SHAW’S RECORD GOLF

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 140, 3 September 1927, Page 9

SHAW’S RECORD GOLF

REPLACES MOSS IN OPEN BRIGHT PLAY AT N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIPS (Special to THE SUN.) HAMILTON, Friday. lIJITH a brilliant round of 73 A. J. Shaw, of Napier, de"f fender of the open golf championship, this afternoon established a two-stroke lead on the aggregate of the first two rounds over E. J. Moss, of Auckland, who led after the first round in the morning.

DRIGHT scoring among the leaders "'as the order of the day. It had been estimated that fours 78's would win the title this year, but an estimate of 76’s, arrived at by your correspondent, and published some weeks ago, appear to be nearer the final score of the winner and he may better that. The course is slightly holding and most of the players still find difficulty in getting their putts down. Generally speaking putting is the only evident weakness. The long holes are not proving any hardship and K. Tareha, A. J. Shaw, T. H. Horton, N. Bell, B. V. Wright, J. Mclntosh, G. F. Colbeck, R. D. Wright, R. M. George and a few others are not always finding wood necessary on holes of over 400 yards for their seconds. THRILLS FOR GALLERY The approaching seems to have difficulties for none. To lay 30-yard approaches cold dead was not remarkable on the first day's performances. Two players, L. W. Delph and D. Grant, chose moments while all the gallery at the club-house was watching to hole out 50 and 30yard approaches at the 18th. R. M. George holed at an approach at the 4th, and M. Duncan hit the pin with his second at the 12th, and holed out a three. All these efforts produced threes, and tllo lengths of the holes are 438 yards, 440 yards and 374 yards in the order mentioned. Moreover these were but a few of the many bright episodes of the day.. PROBABLES REDUCED On the face of it the fate of the championship is considerably narrowed down. Shaw with 149 bids fair to retain the title, though he has three players close to him, either of whom can produce a score that would equalise matters in either of to-morrow’s rounds. The position at the end of the

Three putts from 12 feet and a drive pulled into the rough were Shaw’s only afternoon weaknesses, his card reading: Out—3, o, 4,5, 5. 3,5, 4, 4 38 In— 3, 4, 4, 4, 3, 4,5, 4, 4 . . . . 35 Bogey is 40 both ways. MOSS’S MISFORTUNES Moss was again playing very well. He lost two strokes unfortunately. At one hole a high approach played by his partner holed the green, and - a piece of turf, raised by it, stymied Moss. At another his second shot buried itself, costing him a stroke, as he lost the run on to the green. PERSONAL NOTES Norrie Bell, of Hamilton, played two very consistent rounds of 76, putting costing him a stroke or two. He thus heads the amateurs by two strokes. Mclntosh and Butters, two professionals, each returned 75 for the afternoon. Mclntosh took 40 out, with four lots of three putts, and then came home 3,4, 4,4, 3,4, 5. 4,4, the 5 being through three more putts. Butters played perfectly, missed nothing, and did nothing outstanding —except the scores. He took 39 out and 36 in. * * * H. R. Blair, the Christchurch professional, just played steady golf all day. Outstanding among the amateurs was the youthful "Pip” Wright, of Timaru, who was fourth amateur at the end of the day. He .was a bit at sea on Hamilton’s hilly greens, but his long game was a picture, and condolences will probably be the order for his opponents in the amateur next week—at least for the majority of them. Horton was playing his long game well, but missed a lot on the greens, and this was also the sad story concerning Kapi Tareha. He began badly in the morning and never recovered the position. Sloan Morpeth faded badly in the afternoon, when he recorded an 83 against his morning 76. He began with a four and a seven and took 44 to go out. Mcßeth (Hamilton), R. D. Wright (Middlemore) and R. M. George (Titirangi) are the next amateurs with aggregates of 160. Dobson (Sydney) is 157 and is only playing in the open. A. D. S. Duncan is only playing well enough to qualify for the amateur championship. His rounds to-day were 81 and 83. Four 84’s should only just qualify this year, and if that proves the case, a very fine standard will be indicated. Even at present no one cares to start picking the winner of the amateur. A more open field has never contested the event, and any one of about 10 might be regarded as a possible winner.

G. F. Colbeck 156, T. H. Horton 156, K. Tareha 156, H. B. Lusk 156, C. Clements 156, Dobson (Sydney) 157, W. S. Ralph and Sloan Morpeth 159, were next on the list. SHAW HITTING LONG ONES Throughout the day Shaw was playing perfect shots through the fairways, though he seemed to be inclined to underclub himself for the long seconds, as a result of which he was having to fight for his fours all the time instead of having putts for threes. His afternoon card of 73 will be hard to beat for the Lord Jellicoe Cup, which is won by the best single round in the open. Though it has been played for during the past three years it has always been won by amateurs, the holders having been A. Duncan, E. Macfar- > lane and K. Ross.

first day’s play was as follows: — Shaw 7K 73 149 Moss 74 77 N. Bell T 76 152 J. McIntosh .. . 78 158 R. Ware •. 76 78 154 J. L. Black .. . 76 78 154 R. Butters .. . 79 154 H. R. Blair .. . 76 79 155 B. V. Wright . 76 79 155