GOLF.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 November 1919, Page 8

GOLF.

THE TARANAKI-WANGANUI MATCH. (By "Niblick" In the Chronicle). The match with Taranaki, played on Labor Day, again proved what a strong team Wanganui can put In,the fleld. The Taranaki combination included some very lino players and yet it was significant that with the exception of W. O'Caliaghan, who defeated J. Harold the nest seven men on the visitors' side were beaten. This was not because the Taranakt men at the head of the list wcro Indifferent players, but was imply due to the fac\. that Wanganui have a string of short handicap men who would probably beat a team of eight from any club in the Dominion. This is Baying a great deal, but the writer confidently believes it to be a correct statement In J. Harold, I. Saunders, G. Saunders, J Goss, Parlies, Meldrum, Kelly, and Puwdrell \\ have an eight which would defeat any team of a similar pumuer from any club i'i New Zealand. Wanganul's strength in team play has been demonstrated often at, tournaments and most golfers from other cen'rcs are quite aware of the solidity of the side In the match against Taranaki, imi„l Saunders was an absentee, this line player having gone over to the Bay of Plenty on a business trip. As a matter of fact, Wanganui could, without great risk of defeat, piiice a team pf a dozen men in the field for a team's match, as Harrison, D'Arcy, Husscy, Beaven, and Bates are all able players, who are fast coming ud to rirst-iiight form. It says a great deal for the Taranaki players that they held the strong Wanganui side so well. The only heavy defeat sustained was by Weston, of New Plymouth, who went down before Parkes to the tune of 7 and 5. The other games were closely contested, four llnishing 1 down. Bewley, of New Plymouth, is a fine player and showed fine form in the match He was' however, up against a brilliant player m J* Goss, who, on Ills day, is ;is good as New Zealand's best. Goss got heme bv 2 and 1 after a very fine exhibition of the game by both men. 3 The visitors' second string made amends for the defeat of their cracks by carrying all before them, and in the end Wanganui" just got homo by one game. If Wanganui can put a strong team of 12 In the fleid, it would appear that Taranaki can put a hot side of 20 on tho mark, as their long handicap men played up surprisingly well on Monday. Walker, of Hawera, was well down the list as he has been off his game latelv. However, he was by no means off his play in this match, as ho went round in 85. Hfs puttin» in particular was accuracy itself, and lie ' several times on the round ran his hall into the cup from 20 feet off with an air of nonchalance, as if he did this sort of thing ■ every morning before breakfast. A » at the 11th figured dn his card. Gibson had no chance with his fellow journalist, the Hawera man taking the game by the wide margin of 6 up and ii to gu. Sutton, of Hawera, also played solid golf and proved too good for' Poynter by 5 up and J to go. The result of the match play was a true reflection of the form in the 4-ba3l competition in the morning. In the morning Wanganui won the first nvo games and lost tho last Ave, and this was practically what happened when the- p'.avp'rs ! opposed each other individually in the afternoon. 1 It was a thoroughly enjoyable golfing car. nival, and the visitors have to be thanked for their sportsmanlike action in coming so far to give the local men such a close and interestlng coniest.