TWO WINS TO ONE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 87, 7 January 1935, Page 9

TWO WINS TO ONE

British Golfers Lead New Zealand SINGLES MATCHES Silk and McLean Finish All Square Considering the perfect summer conditions, the standard of play was not as high as expected in the exhibition match between the touring players from the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and a team of amateurs representing New Zealand on the Heretaunga links on Saturday. Singles were played over 36 holes, and the visitors prevailed by two matches to one, with one game halved. The fiery nature of the course, as a result of the prolonged drought, no doubt accounted for neither the British nor New Zealand players being able to produce figures of which they are capable when the greens are more holding. The pace of the greens appeared to puzzle them all on Saturday. The best round of the day was recorded by the captain of the British team, lion. Michael Scott, who covered the course in 71 In the afternoon to defeat Arthur Duncan, the New Zealand captain, by 2 and 1. Much interest centred in the duel between these noted veterans, and a large gallery followed them throughout the day. The match between Jack McLean, the Scots champion, and Bryan Silk, of Wanganui, amateur champion of the Dominion, naturally attracted most attention, and a gallery of some hundreds saw the pair finish up all square on the thirty-sixth green. Neither player was in anything like his best form, both taking 74 aud 77 for the rounds. Many followed the long-hitting L. G. Garnett, who played steady golf to defeat J. P. Mortland, of Taihape, by 2 and 1. The English player belied his reputation for being erratic, as he was deadly with his chips and putted with accuracy. The surprise of the day was the failure of T. A. Bourn, of the British team, to strike the form which made him runner-up to the Hon. Michael Scott for the British amateur championship in 1933. He could do nothing right, and that experienced international player, T. 11. Horton recorded New Zealand’s only victory by the sensational margin of 13 up and 11. to go. Following are the results, the British players being mentioned first: — Hon. Michael Scott beat A. D. S. Duncan, 2 and 1. J. McLean and B. M. Silk, all square. L. G. Garnett beat J. P. Mortland, 2 and 1. T. A. Bourn lost to T. 11. Horton, 13 and 11. McLean v. Silk. The weather was excessively hot, with a light southerly breeze blowing, when McLean and Silk began their morning round. McLean, whom many claim to be the best amateur golfer in the game to-day, played almost perfect golf on the out journey. They halved the first hole in bogey 4, and McLean drove u beautiful ball off the second tee. Silk here gave the first evidence of a pronounced hook, which caused him trouble during the round. He hooked his drive at the second into the branches of the trees to the left, and the provisional ball he drove also crashed into these trees. His first ball was found to be in bounds, but he could only chip out on to the fairway. McLean made a dainty mashie chip which laid his third four feet from the pin, and he drew 1 up by taking the hole in 4 to 5. With five 4’s and two 3’s on his card, McLean was 4 up at the seventh. Two spanking wooden shots with tlie wind saw Silk on and MeLean near the eighth green (536 yards), the New Zealand champion getting one back with a birdie 4 to 5, McLean’s putt lipping the hole. Both were on from the tee at the short ninth, and their putts stopped inches from the cup, Silk negotiating a halfstymie foi; a half in 3. McLean went out in 34 to Silk’s 37, and headed for home 3 up.

Silk got one back at the tenth, when McLean’s mashie-niblick pitch struck the top of the bunker, and pulled up short. He was short with his chip, and Silk took the hole in 4 to 5. Both played faultily at the eleventh, which was halved in 5, one over bogey. They made amends by halving the twelfth (425 yards) in birdie 4’s. They had a stormy passage going to the thirteenth, Silk finding a bunker with his drive. He just dug out, but recovered well with a splendid brassie shot, and would have got a half had he not been stymied. McLean took the hole in 5 to 6, and was 3 uj> again. Silk Squares the Match.

Silk now made’a strong run, and pleased bis supporters by taking the fourteenth in 3 to 4, and the fifteenth in 2 to 4, where he ran down a 17-foot putt for a birdie 2. This reduced McLean’s lead to 1 up. They halved the sixteenth in bogey 4, and interest flared up afresh when Silk squared the

