MORPETH WINS

Evening Star, Issue 19659, 12 September 1927, Page 9

MORPETH WINS

Horton Fails on the Orsons

[From Our Special Commissioner.]

HAMILTON, September 10. The final thirty-six holes of the New Zealand amateur golf championship ww played to-day at Hamilton m rainv weather, between Sloan Morpeth (Auckland) and T. H. Horton (Master ton).. Horton.had had the stitfer series of matches on the way to the final, while Morpeth had a sequence of large wins over his opponents. Horton’s victims were as follows: —F. Quin, by 11 and 10; J. Goss, by 1 up; Morgan Duncan, by 5 and 4; Norrie Dell, by 3 and 2. The following players tell to Morpeth before he reached the finalßlank, by 10 and 8: Tidmarsli, 9 and 8; Grey, 11 and 10; Sime, 3 and 2.

To-day Horton played beautiful golf from the tee and up to the green, but ho was weak on the green, missing about six quite holeable putts of from 4ft to 3yds. ' Morpeth putted beautifully throughout, and that fact gave him bis lead of 3 holes at the eighteenth. The difference between the two players was marked. llforton’s iron shots and his pitches were immaculately played, and moved all golfers to admiration. Again and again he pitched beautifully, playing the ban smoothly and accurately. Me was , making the pace all the way going [ out, although Morpeth won the first in 3, where Horton missed a 6ft putt. Not only were Horton’s irons and niashie’s perfectly played, his brassio shots were also; and he struck the first ■of,those at tho long second, straight for the green. Here Morpeth forced hia second and miss-hit it. Alter a fine run up Horton missed a Oft putt, and allowed Morpeth to halve in 5 at the third. Horton played a “ picture " of an approach across a bunker to tiio j green, and was putting, for a 3. Morpeth had a poor running approach shot, and took 5. All square. At the long fourth, after a good approach from 30yds, Horton failed at a 9ft putt, while Morpeth holed 3tt tor a 4, after a fine run up. Morpeth. 1. up. At this stage of the game it was evident that the onlookers could bo divided into two groups—those who watched the style and execution of the shots, and those who only the result measured by yardage from the pm. The connoisseurs wore delighted with Horton’s shots as examples of line execution, and yet Morpeth was getting the ball up to tho green and close to | the hole, and was holing out beautii fully. In every shot that was played ] between tee and green Horton was obi viously at home, at his ease, and confident. Morpeth had to play some shots which he did not like at all, and at which he did not feel comfortable, hut he mastered situations very I successfully. j In the same way it was Morpeth ; who was obviously the master in tho ■ putting balance. Smoothness, boldness, i-coiifidence—all these qualities 'he ! had. together with tho vision of the I eagle, which enabled him to putt truly, I and sometimes magnificently. Horton ; wis pushing out his putts, and letting J them slip past the hole to tho right. The fifth was halved in a par 4, and Horton holed sft at the 330yds sixth for a “birdie” 3, after a perfect pitch | to the plateau green. 1 At the long seventh, Horton had another “ picture ” of a brassie shot, and put his third by the pin. At this (•OSOyds) hole Morpeth had a fine second from the -rowgh, played a somewhat ragged third, and shaved tho hole with his 12yds rim up. A half i in 5 left the game square. 1 At tho eighth. Morpeth failed to I catch Lis drive, but it ran up tho teo : bank of the gully, and be put a great deck shot (220yds) to the left edge of the green. Horton’s iron shot sailed to the pin, and finished 4yds beyond it, which putt Horton left 4ft short, 1 but got his 4 to Morpeth’s 5, becoming 1 up. At the ninth, along the ridge of tho •Waikato bank, Horton played a fine low driving iron to tho left side of tho green, avoiding the risk of tho bank to the right of the green. _ From that position he ran np to within 4ft, and then Morpeth thrilled tho crowd with liis “ picture ” of a run-up putt, which lipped the hole for a “ birdie ” 3. Horton missed the putt, Morpeth holed and squared the match. Square at the turn, fine driving iron shots to the tenth left Morpeth dose to the pin, and Horton on the far edge of the green. Strong with his run-up putt, Horton failed with the ! return putt, and was 2 down. | Horton played a fine recovery shot I from a deep bunker at the eleventh j through the green; a fine pitch left . him 4ft from the hole, and Morpeth had a testing shot for his third out of a wet shalohv bunker by the green. He got it to the edge of the green, ' and achieved a half in 5, alter Horton had missed a 4ft putt for a 4. i At the twelfth both players readied the green easily with their iron shot : seconds, and halved in 4. Morpeth ' had a great deck shot for his second ito the' 400yds twelfth, and Horton’s ; second was just as good. Once more. ; Horton missed a 3-yarder tor a 4, while i Morpeth, after a weak approach putt sank a 10-footer for a win in that figure. Horton tried a change of putter now, in the hope that his touch and his confidence on the green would return, but later events showed that the hope was not fulfilled. Played as it should be, the foiw- , teenth was halved in 3, and Morpeth ; put Ids long drive at tiie fifteenth out iof bounds, and on the green missed a ; holeable putt for a 5, in w.hich figure I the hole went to Horton, making him 2 down. A fine brassie to the six- > teenth green made a 4 easy for Horton, but Morpeth played a perfect I ruu-up (really a run-down) to the edge :of the bank, whence the ball gently ; trickled toward the hole and missed a 1 3—halved in 4. I' Both put their over the I green at tho seventeenth. Horton 1 missed a putt for a 4, and a half in 15 resulted. A dead stymie at the j eighteenth robbed Horton of a hall, I and he went into lunch 3 down. THE AFTERNOON ROUND.

