COMMENT ON PLAY

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1940, Page 3

COMMENT ON PLAY

(By "Stance.")

SEMI-FINAL SURPRISES : J. JEFFERY ROUND IN 67

J. Holden's win was well deserved, as throughout the day he was hitting all his shots really well. He was seldom off the line, while round the greens he was very steady, his chipping being especially good. He turned his shots better than his opponents and appeared less likely to fall into errors. His success was due mostly, however, to his play on and around the greens. In the semi-final in the morning against Reilly, Gibson owed his success | to his putter, but in the final it was not so reliable as usual. He failed with putts that rnight have made a great deal of difference to the final result. His driving throughout was straight and consistent, but his mashie play was not as accurate as when he won last year. Gibson's Recovery. The semi-finals produced surprises, T. Gibson beating W. B. Reilly and J. Holden accounting for J. Jeffery. Gibson set off in good style against Reilly by winning the second hole, but Reiily took the next with a birdie three. Gibson won the fourth, but two fine fours gave Reilly the fifth ancl sixth and he maintained his advantage to the turn. Gibson putted weakly at the 10th, enabling Reilly to become two up. Reilly was in trouble at the 11th, Gibson winning one back. When Reilly played a perfect second to within a yard of the flag at the next he appeared sure to win the hole, but Gibson lioled a 30ft putt and Reilly missed his short one. Both played fine seconds to the 13th green and Gibson holed another good putt for a birdie three and a win. Cosy Corner was halved, but Gibson became two up when Reilly failed to chip dead at the 15th. The next was halved in good fours, leaving Gibson dormy. Reilly made a gallant attempt to hole his putt for the three necessary to keep the game alive at the 17th, but the putt missed and Gibson, making no errors about his four, took the game. Holden Out in 32. Sparkling out in 32, J. Holden established a three-up lead on J. Jeffery at the turn and though Jeffery fought gamely on the return journey, Holden held the lead. Holden won the first and third holes and although Jeffery holed a seven-yard putt for a two at the fourth Holden responded by sinking one almost as long for a half. The next two were halved and then Holden holed a 12ft putt for a birdie three and a win at the seventh. Jeffery made game efforts to hole putts for wins at the next two,, but the putts refused to fall. Holden became four up when he took the 11th with a fine four. He missed putts on the next two greens, enabling Jeffery to reduce the deficit to two. Jeffery appeared likely to win the 15th, but his five-foot putt for a two did not go down. A perfect chip gave Holden a win and the game at the 16th. Even First Half. Holden started off in the final by winning the first hole with a fine three, but he failed with a four-foot putt at the second, where Gibson squared the game. Holden was faced with an awkward putt for his half at the third, . but proved equal to the - occasion. Holden appeared likely to win the fifth, but a four-foot putt failed to fall. Nevertheless he holed a seven-foot putt for a half at the next and halved the seventh with a birdie three. Gibson was in trouble all the way at the eighth, where, after putting his tee shot in the hedge, he required three putts, and Holden took the hole 5 to 7. Gibson had a chance of a two at Quinn's Post, but his putt just slipped past the hole.

Holden Increases Lead. Starting the inward half, Holden increased his lead tb. two up when Gibson was badly short with his second at the 10th. He holed an awkward 12ft putt for a four and a win at the next and increased his lead to four up when Gibson took three putts at Outlook. Both were too strong with their chips at Cosy Corner, but a half in fives left Holden dormy. He clinched the issue by planting a perfect tee shot about seven feet from the flag. Mr. H. S. Turner was ref eree. New Course Record. The highlight of the afternoon's play was the creation of a • new unofficial course record by J. Jeffery, who, playinj| in the stableford, was round in 67. Jeffery played scintillating golf all the way and with a little luck with his putts might easily haye been three or four strokes better. His card read: Out, 2 3 4 3 4 4 3 5 4—32; in, 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4—35; total, 67.