GOLF CONTESTS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 89, 12 October 1934, Page 11

GOLF CONTESTS

DOUGLAS LEADING SHAW

CATHRO SEVEN DOWN

SILK UP ON MACEWAN

(By Telegraph) (Special to the " Evening Post.") WANGANUI, This Day. The final of the professional championship, over 36 holes, and the semifinals of the amateur championship, also ' over 36 holes, commenced this morning. The wind had increased sufficiently to punish wayward shots, but not enough to put the long holes out of reach of a drive and an iron. At the cud of tho morning rounds the position, was:— Professional Championship.—E. S. Douglas, 2 up 011 A. J. Shaw. Amateur Championship.—B. M. Silk, 2 up on I. MacEwan; J. P. Mortland, 7 up on L. Cathro. When seven holes of the professional championship final had been played the title-holder, Shaw, had won two of them from Douglas and lost one. Fours at the first three holes were obtained by-each, and first blood came to Shaw as the result of splendidly retrieving a hooked drive from the rougli to secure another 4 to Douglas's 5. Neither reached the first one-shottcr from tho tee, and it was Douglas who chipped in and got the 3. Sound 4's followed at the 6th, and when both had played their second wood to the green at the 7th Shaw lay nearer the hole, 10 feet away, Douglas being 16 feet away. Shaw got the putt and was 1 up, a lead which he increased at the next, with a sound 4. Shaw's driving, curiously enough, continued to be erratic, and this blemish cost him the 9th and 11th holes. Douglas played them both well: for 4's, and, having sandwiched a. 2- between them, the result of a 40-foot putt, was 1 up. At the 12th both missed two-foot putt's, taking 4 each at this 139-yard hole.. Shaw missed a winning opportunity on the green at the 13th, and when bunkered at the next became 2 down. Douglas increased his lead at "French Pass," where Shaw's tee shot was bunkered. Then Shaw took two on end, his opponent presenting him with the 17th by missing a two-foot putt. Though he hooked his tee shot to the rough at the 18th, Douglas won it in 4, sinking a putt of a yard, whereas Shaw missed one a little. shorter. AMATEUR .SEMI-FINALS. * Silk appeared to have the measure of MacEwan with nine holes -played, being then 6 up, but MacEwan made a great recovery to win four holes on end, and was 2 down when the round finished. Mortland played tho best- golf of the morning, overshadowing Cathro with a round of 71, to stand 7 up. After winning the first hole MacEwan fell into a number of .errors. His second finished in the rough at the next hole, and a hooked drive at tho 4th cost him that also. Then MacEwan failed' with chip shots at the short sth and the following hole, and was 3 down. He was outplayed in the next three holes,, making bad mistakes on the fairways, and at the turn Silk, had the formidable lead of•_ 6 up. Silk was astray with his drive from' the Bth and 9th tees, but in each .case was able to get his 4 with one putt. He. went put in 36. When three of the holes on the home journey had been played, MacEwan had reduced the deficit to 3, having won the two short holes in 3's. and the 11th, "Long Tom," with a 4. Encouraged by this fine recovery, MacEwan took the 13th in 4 to 5, Silk taking three putts, reducing his lead to 2 up. Silk got under the boundary fence at "French Pass," lost -the hole, but got back to 2 up in consequence of MacEwan fluffing his second shot at the 17th. Silk missed an opportunity by failing to get down in two from 'the'edge of the green at the last hole. The rounds were: Silk 76 (36 out and 40 homo); MacEwan 78 (42 out and 36 homo).. MORTLAND V. CATHRO. Mortland was shaky at the start against Cathro, who had opportunities on the first two greens and availed himself of the second to win with a 4. However, this was his only win until the 17th was reached, by which time he had slipped back to the almost impossible position of- 8 down. .After his two s's at the start Mortland's golf was faultless and he was out in 37, to his opponent's 40, to be 3 up. He holed a 30-foot putt at the Bth, but this waa the only element of luck about his game. On the homeward run Cathro had a run of three putts and his young opponent went on-increasing his lead with faultless golf, assisted only by another raking putt at tho 13th. Cathro halved the short 12th but lost air the other holes until he . stopped. the debacle with a 4to Mortland's 5 at the 17th. This reduced his deficit to 7 down,' and a Tesourceful chip: out and one putt enabled him to save the last hole in 4. Mortland's last nine holes were played in 34. .

NEW ZEALAND PLATE. Besults in the New Zealand Plate are as follows: — A. E. Guy beat C. J. Ward, 2 up. Dr. Boss beat W. T. Kuru, 5 and 4.