GOLF.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 119, 27 August 1910, Page 3

GOLF.

FIVE TIMES ril A.Ml'I OX. MACH INK-LI K K PLAY. London, June 26. James Braid, of Walton (Health, achieved the crowning ambition of his career as a golfer at iSt. Andrew's, when he won the open championship for the fifth time. iive men had been successful four times. Braid had little to fear from \ardon and Taylor—they were practically out of the running on the previous day. but Willie Smith, an American exchampion, had only to keep up his previous good form to prevent Braid from setting up a new record. As it happened, 'Smith did not rise to the occasion —he did 80 to Braid's 76, and the latter won comfortably with an aggre«ute of 29!!. Braid won because he played like a machine. He did nothing that was exceptionally brilliant, nothing that was indiflerent. It was just mechanical golf.

The tail Scotsman began with four 4's, but when he reached the fifth hole he' had a bad lie from a good tee shot, the ball landing in a small hole. The Walton Heath man decided to use ft spoon and was short of the green. Still, he had a two-foot putt for a regulation 5. The ball ran round the hole and hung on the lip in a tantalising manner. And so his first 6 was recorded.

He missed a yard putt at the seventh for a 4, 'but this was his only other mistake up to the turn. He readied this point in thirty-eight. At the 17th he was hunkered to the left of the green from his pitch, and had another 6. His details were:— Out: 4 5 446443 4—38. Home: 43445436 5—38. Total 76. Herd, who finished second to Braid, with an aggregate of 303, also did ia round of 7t>. He had 0 at the fourteenth, where he topped his second, and another at the seventeenth, the result of a weak approach. On the home green he took j three putts. The details of his score! were as follows: 1 Out: 3 4 4 4 5 5 4 3 3—3-5. Home: 444464 4 0 5—41. Total 76. Duncan, who was third with an aggregate of 304, started with a 4, hut took 5 to the second, where he was short with his approach. iHe had 4's to the next two holes, hut took G to the fifth iand sixth. He was short with his second to the seventh and took 5. At the turn ihis score was 41.

Coming home .lie was frequently at I fault with his iron shots. He was two yards past the hole with his run-up to the thirteenth, and then missed his putt for 4. At the fourteenth he sliced his tee shot into the field, and liad a 6. He had a five at the fifteenth, where :he took three putts, and another 5 at the sixteenth, where he was 'bunkered. Three putts at the seventeenth gave him another 6, and a (homeward score of 42 made his total 83, w>hich was made up as follows:

I Out: 4544 66 5 3 4-hll. Home: 4 3 4 5 6 5-5 6 4—42. Total S3. The feature about 'Miss Collins, the new lady champion, and Miss Wray, the runner-up, is that they are both practically young to golf, especially to champion honors. Both were coached by Gilbert Martin, late professional to the Wellington Clu'b. iMiss Collins, especially, is very young; in fact, she is just out of the schoolgirl age, and is a daughter ot Dr. Collins, of Wellington. This girl 01 seventeen first started to play golf in a desultory fashion at her school in England, and it was not till she returned to 2Jew Zealand this year that she took up the game at all seriously, and then she began in real earnest. She started her meteoric career .by easily disposing of Miss Hannay for the Wellington championship last month, following this up by appropriating that of Wairarapa. Her play all round in the New Zealand championship contest was of a consistent order.

This is Miss Wray's third year at golf. She received her first tuition from Martin, at 'Sydney, of which place she is ft native. It was her younger sister's (Miss Leo Wray's) phenomenal success that first decided her to take up golf. Miss Leo Wray was no fewer than four times champion of New South Wales, and twice of Australia, and holds an unbeaten record. was a memtber of the Rova! Australian Golf Club (Sydney) till the beginning of this year, and has only played in one previous championship fixture—that of 'New South Wales last year —when she was beaten in the semi-finals by Miss Caird, the winner of the championship. Miss Wray is now a permanent resident of New Zealand, residing in Manawatu, and her keenness for the royal game is illustrated by the fact that she' travels twenty iniles to indulge in