GOLF

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20923, 30 September 1939, Page 22 (Supplement)

GOLF

THE HAMILTON CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY NOTES AND COMMENTS (By “Fyfe Scott”) Last week-end saw the local clubs make another forward move with their respective club championships, the finals being reached at St. Andrews and the semi-finals at Lochiel. To reach the final in the senior championship at St. Andrews were R. H. Glading and G. T. Seccombe. Glading played R. McKinnon in the semi-final and won by 4 and 3, though it appeared at one stage as if McKinnon would definitely extend Glading. To the eighth McKinnon was bogey figures and had a lead of 2 up. Although he also got his bogey at the 9th Glading secured a birdie three to reduce the lead to one at the turn. On the way home Glading was bogey figures for the first six, whereas McKinnon was unable to hold his form of the outward journey and dropped five strokes to bogey in the same six to lose five holes and the game by 4 and 3. In the other semi-final G. T. Seccombe played W. Wynne. Seccombe was out in 40 to Wynne’s 41 to be 1 up at this stage, the only bad hole on the way out being the Bth where both took sixes. Seccombe increased his lead to 3 up by the 13th with bogey figures, and secured another win at the short 14th which Wynne played badly to take a 5. The 15th was halved, leaving Seccombe the winner by 4 and 3. In the intermediate division lan Mears accounted for L. Day by 4 and 3, while W. Gunn had a runaway victory from P. G. Harkness by 7 and 6. Bill Gunn is playing particularly well just now and would have been a tough proposition for anybody on last Saturday’s form. A Runaway Victory The final of the junior division also saw a runaway victory, J. F. Bevin defeating W. Westwater by a

large margin. Westwater, who defeated Jack Denz at the 19th in the semi-final, did not produce the form of that day and was 6 down to Bevin at the end of the first 18, Bevin just playing to his handicap. In the afternoon Bevin went on to increase his lead to win comfortably. The finals of the senior and intermediate division will be played on Sunday over 36 holes. At Lochiel a busy week-end was experienced, as qualifying rounds for the club championships took place on Saturday and the first two rounds were played on Sunday. Jock Haggo was one to win his way through to the semi-final in the senior division by defeating J. Woolnough in the first round and Nick Ross in the second round by 3 and 2. Ross, who has been steadily reducing his handicap this season, did well to hang on to this game so long as Haggo was only two over bogey for the first 13 holes. The others to win their way through to the semi-finals were F. Cuthbertson, B. Chalmers and E Etheridge. F. Cuthbertson is a newcomer to Waikato golf and is on a handicap of 4. He originally camo from Oamaru where they nearly take their golf as seriously as in Scotland. Cuthbertson, having a bye in the first round, had to meet ■ Phil Lee in the second round, and started by winning the first two holes. Lee, however, had the game square again by the 10th only to lose the 11th and 15th to be 2 down again. A win at the 17th kept the game alive for Lee but a loss at the 18th saw him lose the game by two holes. Bad Putting In the game between Chalmers and Brown it was only interesting I in respect of the bad putting on the part of both players. Chalmers won by 3 and 2 but his putting will have to improve if he hopes to survive his semi-final game against Etheridge. Etheridge is also a newcomer to Waikato golf and did well to dispose of G. L. Taylor in the second round, a one-hole victory being the result. Those to reach the semi-finals in the intermediate division were M. Kemp, S. Storey, R. Dennis and S. J. Walker, whilst H. Hall, D. McGowan, R. Signal and R. Senior will fight out the junior division. Probably the best recovery of the day was that of R. Signal over D. Gillies. Signal was dormy 4 down and not only won the last four to square the game but went on to win at the 19th. On Monday, Dominion Day, the bankers held their first tournament open to all bankers, at St. Andrews. An entry of over 100 players was received for the tournament in the first place, but with the restriction on benzine the field was eventually reduced to sixty-odd players. Participating was R. F. Edmonds who was, for a year or two, top player and club champion at St. Andrews. After the morning round he certainly looked like the winner of the 36 gross medal with a 77, being five strokes better than L. H. Little, of Matamata. Results of Bankers’ Tourney In the afternoon, however, Edmonds slipped badly to card a 91, to eventually finish in fifth place. The winner was R. Mckinnon, of St. Andrews Club, who improved from an 85 in the morning to a 79 in the afternoon. The best 36-hole net. medal of the day in the A grade was won by D. H. Budd, Auckland, who was also runner-up in the’ gross medal with an 85 and 82, his handicap of 10 making him an easy winner in the net event. In the B grade gross honours went to Arthur Guinness, who plays at the Narrows. A very nice 88 in the afternoon gave him a total of 183. The net 36-hole medal went to J. Bevin, who had a win over Jock Westwater the same day in the junior final. It was pleasing to see the success of Johnnie Bevin as it was his last day’s golf for some time, as Johnnie has joined the Army and went into camp this week. Others who have volunteered their services in St Andrews Club since the outbreak of hostilities are Tony Firth, who recently won the Silver King Cup, J. G. Fergusson, J. Hunter and L. Day. Their absence will be felt in the club and one can only express hopes of their speedy return.