match by taking the seventeenth in 4 to 5, McLean breaking into Gaelic when his mashie chip popped into the bunker to the left. These figures were reversed at the eighteenth, it being Silk’s turn to pay a visit to a bunker, and McLean went in to lunch with a lead of 1 up. McLean came home in 40, which gave him 74 for the round. Silk also took 74, 37 each way. The crowd had swelled to several hundred when the pair set out in sweltering heat after lunch. Both started shakily by halving the nineteenth in 5. Silk then squared the match again by taking the twentieth with a bogey 4 to 5. He drew ahead for the first time in the match by taking the short twenty-first in 3 to 4. MeLean then came on to his game, and drew 2 up by winning the twenty-first, twenty-fourth, and twenty-fifth in 3, -I, 4. Silk got one back with a 10-foot putt, which gave him a birdie 4 at the twenty-sixth. It looked as if the game would be square at -the turn, when Silk placed his approach putt right on the lip of the twenty-seventh cup, but" McLean ran down a 15-foot putt for a half in 3. He went out in 37 to Silk’s 38, aud was 1 up at the final turn for home, New Zealand's Strong Challenge. Silk made a strong challenge early on the run home. They halved the twentyeighth in 4, and Silk then squared the game by taking the twenty-ninth in 4 to 5. In bls best stride now, the New Zealand champion drew 1 up by ringing on a birdie 4 at the thirtieth (425 yards) They halved the next hole in bogey 5, and Silk drew 2 up by taking the short thirty-second in 4to 5, Both played faultily here. Both got their 3 s at the short thirty-third, and then Silk developed a terrific slice, which threw away the commanding advantage he had gained at the business end of the match. He sliced his lee shot at the thirty-fourth into the creek, aud had to play his second from the tee. McLean got a good drive, placed his second on the edge of the green, and a perfect mashie chip gave him the bole in 4 to 5. Another beautiful tee shot was made by McLean at the thirty-fifth, while Silk wild.y sliced his drive to the edge of the long bunker on the twelfth fairway. He boldly lofted over a belt of trees between his ball and the green, but badly duffed his mashie chip, which only travelled a few yards. McLean made no mistakes, and squared the match once more with 4to 5. The crowd buzzed with excitement as they set off for the last hole. McLean had the better drive, and it looked a.i if the game was all over when he landed his ball with a perfect iron shot on the green. Silk was on the edge of the cup in 4, but McLean missed a 5-foot putt, and a half in 5 was recorded, which saw a most exciting match finish all square. McLean came home *n 40 Itnd Silk in 39. both taking 77 for the round. The Captains’ Match.

The two captains. lion. Michael Scott and Arthur Duncan, fought over again the tussle they had in Australia over 20 years ago, wr.en Scott won at the thirty-seventh. This time he defeated the champion of the Wellington club by 2 and 1 on bis own course. Duncan went out in even 4’s to stand 3 up at the turn. Scott could not gauge the pace of the greens, and took 40 for the run out. However, he came back in 35 to Duncan’s 38, which reduced the latter’s lead to 1 up. Duncan took 74 for the round to Scott’s 75. Scott played good golf in the afternoon. Out in 35 to Dunean’s 38, he was 2 up at the turn, and coming back in even 4’s he took the match by 2 and 1. Scott’s card read:— Out: 443434454—35 In: 345534444— 36 71 Dunegn took 37 for the home journey, which gave him 75 for the round. Prodigious Driving. L. G. Garnett, the hitter of the British team, gave the gallery some thrills with his prodigious driving. Each time he was through the green with an iron second at the eighth (536 yards). Out in 38 to Mortlaud’s 39, he was 1 up at the turn, and maintained this advantage to the end of the round, also coining back in 38, which gave him 76 for the round. Garnett proved that the driver is not tile only club he can handle, as bis approaches were good, and his putting very sure. Mortland did well to hold him to as narrow a win as 2 and 1. Horton’s Runaway Victory. _ T. 11. Horton played very steadily in his match against Bourn. He kept good direction, and handled his irons with that precision for which he has become famous. Out in 36, ho was 3 up at the turn, and he went on strongly to record even 4’s for the run home, which left him 9 up at the end of the round. Horton’s figures, were: Out: 443445453 ..< 36 In: 444533445 36 72 Keeping up his steadiness in the afternoon, Horton drew further ahead, and took the match by 13 and 11. Bourn was right off his game, and could do nothing right. Foursomes This Morning. The match between the British and New Zealand teams will conclude this

morning, when- the foursomes will be played. Hon. Michael Scott and J. MeLean (Britain) will play A. D. S. Duncan aud T. H. Horton (Now Zealand). and L>. G. Garnett and T. A. Bourn (Britain) will meet B. M. Silk and J. B. Mortland (New Zealand). The first pairs will go off at 10.15 a.m.