WON BY SMITH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 November 1938, Page 8

WON BY SMITH

AMATEUR GOLF TITLE REILLY BEATEN 4 AND 3. LOSER PUTS UP PLUCKY FIGHT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, November 18. The youngest golfer ever to become New Zealand amateur golf champion was crowned on the Balmacewen links today, when P. G. F. Smith, the 20-year-old Akarana and North Island champion, beat W. B. Reslly (Shandon) by 4 up and 3 to go in the final over 36 holes. The Akarana lad is a son of B. J. Smith, the Akarana professional coach, who has been prominent in New Zealand golf for many years, and a brother of B. J. Smith, Junr., who finished second equal in the open championship. After his defeat of Bryan Silk by 8 and 6 in the semi-final, Smith today shaded Reilly over the 33 holes played, and at no stage of the match was he down to the Shandon man. Driving a long ball and keeping excellent direction, he put snap into his iron shots and his pitching was very accurate. He also proved himself an adept at playing out of bunkers. His only weakness was in short putting and he missed a few under four feet in the match. Reilly put up a plucky uphill fight against a better player and did well to hold the brilliant Auckland lad to as narrow a margin as 4 and 3. Smith took 35 for the run out to Reilly’s 37. Smith did the home run in 39, which gave him 74 for the round. Reilly took 38 for the last nine, making his full journey 75. There was a distinct change in the weather in the afternoon and drizzling rain was falling when they set off on the afternoon round at 2 p.m. Smith seemed to revel in the moist conditions. The end came at the thirty-third when Reilly found a bunker to the left with his second shot. Smith took the hole in 4 to 5, which . gave him- the championship by 4 up and 3 to play. Despite the rain, a gallery of about 400 followed the afternoon round. Both finalists today were born in Dunedin and this increased interest in the contest.