GOLF TITLE

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 22, 18 April 1927, Page 7

GOLF TITLE

NO SURPRISE VICTORIES IN FIRST ROUND COLBECK SCORES BRILLIANTLY There were no unexpected victories in the first round of the provincial golf championships at Middlemore this morning:. R. D. Wright, present holder, nearly lost his place, having to go to the 19th green, with Robinson. The feature of the morning’s play, which was under ideal conditions, was a fine round of 72, played by G. F. Colbeck. Results first round’s play: — 0 LUSK BEATS MacCORMICK H. B. Lusk beat D. MacCormick 3 up and 1 to play. This match was of special interest owing to the fact that the two players qualified in the first and last positions respectively last year. The performance was repeated this year. Last year Lusk put MacCormick out in the first round. This morning MacCormick won the first two holes, but after that Lusk kept control. He won the next three holes, including a four the fifth. He was still one up at the turn, both playing par golf. At the 11th MacCormick laid himself an impossible stymie, losing the hole. The next two holes changed hands, but there was no further variation until the 17th, where Lusk secured a perfect four and the match. WIN FOR RALPH W. S. Ralph beat N. Louisson, 4 and 2. Louisson did not get in touch with his game until the second half, but Ralph was playing fairly steadily, especially on the way in, which he did in 37. He was 2 up at the turn. J. Hussey beat J. N. Hunter, 2 and 1. This match was the closest of the morning’s games. Hussey established a lead of one up early in the game, and the position remained that way with slight variations until the seventeenth, where Hunter took 3 to get on the green. Hussey won the hole and the match. BOGEY GOLF Although R. Rainger played bogey golf in his round with G. F. Colbeck, he never had a chance from the beginning. Colbeck could not go wrong, and only one hole stopped him from establishing a new record for the course. This was the tenth. The flag was fairly well back on the green, and Colbeck’s tee shot was too strong'. It finished in a sand pot behind the flag, and Colbeck trying to keep it near the pin, failed to get Out. with the result that he took five on a bogey 3. His card read:— Out. Total 5—5—3—4—5—5—3—3—5 .... 3S In. 5—3—3—3—4—4—4—4—4 .. .. 34 Colbeck won, 5 and 4. COMMANDING POSITION T. A. Goulding, the Titirangi champion, beat L. W. Delph, 5 and 3. Goulding was 2 up at the turn, and then did 3—4—3—3, which ptit him in a commanding position. At the twelfth he holed out .an iron runup. R. M. George, playing to about scratch form, was 4 up on H. W. Tidmarsh at the eighth. After that there was very little between the players, and there were several exhibitions of poor cutting. George won, 3 and 2. T. M. Hockin proved far too good •on the day for R. Fairburn, and won 7 and 6. The only interest in the match between Wright and A. E. Robinson was that after Wright had given a poor exhibition, he was dormie 3 down. He won the sixteenth in 4, and Robinson made him a present of the seventeenth. At the eighteenth Wright was on the edge of the green in 2, and Robinson wide. ROBINSON'S APPROACH Robinson’s putt, after a mediocre approach, lipped the hole, and Wright got his 4. The match, therefore, went on to the nineteenth, where Wright got a 4 against a 5, and won 1 up. ... Colbeck’s bogey score was 5 up, which gave him a win in this morning’s separate competition.

