NARROWING DOWN

Evening Star, Issue 20138, 1 April 1929, Page 11

NARROWING DOWN

AMATEUR GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP G. F. BARNETT AHD B. V. WRIGHT IK FINAL The semi-finals of the Otago Amateur golf championship were played ofl in glorious sunshine at Balmaceweti this morning. The contestants were AV. Clayton (St. Clair), G. F. Barnett (Otago). B. V. Wright (Timaru), and J. A. M'Lonnan (Roxburgh). Clayton was drawn against Wright, and Barnett opposed M’Leniian. The results are as follow: — Wright beat Clayton, 3 and 2. Barnett beat M'Leniian 4 and 2. WRIGHT v. CLAYTON. Although AVright was not in his best putting form, bis game otherwise was crisp and accurate, and on the day lie was_ too good for Clayton, tho match ending on tho sixteenth grmi. The first hole was halved in steady 4’s, and both players went through tho second green with their seconds. Each played a weak third, mid AVright, taking three putts, lot Clayton win in 5. It was a disappointing hole. At the third hole Clayton was short, and Wright found the green. Tho lormcr, however, chipped up nicely, and holed a good putt to secure a half in 3. A bunker proved Clayton’s downfall at the short fourth, and Wright squared matters with an orthodox 3. AA right followed up this success by taking the fifth in 5 alter having laid his opponent a dead stymie. After good toe shots at tho next hole, Clayton fluffed his mashic-niblick approach, and Wright ran with a 4 to 5. Nice halves in 4

came in the seventh, and at the eighth Clayton had a nice putt for 3. but was hud a half stymie which lie failed to negotiate. Tho hole was halved in 4. AVright took an iron from the tee at the ninth. Clayton pushed his drive out into the rough, but made a good recovery, and won the hole in 4 Wright was one up at the turn. "Wright found a bunker on the tenth, and then missed a very short putt for a half. All square. AVright won Tipperary with a beautiful 4, but took 3 putts at M'Glashan’s. and fell back to all square again. At Manuka each drove well to the top of the hill, but Clayton pushed his second too far out, while AVright, with a beautiful brassie shot, lay nicely on the green. He took tho hole and was one up. At Roy’s, AATight placed himself in the strong position of 2 up and 4 to play by winning witli n good 3, Clayton missing a possible putt for a half. Spion Kop was played in steady fashion, each man holing out in 4. At the sixteenth and decisive hole Clayton was short with Ins drive, and just failed to reach the green with his second. Wright’s second, on the other hand, was 3yds from the pin. Tho Timaru man took the hole in 4, and the match. BARNETT v. MCLENNAN. In spite of the. fact, that Barnett had the lead on M'Lonnan throughout the whole round, the game was full of interest. M'Leniian, who fought grimly against the consistent skill of his opponent, is a player of great_ promise. He has a fine, natural style, his springy drives and crisp iron shots being strongly reminiscent of Hie play ol Alex. Si me, who also learned his golf in the same school on tho old Bishopscourt links. M'Leniian .started badly by finding the hunker on the right, and although he got out well ho could not make up tho leeway, and lost with a 5 to Barnett’s 4. The second hole also went to Barnett in 4, and the third was halved in 4. The fourth saw M'Lonnan reduce his opponent’s lead, Barnett’s hall being bunkered in the sand to the left. In order to get out lie essayed an explosion shot, but as a result of it bo was still 3yds away. Both Hie putts stood on tiio lip of Hie hole. At the fifth both played seconds, which seemed to tho onlookers to be too far out to Hie right, but (as so often happens at this hole) each ball was found lying on Hie green. Three putts were required, and flic hole was halved in 5. Another 5 apiece was necessary at the sixth. Barnett played a poor innshie approach, and M'Leniian pulled libs second into a very had place, from which he could shift it only a few feet with his third. His fourth went to within 4lt of tho hole. and. sinking a- good putt, lie managed to halve in 5. Barnett took the next hole, and it looked as though he were about to win the eighth as well, because his opponent topped his drive and did not reach the top of Hie bill. But the Roxburgh man recovered with a grand brassie shot slightly to the left of the preen .and got a half in 4. At tho Glen Barnett lost some of his advantage by tapofug his maside shot. The tenth was halved in 4. The contest at Tipperary was very interesting M'Leniian drove off well, but Barnett failed to get hE usual length. Both had fair brassie shots, Barnett being on the extreme leit ol the course and 'M'Lennan on the extreme right. Barnett’s third saw him bunkered in the pot to the loft, and MlLonnan was lust short of the edge oi the green. M'Leniian played his fourth to within a few feet of tho pin, and all Barnett could do was to knock his ball out ol tho bunker His fifth, however, ran up stone dead, and M'Lenuan’s hall ran round tho lip. It was a halt in 6. M'Glashan’s went to Barnett in 4, and a long putt at Manuka gave him •mother 4. Hum putting him 3 up. Going to Roy’s Barnett’s tec shot went far out to "the right of the green, whereas M'Lcnran played a beautiful stroke which left him just 6yds short of the piji. Amid well-deserved applause he sank a. nice 2. and reduced the formidable load of his opponent. Bothgot well away off the tee at Spion Knp. M'Leniian reached the green with his second, but Barnett was short. However. the lattor ran 11is third up to within 6in of tho pin, and M'Leniian had the bad luck to overrun the hole by 2ft. and leave himself a stymie, which ho tailed to surmount Barnetu was then donnio 3. The end came at the sixteenth, where both readied the edge of the green in 2. M'Leniian with a bold attempt at a 3 overran the hole, and Barnett, making no mistake, took the hole and the game.