GOLF.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 April 1920, Page 7

GOLF.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. There will be no match on the New Plymouth Club's links to-day. On Tuesday afternoon the ladies will plav a flag match. At the Timaru tournament, the F.aster championship was won by P. Wright. The Hamilton Club is already making preparations for the next New Zealand championship, which it is almost certain will be held there for the first time. The amateur championships of Canterbury, both decided by two rounds of medal play, were this year won by visiting players—the men's event "by Dr. Keith Boss, the well-known Otago champion, and the ladies' event by Miss N. Wright, of Timaru, holder of the New Zealand championship. Both championships were won by good steady rounds, Ross's cards being 81 and 78, and Miss Wright's 85 and 89, the second round of the ladies' championship being played in a cold sou'-west wind and Tain.

ANOTHER TRIBUTE TO KIRKWOOD. Jas. C. Johnston, now professional to Halifax Golf Club, Yorks, writing to Golf Illustrated, states tliat lie worked u month with Kirkwood at Manly Beach, and claims to have, jointly with* Soutar, taught him all he knows, Kirkwood must have learned the game quickly if it took only a month. Johnston is somewhat out of gear in his facts. Dobroyde is not a Melbourne course, as stated. Anyway, in hoping that Kirkwood, who is stated to be 25 or 20, will come over to the championship, Johnston gives himself a good advertisement. I played with him, but had no idea that he -was as brilliant as he appears to have been- He was, he states in the article, second in lflll in the New Zealand open (three strokes worse than Arthur Duncan), third twice in the Australian professional open at Melbourne, and on the Oakleigh links, in competition with the best of pros and amateurs (Whitton included, and on his own course), won the competition, doing 77 and 84 in a perfect gale and rain, and when the course was only two or three years old. —Referee.

LADIES EXCEL. The ladies seem determined to prove that they arc the equal of men in golf. Mias Leitch played Abe Mitchell, who did two rounds of 72 and beat her very badly. She then had a try at .Tosiah Livingston, a Mid-Surrey scratch player, who will go down to fame as the first player rated at scratch who toot on a lady on equal terms. Miss Leitch took the lead from the start, and her opponent never looked like making a match of it. He was consistently outdriven, sometimes by many yards. Miss Leitch's iron play to the hole was more forceful and more accurate. She also exhibited the better command of her clubs in the short game. No one could possibly dispute the greatness of Miss Leitclvs game—she has proved its merit too often—but Livingston apparently has not been playing anything like scratch form for many years past, even though 20 years ago he ran the celebrated John Ball very close in 'the Irish championship meeting. Further, right through Livingston was quite off his game, as his score well over W> in the first half would show. The ladies' comment on the game is quaint. They sav it proves beyond a doubt that Miss Leitch's claim to be rated as good as scratch men is splendidly right, and the win amply compensates for her defeat br Ab« Mitchell