GOLF AT WAIWAKAIHO

Taranaki Daily News, 13 April 1928, Page 5

GOLF AT WAIWAKAIHO

THE EASTER TOURNAMENT. SIDELIGHTS ON THE PLAY.

(By

‘“Stance.”)

Though play in the qualifying rounds did not reach the standard expected, the golf improved as the tournament progressed, and some of the play in the final day was the best seen for a long while. The fiery state of the greens doubtless had a great deal to do with the moderate scores on the opening day, but a regular epidemic of out of bounds shots spoiled many cards. “Stance” heard of one player who is reported to have run into double figures in this respect, while two, three and four were common occurrences.

Dale, who headed the list, sent three over forbidden fences. Ou the other hand, the dry state of the fairways enabled players to get tremendous length. The long fifth was only two good shots and a chip, the sixth could easily be reached with a drive and an iron, while it was possible to get home at the fifteenth with two shots. As usual, the tenth and the sixteenth took their toll, and many were the stories of trials and tribulations that one heard in the pavilion at the end of the day.

The.position of the holes, as usual, met with some criticism, but with the exception of the sixth and the eleventh the writer thought them very fair. Nevertheless, the general state of the course reflected great credit upon the greenkeeper, Mr. Saunders, and his assistant, Mr. Jefferies. Credit must also be given to Messrs. P. Grey and A. S. Hasel!, who have had charge of the course.

The outstanding features of the opening day were the steady play of 11. P. Dale and the excellent performance of C. H. Fyfe, who occupied the second position among the qualifiers, a remarkable effort for a nine handicap man. Fyfe is a fine stroke player, playing all his clubs, more especially his irons, verywell. This performance is no mere flash in the pan, and this player’s handicap will be comtng down in the near future. His round of 80 on Saturday morning represented some very sound golf, and with a bit of luck might easily have been three or four strokes better.

The long hitting G. S. Kelley also started off in great style with an 80, but failed to sustain his form and was fifteen strokes worse in the afternoon. Chong was having trouble on the greens, but an 82 and 84 gave him third position. Grey was having a whole heap of trouble with his tee shots but his short game stood to him and he was also close up. The first round of the match play brought two surprises, the first being the defeat of Fyfe by H. Williams and the second the victory of Hasel! over Imlay Saunders. In the first-mentioned game Fyfe was three up nt the seventh, but his opponent then struck a patch and Fyfe’s game failed to stand the strain, and the left-hander won two and one. Saunders, who has not been playing much of late, was rapidly coming on to his game and was considered a very serious contender, but Hasell, playing steadily, was two up at the turn. The Wanganui man then reeled off some brilliant golf and the game was square at the sixteenth. Hasell won the seventeenth with a four and then Saunders put three balls out of bounds at the last.

DALE HAS CLOSE CALL. H. P. Dale had a very close call against Beaven. The Wanganui man was playing well and at the conclusion of the seventeenth hole was dormy one. He had a four-foot putt for a half and the match was on the last green and his ball went into the hole and out again. Dale then won the nineteenth and the match. K. Neal could not quite maintain his good form of the qualifying rounds and found F. Quin in fine form, the older player winning by a comfortable margin. Dr. Wade made an unexpectedly good showing against Chong and took the club champion to the last green. MacQuade was missing easy putts going out in his match with Grey and as the left-hander went out in 38, he was in the strong position of being 7 tip. MacQuade did the last nine holes in 30, but his effort came too late. Stewart and Mackay had a good “go," but the Eltham man was just too good.

The second round saw two of the sternest contests of the tournament, both games games going to the 18th green. Stephenson played very steady golf going out against Grey and, aided by the holing out of a chip at the fifth, was two up at the ninth, having taken 39 for the outward journey. The tenth was halved. Stephenson looked sure to win the 11th, but took three putts. Grey lost a ball at the Moses and was then three down. He then made a great effort. He won the 13th, 15th and 17th and looked sure to halve the 18th. but his luck was out. Stephenson sank a long putt from the edge of the green and won the hole and the match.

Stewart and Chong had a ding-dong i battle. Neither player was ever more than two up, and when they came to the 18th tee the game was all square. The Eltham man had the misfortune to put his tee shot out of bounds and, to make matters worse, was stymie on the green, leaving Chong a winner by the narrow margin of one hole. There was some fine golf in the DaleQuin match, but the younger player always had the upper hand and eventually won the match on the 16th green. Wiliams proved no mateh for Hasell, who won by the decisive margin of 7 up and 5 to play. Nevertheless it was no mean achievement on the part of the former (a 14 handicap man) in getting into the last eight.

