VISITING GOLFERS SHOW THEIR METTLE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 255, 18 January 1928, Page 6

VISITING GOLFERS SHOW THEIR METTLE

BEAT AUCKLAND CRACKS IN TWO MATCHES AT MIDDLEMORE

A LTHOUGH they are among the pick of New South \Yales golfers, the team that landed in Auckland early yesterday afternoon to meet the New Zealand team for the Kirk-Windeyer Cup provided a surprise when, later in the afternoon, they defeated four leading Auckland amateurs at Middfemore without being very hard pressed. “Do you feel the boat rocking?” asked someone of AV. Smith as he addressed his ball on the first tee. “There’s something moving somewhere. and I doubt if my ball is going to be next,” remarked the player. He and his companions were still suffering from the pitch and toss movement that had been unpleasantly noticeable on the four days’ trip from Sydney. However, the ball did move, and what it lost off the line it made up for in length. The upshot was that Smith and R. K. Lee-Brown disposed of Sloan Morpeth and Rex George 2 up and 1 while in another four-ball Sydney Jones and Nigel Smith, two more Australians, finished 3 up and 1 on R. D. Wright and W. S. Ralph. The visitors thus demonstrated that, in spite of four days at sea, and lack of knowledge of hard courses and greens likened to floors in their fastness. they were no mean golfers and that New Zealand has to wake up and be very much alive to the fact that the Kirk-Windeyer Cup may be hard to hold. HOLIDAY GOLF It was largely holiday golf, and the gallery which turned out to see the visitors play saw only a middling display, the local players and the visitors showing only patches of their quality. In the big match Morpeth was sadly at sea with his wood, and continually short with his approaches, while George could not keep a hook from his tee shot in the early stages. The visitors played as well as they might have been expected to do under the circumstances. It was not until the turn was reached that there was any variation from an even fight, but then Lee-Brown created a diversion with a brilliant 3 at the 360-yard 12th, and a sparkling 2 at the next. George pulled one off the lead at the 15th. but Smith took a hand at the next, putting his mashie second a foot from the hole and securing a three. A half, easily gained at th? 17th, gave the visitors the match. THE VISITORS Smith, by the way, is reminiscent of “Chick Evans, once of Auckland, but now of the Hutt Club, in that his bac=\ swing is cut off half way with all hL clubs, the difference being that he uses his hands more, not alwaj T s to advan - tage, and stands with his feet close together. Lee-Brown is the stylist of the visitors, an excellent example of compactness, no sway, full swing, slow back with a pause at the top. and a beautiful crisp wrist action giving perfect timing. His length was excellent and Morpeth at his best could give him little start from the tee. MECHANICAL ACCURACY Of the other two members of tlm team. Jones and Nigel Smith, there was nothing outstanding in style. Both arf free, easy hitters, with plenty of length and their display yesterday gave a promise of almost mechanical accuracy, gained only by long study and practice of sound principles. Sydney Jones uses a putter which