GOLF.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 253, 5 April 1915, Page 7

GOLF.

TARANAKI CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT.

FIRST DAY'S PLAY. The Tiiranaki golf championship meeting opened on the New Plymouth Club's links at Waiwakaiho on Saturday morning, and will be continued today and to-morrow.

Easter lias been associated with pleasant memories to X~ew Plymouth golfers for many years now, and the tournament organised liy the Xew Plymouth Club at this holiday season has of late years become so popular that not only do numerous Tiiranaki players compete, but many entries tonic from as far south as Palmer.ston North, while there are occasional competitors from more distant parts of the Dominion. With the links at Waiwakaiho in such excellent order as they now are, and the club enjoying the fruits of its progressive spirit, it is but fitting that this year's tournament should take a notable place in the club's record. And all the indications point to a particularly successful gathering. The different competitions have attracted some ninety competitors—a total which has not been reached at any previous Easte> tournament—and of this numlbcr fifty competed in the qualifying round of the Taranaki championship on Saturday. The New Plymouth clubs are strongly represented amongst the competitors, and all the leading golfers here are taking part. From Wanganui—a town whicli frequently produces a champion —there are seven visiting golfers; Palmerston Xortli is represented by six players; Hawera lias sent eight; Inglewood five; Waitara one; Stratford five; Eltham four, and Auckland one. Then a new departure has been made this year in introducing competitions for ladies, and good entries have been received from outside clubs as well as locally. The links are in excellent condition, and players who visited Waiwakaiho a few weeks ago would observe a remarkable change in the fairway and the greens, both of which will now fully assist towards good golf. And the important element, the weather, though uncertain in its moods on Friday, threw off its wintry aspect in the early part of Saturday morning and kept on good terms with everyone for the rest of the day. In spite of previous heavy rain, the greens were lively and some of them were somewhat tricky, while a sharp breeze blowing across the links did not materially interfere with golf. Amid these happy conditions the 1015 tournament was ushered in, and at present there is every promise of fortune piloting the tournament through. While the, whole of Saturday's phy concerned the qualifying round of the Taranaki championship, it also embraced a handicap medal competition of thirty-six boles, while the. scores also served for a teains' match. On the whole, the play was good. The best round of eighteen holes was done by 0. Sim (of Palmerston Xortli) who did 82 in the morning, while A. IT. Lewis (Wanganui) returned a card of St. Two others " broke " DO with 87—7. F. Ritchie (Stratford) and E. S. Bayley (Xew Plymouth). In the afternoon G. Sim did SS. which gave him an aggregate of 170. A. IT. Lewis took !)fi in the afternoon. Unfortunately. Mr. Lewis has to return to Wanganui to-day and eannot compete further in the championship. Other good scores in the afternoon were .T. F. Ritchie S3. A. 15. Ekstedt 8.3, W. O'Callaghan SS, and W. B. Glasgow 87. The medsii Handicap of 3t) holes was won by G. Sim, who did 170

In addition to this, the nine-hole putting course was well patronised, many of the visitors to the links participating as well as players in the championship. There were a number of holy visitors present, and as the club-house at Waiwakaiho provides one of the most pleasant spots near Now Plymouth a visit there on a fine day all'ords an enjoyable outing. The management of the. "tournament is all that could be desired. Mr. C. Denny-Brown carried out the duties of secretary in an able manner, and he was assisted by llr. John Paton—always an energetic worker at Xew Plymouth golf tournaments—and other members of the committee.

THE- PLAY.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP.

QUALIFYING ROUND.

The following sixteen players qualified for the first round of the championship:

THE TEAMS' MATCH.

PAL.YIEUSTOX XORTII WIN.

The teams' match resulted as follows

Palmerslon Xorth.—Eksledt ITS, Rim 170, Seifcrt ISB, Fitzherbert 201-737. Xew Plymouth (first traini.—Johns Mi), Weston 1111, Ikylev 170, Bewlev 184—7.13. ' '

Waiif-amii.—Parkcs IS3. Payne 212, Glasgow 1!)1, Lewis ISO—Tlifi. JTawera (first toiim).—O'Cnllatfmn ISO, P.aylcy ]!)-!, Turton 19.1, Sutton 200 —77:1.

Xew Plymouth Second team)—Xicoll ISS, Steeds 203, I'aton 20;!, Hutchcu 204—500

Witiora—S. -T. Smith IS4. Medley 201, V. Elliott 210. MeQnade 213—SOS. ' Tnirlewood. -- Thomson l!U. f!ud"eon 108, Surrey 211, OTarroH 221—52-l!

PUTTING. The best puttmo; card relumed was that or 11. P. Pdovam, who did the nine holes in 1.1. The round included three ones. 'Hie next best score was W. Seifert 10.

1st Kd. 2nd 11 d. Total. J. F. Ritchie ... S7 S3 — 170 G. Sim S2 S3 — 170 A. E. R.tedt ... !):i So — 17S E. S. llaylev ... S7 02 — 170 \V. O.Valhiirhan . 02 ss — ISO l-\ S. Partes ... o;j 00 — 183 A. Howlry !.n 03 — lS-t E. llk-kson 00 91 — lS-t S. J. Smith ... 02 .02 — 184 ]•'. Kcks 07 00 - 1S7 W. Seifeit 09 so — 1SS W. P. Xkoll ... 00 OS — 1SS W. (*. Weston ... 'os 03 — 101 W. li. Glasgow . 10-t S7 — 101 f U G. Clioji},' ... 94 OS — 102 II. S. Elliott ... or, 97 — 192 MEDAL HANDICAP. WON BY JIK.' G. SIM. •The six hest scr res; in f lie nit dal handicap of 30 holes u-e:— G. Sim 170--14—156 E. S. liavlev.... 170--20—150 W. P. Yicoll .... 1SS--24—104 J. E. Ritchie .... 170- - G—104 A. E. Ekstedt .. 17s--14—1G4 II. 8. Elliott .... 102--24—108