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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2611, 20 September 1909, Page 6

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POVERTY BAY CLUB. GEOFF. WILLOCK WINS’ THE CHAMPIONSHIP. Great interest centred in the final match for the championship between Pare Iveiha and Geoff. W illock on Satnrdav. Tlie first round started afc 12 o’clock, when there were about a dozen golfers present. Mr. -J. Howie officiated as umpire, and two prominent lady players fulfilled the duties of caddies, Miss Sweet acting for Keiha and Miss; deLautour for Willock. . There was a stiff nor’-wester blowing when the pair set out on the first round. There was little to choose between the play of either on the out journey, which Willock accomplished in 40, and Keiha in 1 more. The former was 1 up at the turn, and playing with perfect confidence and assurance. In the run home Willock oittplayed tlie veteran in most decisive fashion. He got 2 up by recording a brilliant 5 at the long hole (13th), carrying the trees with a marvellous brassie snot with his third, and approaching into the bole from a couple of yards outside the green. He displayed brilliant form throughout, and annexed hole after hole, winding up the round with a commanding lead of 5 up. The faultless style in which Willock did the round may be gauged from the fact tint lie finished up all square with bogey, doing the round in 83, which is 1 under the bogey score. His driving was magnificent throughout, his timing being accuracy itself, while he followed through after the ball in perfect style. Keiha was not at his best, and failed badly with his brassie shots through the * green in the second half of the journey. The colt created somewhat of a sensation by getting such a. commanding lead on the first round, but there were many present who believed that Iveiha waa capable of wiping off even such a heavy deficit as 5 down, and his supporters were still confident that the veteran would still succeed in retaining the title. After a brief interval for refreshments the second round was commenced. By this time a crowd of about 70 people had assembled, and the greatest interest prevailed. Keiha stowed that he had still to be reckoned with by taking the 19th hole in brilliant style by 4 to 5. Willock, who was playing as coolly and confidently as a veteran, however, won the 20th hole in 4 to 5, his approaching and putting being perfect. Willock made his only had drive of the match off the next tee, badly topping his ball and sending it into the long grass. Keiha just failed to carry the bunker, his ball striking it fair and Tolling down on the toe side. Willock went all to pieces at W hole, which cost him 8 strokes, lie Keiha made no mistakes and re-

corded a good 5. Ivciha raised interest to white heat by recording a perfect 4 at the 22nd hole to WiLlock’s 5, and thus reducing the colt’s lead to 3 up. At the short .hole across the road, Keiha was strong, while Willook erred in the opposite direction. How’ever, by laying his second dead against the hole, Willock got 4 up again, taking the hole in 3 against 4. At the 24th, botli men played irreproachably, and halved in perfect 4’s. At the 25th, Willock maintained his steady play, while! Keiha was a trifle faulty with his approach. Taking the hole in 4 to 5, Willock drew 5 up ou liis opponent. Tbe same scores wore recorded at the next green, Willock running down a fine 6ft putt, w’hich placed him 6 up. Willock drovo a magnificent ball going to the 27th, while Keiha also got a fine ball away. The colt played a superb second, which landed his ball within Bft of the pin. Keiha also made a splendid approach, which found the green. Keiha just missed his putt, and Willook holed out in a perfect 3. which left him 7up at the turn. Both men took 40 strokes for the first half of the second round. As .Willook had an 8 at the 21st, it will thus be seen that ho did the other eight holes in the splendid average of 4. Willock continued to play in perfectly faultless style, and annexed the 28th in the bogey sto Keiha’s 6. This left the colt in the happy position of hoing dormy S, and it was realised that a new' champion had arisen. The game was all over at the next green. Willock made a fine long drive, which landed his hall about 20 yards from the green. Keiha was on the short side, aiul had the hard luck to lie close under the wires of the fence at the bottom of the dip. Keiha called up hearty applause by landing his ball on the edge of the green with a perfectlyjudged shot from the difficult lie. The hole was halved in 4, and Willock thus won the championship by the substantial margin of Bup and 7to play. The new champion came in for hearty congratulations on the magnificent game he had played. Keiha took his defeat like the perfect gentleman he is, and was the first to grasp the youthful champion by the hand and heartily congratulate him on winning the title. It would have taken a Clements or a Duncan at their best to have been a match for Geoff. Willook on Saturday. This will be readily understood when a glance at the cards proved that he finished up all square on bogey after playing 29 holes. The following are the cards:— —-First Round. — Geoff. Willook—Out : 646544434—40 In : 545545456—43

83 Pare Keiha — Out : 655445444—41 In : 545766367 —49 90 —Second Round. — Geoff. Willock—Out : 548534443—40 In : 54 Pare Keiha— Out : 455444554—40 In : 54

THE NAPIER TOURNAMENT. A number of members of the Poverty Bay Golf Club will compete in the Napier Club’s tournament, which commences on the Waioliiki links on Wednesday next. F. H. W. Traill, Pare Keiha, and Selby Palmer leave for Napier by the Waikare this morning, while W. R. Barker, P. Barker, H. Barker. C. A. Fenwick, R. Willock, and S. Murray, -who l have been attending the championship meeting at Auckland, will travel to Napier via the Main Trunk line. Traill, Keiha, Palmer, and W. It. Barker will be the Gisborne quartette for the team’s match. Air. W. R. Barker, of Gisborne, was second in the driving competition at the Auckland champion tournament, with 251 yards.

NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIPS. (Per Press Association.! AUCKLAND, Sept. 19. The golf championships concluded on Saturday in perfect weather at Cornwall Park, the finals of the amateur and professional championships being contested. The former w r as won by Arthur Duncan, of Wellington, from J. C. Burns, of Auckland, by 3 up and 1 to play over tlie full course of 36 holes. The match provided plenty of excitement. Going out in the first round, Duncan was four up iat the turn. On the home journey Burns played sensational golf, and of the nine holes won the first five, halved the next three, and won the last, thus leading after the first round by 2 up. His nine holes score home of 36 was the best of the week. His golf ivas not so good in the afternoon, while Duncan improved, and at the third hole was all square. An even match followed until the 17th hole, when Burns cracked up, and left Duncan the winner. The professional championship was won by J. C. Clements, of Wanganui, who beat F. S. Hood, of Auckland, by 3 up and 2 to play. The game was decidedly interesting. Hood’s long play was better than Clements’, and his pitching was perfect, but on tbe putting green tbe Wanganui man was greatly superior to Hood, who missed several easy putts. At the conclusion ,of the amateur championship, which was followed by a crowd of several hundred persons, the prizes won during th© week were presented to the winners by Lady Plunket.