GOLF.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 255, 7 April 1915, Page 7

GOLF.

TARANAKI TOURNAMENT CONCLUDED.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP WON B\K J RITCHIE.

The Taranaki pf°lf championship tournament was concluded oil the New Plymouth Club's links at Waiwakaiho yesterday. The day was an ideal one for golf, ar.d

the course was in excellent order, l.'ne decision of the championship uttnHed most attention. In the morning the semi-finals were played, F. J. Ritchie meeting E. Tlickson and A. E. Ekstedt playing W. O'Callaglian. The match be-t-ween Ritchie and Iliekson was a panicularly good one, and as both players were playing brilliant golf, neither gained any permanent advantage at any_ stage. Both players did the eighteen ljoles in 70—a fine performance—and enj hole play they were all square. Playing the nineteenth hole, both 'players got away well, but Ritchie went down ill three, leaving his opponent a dirticT.-'-.t proposition, which he could not equal.' It was a brilliant piece of play to cap a steady round and a keenly contested match. The semi-final between Ekstedt and O'Callaghaji also produced, a close tussle, Ekstedt eventually winning by one up. ... In the final in the afternoon Ritchie beat Ekstedt two up and one to play. Another ladies' match was played yesterday, .the winner being Miss Burgess. The pairs best ball bogey match in the morning was won by A. E. Coxhead and S. J. Smith, while W. O'Callaglian was the winner of the bogey match in the afternoon. Towards the close of the afternoon tlie tournament was wound up with ;he prize-giving ceremony at the club-house. The., President (Mr. C. H. Burgess), in a short speech, thaftked the visitors for attending the tournament and contributing towards its success. While the links were in very good order, there was sl.ill much to be done towards their furthor improvement, and it was hoped that tic'fore the next tournament the necessary bunkers would have been provided. The championship had provided a very interesting match, and he congratulated Mr. Ritchie on his victory, while Mr. Ekstedt i was to be congratulated on the steady up-hill game he played. Mr. Bursas mentioned that twelve members of the New Plymouth Club were on active service fighting for the Empire, and he thought most other clubs in the Pominion were similarly situated. Miss Gvren Bewley then presented the prizes as follows: Championship.—F. J. Ritchie 1, A. E. Ekstedt 2. Medal Handicap.—G.Sim 1, E. S. Bayley 2. Bogey Handicap.—J. S. Paton 1, G H Ryan 2. Medal Handicap.—'\V. L. Fitzherbert 1, H. E. Elliott 2. Pairs Best Ball Bogey Handicap.—A. E. Coxhead and S. J. Smith. Bogey Handicap.-—W. O'Callaglian 1, W. L. Fitzherbert 2. Putting.—Saturday: H. R. Bloxham 1, W. Seifert 2; Monday: W. Scifert 1. Mrs. McLean 2; Tuesday: F. S. Johns I, Mrs. McLean 2. Ladies' Bogey Handicap.—Miss Steph- ' enson 1, Miss Blundell 2. Ladies' Medal Handicap.—Miss Burgess 1, Mrs. Johns and lirs. WheUcr tied fo/ second place. After the prizes had been presented Mr. W. L. Fitzherbert, on behalf of the visitors, thanked the New Plymouth Club for the enjoyable time which tlievhad provided for the visitors. He s-ii'd the links compared favorably with anv in the Dominion, and he thought tint when bunkers were made the course would be one of the best in New Zealand. Cheers for the visitors, the Xow Plymouth Club, and Mr. Du>ny Brown (the tournament socrctnrvl brought the gathering to a close.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP,

SEMI-FINALS,

The semi-finals of the Taranaki chain pionsliip resulted:—

F. J, Ritchie beat E. Hickson, one up at the nineteenth hole. A. 13. Ekstedt beat W. O'Callaglian, one up.

THE FINAL. F. J. Ritchie beat A. E. Ekstedt, two lip and one to play.. There were many striking features about the final of the championship, trip most interesting being an unusually strong lead by Ritchie at (he outset aid Ekstedt's strong uphill game—a game keenly contested by an opponent who a!ways kept the lead. It was by steady plily that Ekstedt improved his position so that the players left the fifteenth green with Ritchie's lead reduced to one and three holes to go. The sixteenth gave Ekstedt the chance wluch wouid have made a great difference, but he foiled to do more than halve the hole. Then, losing the seventeenth, Ekstedt lost the match.