The first hole in the afternoon was halved in 3, and the second went to Morpeth in 5 to 6, where Horton pulled into the rough. By this time it was evident that Morpeth had worked out of any hesitation he might have felt hi tho forenoon. He now was setting the pace, driving confidently and playing easily to the greens, while his putting remained as smooth and true as over. It looked as if Morpeth would be hard to overtake by anyone this uiternuou.

The sixth was halved in 4, which might have been 3 for either, and Horton holed a 10ft putt xt the long fourth for a half in 4 to 4. Horton was rewarded at the fifth by getting a 3 from a perfect pitch, and at the sixth, where he ran close up to the cup, a stymie robbed h.'m of a half, although he pitched it with his mashie niblick. Two shots in the rough cost Horton the long hole, with Morpeth beating down the middle with great accuracy, and holding out in a par 5.

New Amateur Golf Champion

A beauty of an iron shot to the eighth green enabled Horton to win, 4 to 5, and left him 1 down. It was Morpeth’s turn to play a “picture” of an iron plumb on to the ninth green. He secured his 4, although Horton made a good effort, bunkered to the left of the green. At the tenth Morpeth thrilled the crowd by a great "hip shot to tho edge of the hole, just missing a 2. He won the hole in 3. Horton missing a 4yds putt. Horton 6 down.

Horton was obviously tiring, while Sloan Morpeth looked lit for a Marathon. No doubt the missed putts and certain little touches of misfortune combined to make Horton more tired. He sliced off the too at the eleventh, put a perfect cleek to the edge of the green, ran up to 4ft ,and again missed the putt, allowing Morpeth a mediocre half in 5.

Morpeth played a fine iron shot fur his second to the 400yds twelfth, and after being off the green with his second, Horton holed a gallant 10-footer for a half in 4

That kept the match alive, for Morpeth was dormie, 6. Heavy going towards the thirteenth in the rough caused Horton to reacli the greeu in 3, while Morpeth was close up in 2 Horton went for his 4, missed it, and as Morpeth had 3 for a half and the match, Horton knocked the balls away and held out his hand to congratulate the 1937 amateur golf champion of New Zealand

It was a popular win, and the crowds congratulated vSloan Morpeth with delight, while they agreed that Horton had played beautiful golf yip to the greens all day. Morpeth is now resident secretary of the Titirangi-Maungakiekie Golf Club Auckland, where Ins prowess as a golfer is a great asset. He won an Army tourney at Sandy Lodge near London after the war, won the New Zealand amateur championship in 1920 and was runner-up the same year ir

the open. Morpeth is an example of the best tvpo of New Zealand sportsman. He stands about 6ft in height, is broad shouldered, big boned, athletic looking, and has the clear eye and the delicate touch which are essentia! to the great golfei. PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS. The following is the list (f winners of tho New Zealand amateur championship from 1893: ISO:!—). A. Somerville (Otago). 1801—H. M'Neil (Otago). 1805—(i. Cosset (Christchurch). S Todd (Otago). 1898—W. Prvdc (Wellington), 1898— D. Pryde (Wellington). 1899 A. n. S. Duncan (Wellington). IDOD—A. D. S. Dunc.-m (Wellington!. Him —A. O. fi. Dnnenn (Wellington). 1002—S. 11. Dolton (Napier). 1901!—K. Tareha (Napier). 10(11—A. 11. Fisher (Otago). niO.i—A. D. S. Duncan (Wellington). 190(5—5. 11. Gollan (Napier 1. 1907 A. D, S. Duncan (Wellington). 1908— H. C. Smith (Otago). WO9—A. D. S. Duncan (Wellington). 1910— H. 11. l.nsk (Christchurch!. i 1911— A. 1). S. Duncan (Wellington). 1912 B. B. Wood (Chrislchurchh 1913 B. B. Wood (Christchurch). Bill—A. D. S. Duncan (Wellington). 1015-18—No competition, owing to the rear. 1019- C. Crssse (Nanier'. 1020— S. Morpeth (Hamilton). 1921—A. G. Sinie (Greymouth). 1022—A, D. S. Duncan (Wellington). 1929 I. Goss (Wnng.inui). 1025—1,. Quin (Elthaml. 1025—T, H. Horton (Masterlon). 192(5—A. D. S. Duncan (Wellington). 1927 S. Morpeth (Hamilton).