left. He holed in five—All square. >-. Duncan won tho sixth- hole in four,'Richmond taking five.—Duncan, 1 .up. -" With his second shot Duncan went wide of the seventh green. Richmond : bunkered'to the Tight." but got well out and up in, three. - His putt was short. : Duncan'tlien had to face a most difficult stymie,, which,-h'e''negotiated with a beautiful mashie. Duncan 2 dp. ' The eighth hole was halved.in G. Both players experienced difficulty inmegotiat' ing tho hole. Duncan ' missed a very short putt. ' • In" accomplishing the-ninth.hole Duncan 'drove to the left of the green, and Richmond drove directly across it. -.The hole was halved in 3.' •, Duncan went very near the-fence in driving for the tenth hole, while Richmond sliced into the rough.. Richmond's v second stroke went'out of hounds, and his third landed short of the green. He ' holed in six.-; Duncan reached the' green "with his third, and holed in -five. ■ Duncan 3 up. . Duncan's first shot, for the eleventh , nolo jumped tho bunker, and his second made the green. For his approach putt he made use of the slope on the green, lav his ball, dead, and holed in i. Richmond was on the edgo of the green with his second, but he could not get down -m less than five Duncan i up. With his second stroke Duncan found tho green of the twelth, hole. . Rich-, mond's drive was. short, and his second Mot crossed the green. He was up with' Ms third, but failed in his putt. Lying: (ifead. Duncan holed in I. Duncan 5 up.. With"-a" spleildidi.driy.e i.and, nice second. Duncan made ,the thirteenth green, and in two putts holed. Richmond's drive was 6hort, and bis iron went wide of the green. His next stroke took the ball into tho rushes. Duiican 6 up. Duncan's second shot to the fourteenth hole brought him close to the flag. Richmond's drive went.wide, and his second \ stopped short, while his putt missed. Duncan holed in 3. Duncan 7 up. Tho fifteenth hole was halved in 4. Duncan had a putt to win, but he missed.. • '" ■ Duncan drove to the left in" making for tho sixteenth hole, and Richmond bunkered, and with his mashie'he made a good recovery, which left him a very easy putt, but he was right off'his short' game, and he failed. The hole was halved in 4. '..-',- Both players reached the seventeenth groan in two. Richmond missed,his putt, but Duncan holed with a beautiful putt. Duncan 8 up. Duncan over-ran the eighteenth green with his second shot, and the advantage lay with Richmond. Duncan recovered with an excellent chip shot,-but missed his_ putts, and the hole.was halved in 5. This concluded the morning {round, with Duncan holding a safe lead of 8 up. Throughout .the gtao he played exceedingly well, but towards the finish of the round he was in his best form.- • The Concluding Round. The afternoon's play commenced, at one o'clock. Duncan-led off with a good drivo, which Richmond followed up. Duncan holed in four, and Richmond had lu/rd luck in missing a putt for a half. Duncan 9 up. To the second hole Duncan • made an excellent drive, but Richmond skied, and with a second shot fell short of the green. Duncan's second shot made the green, and Richmond got there with his third. Duncan made a good putt,,which stopped just short of the hole, and Richmond, missed a long putt for the half. Duncan 10 up. With a capital drive, Duncan made the green of the third hole, but Richmond required two shots to reach the Kreen. Duncan missed a good piitt, and Richmond doing likewise, gave the hole to Duncan. Duncan 11 up. In tho play for the fourth hole the luck was with Duncan. His drive went high, caught in tho tree-tons, antf foil forward. The ball would otherwise have gorio inb the river; Richmond got away a very strong drive, but the .ball struck the trunk of a tree, and swerved to the right, falling into the grass. His second shot was poor, but Duncan had considerably luck with his. It topped n bunker, and ran on to tho greon. Richmond's third shot brought him on tho green near Duncan. Duncan's first putt was too strong, but Richmond's fourth ■ shot and first putt was very good. Both • second putts were short; Duncan's third •putt missed, but ho holed with his fourth. The hole was h'alvcd. Duncan s 11 up. s

At the fifth green Richmond negotiated a verv difficult stymie, which gave him the hole. Duncan's drive landed on the green, and Richmond's just, passed the green in the grass. Richmond played a weak putt, which stopped short of tho hole. Duncan followed, and his hall rolled and stopped'just in front of .his opponent's. .Richmond considered 'the position, and using his mushie cleverly negotiated the stymio and holed, ft was a wonderful shot, perfectly executed. The ball jumped Duncan's hole, and rolled into the hole two feet away. Duncan missed his:putt. Duncan 10 up. Richmond started for the sixth hole with a poor drive, but Duncan was away well.' Richmond was unfortunate with his second'shot, which dropped short. Duncan made the green with his second, nnd with a good chip shot Richmond, was up in three. Duncan just missed a long putt for three.,/ Richmond also missed and- picked up. Duncan, 11 up. .. . ~ ' At the seventh holo the unequal battle was over. Duncan led off with an excellent drive, and Richmond followed likewise. Richmond had hard luck in topping his deck shot into the bunker. Duncan put his second shot over the green and into the grass. Richmond then played a nico mnclne shot out of the bunker and on to the green, which Duncan followed up with a good chip shot closo to the green. Richmond made un excellent, approach putt. Duncan made a beautiful, putt and holed. Duncan, 12 up with eioven to play. This concJuded the. championship contest, and the followers cheered tlw winner.