KEEN GAMES IN SEMI-FINAL. Both the semi-finals were well contested games. Dale went out in 39 to Stephenson’s 41 and was one up, both playing very sound golf. The Eltham man increased his lead by dint of a perfect two at the tenth and became three up when his opopnent just missed a seven-footer for a half at the 11th. However, he put a ball out of bounds at the 12th and Stephenson seized the opportunity to reduce the leeway. The I3th was halved, but a nice chip gave Stephenson the I4th with a tiirce. Dale was then one up with four to play and an interest finish seemed certain. The New Plymouth man, however, was unlucky, a long second going over the cliff, and the Eltham player won the hole with a well-played five. Stephenson caught the bunker with his tee shot, at the 16th and Dale won the hole and the mateh 3 up and 2 to play. The Hasell-Chong game was verv jvenlv oontaated mijjio out, and the? I

were all square at the turn. Chong, however, was having trouble with his tee shots and Hasell with 2,4, 3,4, won the next four holes. Chong won the next two holes and had a great chance at the 16th, but missed a three-foot putt for ,i win. Hasell was then dormy two, and another missed putt by his opponent saw the end of the mateh. The final between Hasell and Dale was remarkable for the wonderful putting of the latter going out. It almost seemed that he only had to get the ball on to the green and the rest was easy. Never has the writer seen a more devastating exhibition. However, aftei the ninth hole he came back to earth and proved he was only human after all by taking three of the worst on the tenth green.

The game started sensationally. Hasell holed a putt, from the edge of the first green for a three but Dale, quite unperturbed, sank his twenty-footer for the half. At the next Hasell was on the green and his opponent just through. The Eltham man’s chip lipped the hole and Hasell’s putt was very nearly in, but he unexpectedly missed the return and was one down. The New Plymouth man was short with his second at the third and Dale made no mistake with his four and was then two up. The fourth was halved in good threes. Dale played three rather indifferent shots at the fifth and his Aip was well past the hole, but he made no mistake with a fifteen-foot putt, and a half half in five resulted- Hasell made an indifferent second and weak third at the sixth,, but was about ten feet from the pin with his fourth. Dale’s third was on the bottom edge of the green,, hut again his putter worked the oracle and the fortylooter hit the back of the hole and stayed there. His tee shot at the seventh was nicely on, while Hasell was in the rough on the right. He chipped up to within ten feet of the pin but again Dale found the hole with a long putt. The Eltham boy was then three under fours.

A beautiful third by Dale just ran over the bank at the eighth and lie was left an awkward twenty-footer for the half in five. But the trusty putter was still on the job and down it went. Dale had a long putt for a four and only just failed to sink it. He was then four up, having come out in 35—two better than par. Both played weak tee shots at the tenth, but Dale was nicely on with his second, while Hasell was to the right of the green with his third. However, the New Plymouth man now took a turn at the sensational and sank his chip for a four. Dale’s putt for a three never looked like going in and he missed his return and lost the hole. Hasell’s stock then began to rise and his supporters looked happy when Dale missed his putt for a four at the 11th, but the New Plymouth man missed Ins also. Dale was rather lucky at the 12th, where his tee shot almost stymied Hasell, but he missed an easy putt for a two and a win. The Eltham man played the 13th badly. He topped is tee shot, just got out with his second and was short with his fourth and gave tip the hole when his opponent laid his approach dead. Hasell was only two down and he appeared to have a great chance at the Redoubt when Dale pushed his tec shot out. The Eltham player, however, laid his approach close to the hole and Hasell chipped up beautifully but missed an. easy putt. Dale was then three up with four to play, an almost unassailable position, a position he consolidated by halving the 15th with a nice five. The end came at the Dell, when Hasell put his tee shot out of bounds. It was rather a coincidence that Dale should finish his last three matches at this hole.

A POPULAR VICTORY. Dale’s win was very popular and thoroughly deserved. He played the best golf of the tournament, his whole game, more especially 1’: putting, being very sound. In fact, it is doubtful if there is a sounder or better putter in New Zealand to-day. His record in this tournament over the last five years has been consistency itself. In 1924 he was runner-up to Imlay Saunders, being beaten one up on the last green. In 1925 lie was defeated by the same player on the I9th green in the semi-final. In 1926 he was defeated in the second round by A. 8. Hasell 3 and 2. In 1927 P. Grey brought about his downfall in the semi-final after he had r.;, ounted for the redoubtable Leo Quin in the second round, but this year his persistency was rewarded and he carried off the title.

Hasell’s effort was also a good one. He had two hard men in Saunders and Chong to beat and he was unfortunate to strike the winner at the very top of hit game. He is a player of the steady type, always keeping to the straight and narrow track and giving very little away on the greens. He is playing better now than at any stage of his career.

The Waiwakaiho handicap also created a lot of interest and was productive of some good golf and some close finishes. Last year’s winner (C. H. Wyatt) again proved equal to the occasion and annexed the event for the second time in succession. He played well and thoroughly deserved his win, but he must not do it again; he should have a “go” at the big money next time. Wyatt is a fine steady type of player who seems to have the happy knack of being able to produce his best in a match. No reference to the touirfainent could be complete without mention of the untiring efforts of the honorary secretary (Mr. J. H. Boon). Everyone knows how much the success or failure of a tournament such as this depends on the man in the secretarial position, and we were very fortunate in having Mr. Boon ai this onerous post,