In the early stages of the match I Ritchie opened more steadily than his | opponent, and lie made use of the fir*t few holes to establish a lead. A four at both the first and the second holes by Ritclvie was just too good for Ekstedt and at the third a four by Ritchie was the winner. Ritchie won the fourth in six to Ekstedt's seven, and so drove to the fifth with a lead of four up. Both players were well up with their drives to the fifth, and neither player making any mistake!, the hole was halved in three. Ritchie played a good five (:> the next hole, and found it a strokß too many for Ekstedt, the first six holes leaving Ritchie leading by five up. This was a position calculated to steel "a fighter," and Ekstedt set out on his Yiphill struggle by winning the seventh hole with a three to Ritchie's four. ISoih players drove long balls at the eighth hole, but Ekstedt's ball found a bad lie. He recovered well, and was not far short ■of the green in throe, being on in four, i Ritchie was nut straight through the field, an'd this disadvantage was followed by a weak approach, so that he was on in one more than Ekstedt. Ekstedt holed in six and Ritchie in seven. At -the ninth both players were near the green in two, and eventually Ritchie won with a good four to Ekstedt's five. The first nine holes thus finished with Ritchie : n the lead four up. Two good balls were plaved up to tho tenth green. Ekstedt being on and Ritchie a couple of yards through. Ritchie's second was too strong, and it ran well past the hole, but his third left him a short putt to bole out. Two more' strokes, however, were sufficient for I'ikstedt to go down, and he thus won the hole in three to his opponent's four. Ritchie three up and eight to play. Ekstedt then placed a weak drive to the left and short of the seventh green, while Ritchie's drive put him well on his journey. Ritchie followed up his drive with a good second shot, and got n<"r the flag with his third, Ekstedt making four shots to get the green. Rilehic played the like info the hole and inereated his lead to four up again. At the twelfth hole both phiyeys were iosf ofT the green. A wnft'l' approach In- r;-.' stedt onib'ed him to jt;> down in tlp'oe while Ritchie tool- four. Iliteliio three up and six to pVty. Ekstedt lvn.ciicd the thu-foenth gn en with bis seeovd, hot I v/a.s ;,!:ort. Eksf.e.lt v ; ""' b foi'v. poor pnttii'.-> kept h'itehi" un with his fourth a::I iio lost the hole. Ritchie two up and five

.to play. Ekstedt was now playinj. 1 I steady golf, and he followed up this nit cess by driving just short of the green. | while Ritchie's drive was not far behind. ) Ekstedt played a weak second shot, bat ' his third left him near the hole. Ritchie was well up for two, but he left himself a stymie with his third and so required two more to go down, while Ekstelt f ink his fourth. Ritchie one up wivl four to play. Playing the fifteenth hole, l.ither player gave his opponent a chance. Both were on the green in three, and the hole was halved in fivc.i Ritchie one up and three to play. Ekstedt was a little short of the sixteenth green, and Ritchie was just through the green. Ritchie's second left him'a long putt for the hole, but weak putting by Ekstedt spoilt his chance, and the h);c was halved in ftuir. Ritchie one up and two to play. Both players led to the seventeenth hole with moderate drives. Ekstedt played a poor second and came on to the green one stroke to the bad. On this advantage Ritchie won the hole s—fi, and thin claimed the match two up and one to play. Mr. j6hn Paton acted, as umpire. j

LADIES' MEDAL HANDICAP.

PAIRS BOGEY HANDICAP. The men's pairs best ball bogey handicap resulted: — A. E. Coxhead (12) and S. J. Smith (5), 6 up. P. Rosa (fi) and W. Seifert (4), 5 :ip. N. F. Dunlop (12) and Uniacke (12), -1 up. H. R. Bloxham (15) and G.i Pott (15', 3 up. W. L. Fitzherbert (7) and F. S. Johns (4), 3 up. P. Sutton (9) and C. H. Burgess (111, ■2' up. W. D. Ross (8) and H. Jenkins (loi, 1 up.

MEN'S BOGEY HANDICAP.

The men's bogey handicap resulted: W. O'Callaglian (4) 1 up. W. L. Fitzherbert, (7) 2 down. W. Scifert (4) 3 down. F. S. Johns (4) -3 down. H. R. Jenkins (13) 4 down. W. H. Wood (15) 4 down.

W. Lock, the professional, is now in New Plymouth, and golfers may arrange to have lessons from him.

The ladies' medal handicap resulted:- - Miss Burgc-ss 112 30 :<2 Miss .Tolins . ] 00 21 85 Mrs. Wlictter 114 20 >5 MisSvBlundell 112 25 • f-7 Miss Bewley 100 17 -Si) Mrs. Paton . 102 12 00 Miss Free .. 115 20 05 Mrs. McLean 114 . 13 101