THOSE WHO QUALIFIED H. B. LUSK HEADS AGGREGATE Perfect weather conditions continued at Middlemore on Saturday afternoon when the qualifying rounds for the provincial championship were concluded. The play-off commenced this morning. Only one of the players did anything sensational, and that was R. D. Wright, defender of the title, who had a good chance to reduce his record for the course, but failed on the last three holes. Many of the players found their troubles were on the greens. Wind and sun put them in fairly fast condition and confidence on them was noticeably lacking, the result being shown in the scoring. Wright and one or two others proved that there was nothing the matter with the greens. SENSATIONAL COME-BACK Wright made a sensational comeback to something approaching his true form, but he could not maintain it when the pressure was applied over the last few holes. He was first heard of when new? came through that he was out in 33, a brilliant effort secured mainly by sinking putts from anywhere. He started with a 5 on a bogey 4, but recovered that at the next with a 4 against 5. After that his score of three over 3's was a wonderful effort. At the 283-yard sixth his second hit the pin and laid half an inch from the hole. Long putts, following first-rate shots through the green, saw him finish ■with a nice 4 on the 550-yard ninth. He started away with level fours on the return and kept it until he had three holes to go. At the sixteenth a half top, off the tee, put him in the rough and a stroke was lost. The 17th sdw him through the green with his mashie and a short approach did not give him a real chance at the hole. He still had the prospect of a four at the last hole to equal his own and Arthur Duncan’s amateur record of 71, but a badly pulled second and weakly played approach was followed by three putts, which gave him a 73, the best round of the day. His card read: Out: 5, *4, 3,4, 4,3, 3,3, 4 . . .. 33 In: 4,4, 5,3, 4,4, 5,5, 6 40 73 H. B. Lusk dropped a few strokes on putting early in the second round, but played steadily to assume the top place in the list of qualified, one which he has previously occupied. This also gave him Mr. R. C. Horton’s prize for the best gross aggregate. R. M. George started badly with an indiscretion in the method adopted to get out of a bunker at the first, which cost him a 6. After that he was fighting for all he got and finished in third place. J. N. Hunter and G. F. Colbeck filled the next places, Hunter having the advantage of his bright 77 from the six mark in the morning. Colbeck was out in 37 in the afternoon, but lost a ball in his second half at the “Shovel,” finishing in 79. None of the other afternoon scores were of any note. Bogey for the course is 39 out and 38 in. The qualifying aggregates were:

Three others secured 168’s and fell out in a play-off over three holes. These

were: H. Plumley, F. Trice and W. Higgins. The 36-hole medal handicap resulted: B. C. Jacobs (16), 89 plus 86, 175—32, 143: L. W. Delph (9), 80, plus 84, 164—18, 146. PLAY AT WELLINGTON PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Press Association WELLINGTON, Sunday. The following 16 players have qualified for the Wellington provincial golf championships:—A. D. S. Duncan, 73, 79 —152; Rana Wagg, 78, 75—153; J. H. Drake, 76, 77—153; J. L. Black, 76, 77 153; T. H. Horton, 75, 79—154: A. E. Conway, 74, 82—156; D. O. Whyte, 76, 80 —156; H. J. Shanks. 78. 82—160; H. A. Black, 80, 81 —161: R. Tolhurst. 78, 84— 162; J. B. Parker, 80, 83—163; J. W. Ward, 80, 84—164; D. Hartwell, 82. 82—164; E. Page. 80. 84—164; J. T. Petley, 82„ 82— 164; L. D. Hurst, 83, 81 —164. CANTERBURY CHAMPION C. A. SEYMOUR’S SUCCESS Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, Sunday. The opening day of the Christchurch Golf Club’s Easter tournament yesterday was favoured with perfect weather. The amateur championship of Canterbury, two rounds, stroke play, was won by C. A. Seymour, 77, 79—156. Two handicaps were played concurrently with the championship rounds. Results were: Morning: B. Baxter (Timaru), 83, 17—66. Afternoon: E. J. Pumphrey, 76, 4—72.

1. H. B. Lusk 76 79 155 2. R. D. Wright .... 84 73 157 3. R. M. George .... 75 83 158 4. J. N. Hunter .... 77 84 161 5. G. F. Colbeck .... 82 79 1G1 6. L. W. Delph 80 84 164 7. R. Fairburn 81 84 165 8. W. S. Ralph 82 83 165 9. X. Louisson 79 86 165 10. J. M. Hockin 82 84 166 11. T. A. Goulding- .... 80 86 166 12. R. Rainger 86 81 167 13. J. M. Hussey .... 86 83 167 14. H. W. Tidmarsh.. .. 83 84 167 15. A. E. Robinson .... 81 87 168 16. D. MacCormick .... 83 85 168