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Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20093, 13 November 1939, Page 4

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THREE STROKES HORNABROOK WINS A. MURRAY RUNNER-UP GUY’S BRILLIANT RUN 31 FOR NINE HOLES U’<T Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this clay. A magnificent round of 08 in the morning, followed by 72 in the afternoon. won J. P. Hornabrook. Masterton. the New Zealand open golf title for 1981'. He finished the four rounds with a total of 291. being closely followed by the Titirangi professional, Alex Murray, who, after a brilliant fourth round of HO. returned 204.

Three professionals followed, J. D. Mclntosh, A. Guy and A. Shaw, the margin being eight strokes. Guy provided the sensation of the day with an astounding 31 for the first nine in the third round, playing as if inspired. Silk, dueling, Wagg and Ewcn all performed well to till the next four places. Amateurs with 322 and better qualified for the championship this week, and 321 was the figure for professionals.

In the third round Hie players soon showed they appreciated the easier going, and it was not long after the first pair set out before a better tone than in the first and second rounds became evident.

Hornabrook himself relished the conditions, his excellent 68 testifying not only to his always stylish play and accurate judgment, but to the favourable weather. The wind gradually dropped until at 3 o’clock all was calm and the light perfect. It had seemed earlier as if Mclntosh might lead at the end of the third round, but

Hornabrook, out in 36 after a seven at the seventh and in in 32, including three birdies and an eagle, shot ahead to be four better than Mclntosh. The latter delighted his gallery with steady, even golf. His direction off the tecs was a pleasure lo watch, while in his short game he showed a variety of shots and cool judgment every time. Hornabrook proved himself the complete golfer. Already recognised as New Zealand’s leading stylist, he went round with characteristic enterprise to do even fours. He had a perfect stance, a perfect swing, with a nice blending of wrist and arm movements. He began with a birdie at the first and went on to do the same at the third and seventh, but struck trouble at the ninth, where he topped and sliced his drive to land lo the right of the drain. He played a good iron across, however, to be 34 at the turn. He was short with his second at the eleventh, where he played a faulty chip, running the ball into the left bunker. This cost him six. Thereafter Hornabrook never faltered, doing bogey figures. There was a burst of cheering when he sank a sixfooter at tile eighteenth to make him 38 for the in journey. Ewen won the honour of being the first, to better 70, and many expected him to retain the Jellicoc Cup, which he won at Balmacewan last year with 68, but Hornabrook upset calculations with his 68.

The record first nine of 31 by Guy was one of the features of the day's play, which was notable for many highlights. He was unfortunate at the sixth, where another few inches’ way on the ball would have landed him in in one. Lambic, the Hastings professional, may qualify on the count back with John Wall, Wellington. Notable Absentee A notable absentee from the list of qualifiers is Fuller, Christchurch, who carried off the professional crown at Balmacewan last year, when he beat Guy at (lie fourteenth. "Pax” Smith has finished four strokes under Reilly, whom' lie beat, also at the fourteenth, in tlie amateur final in 1938 in a deluge of rain.

With a quarter of New Zealand's leading professionals following Hornabrook, and with a margin of five strokes 'between Murray and Shaw, a keen contest may be expected this week. Hornabrook, with 68, wins the Jellicoc Clip from Ewen, who nevertheless did 69 in the third round and who himself returned 68 at Balmaccwan last year.

The Bledisloc Cup, awarded to the leading amateur in the open, also goes to Hornabrook.

"Pax” Smith will have lo light hard to retain his amateur title, especially as (Hading, the youthful Hamilton player, has already beaten him in open tournaments this year. Silk, Wagg and Ewen are all playing at, the top of their form, and are likely contenders for the title.

The best score in the fourth round was that of Alex Murray, who was round in (59. He was unlucky with a few putts, otherwise his figures would have been sensational. Out in 34, with birdies at the first, second, fifth and eighth holes, he took one more stroke ' on the inward journey. Al tire eighteenth he was left with a ninefoot putt to break 70 and, with superb , confidence, he sank d fo gain first

prize money among the professional His card read:

Out: 4. 3,5, 4, 3. 3,5, 3, 4—34 In: 4, 5. 3. 4,3, 5,3, 4. 4—35 Total —69

Guy was ill grand form in the afternoon when he returned a card of 70, although at the twelfth and seventeenth he took three putts. He was through the green with his second at the seventh hole, but with magnificent judgment he holed his chip shot for an eagle three. A large crowd followed Guy, whose prodigious tee shots contributed in no small measure to his low scoring. Guy’s figures for the first nine holes were: 4,4, 3,2, 3,2, 5, 4, 4—31.

At one stage Mclntosh looked like winning the open, having played two brilliant rounds of 74 and 75 in adverse conditions, but something better than his third and fourth rounds, 74 and 72, were needed to match Hornabrook’s brilliant 291.

A gallery well over 1000 hampered the players in the crucial fourth round. Hornabrook and George Watt had the biggest following, and round the greens the spectators did not always give the players the consideration that was due to them.

Fourth Aggreround. gate. J. P. Hornabrook • • • 72 291 *AIcx Murray 69 294 *J. D. McIntosh . .. • 72 295 A. E. Guy 70 297 *A. •). Shaw 299 B. M. Silk 75 301 R. H. Glading 71! 302 Rana Wagg 75 303 Ian Ewen 77 303 * James Galloway ... 74 304 D. O. Why to 75 305 *E. S. Douglas 71 306 * George Watt . 75 308 W. E. Reilly 78 309 A. R. Kit to 83 309 J. Jeffery 76 310 R. Cameron 74 311 J. Northland 79 312 L. Quinn ..... 76 312 D. H. Graham 79 313 J. L. Black 79 313 *J. Weir 80 313 “Pax” Smith . /... 77 313 *T. S. Galloway . -. . 74 313 G. Roberts 77 314 *J. A. Clements 77 314 *W. Allbon 78 314 A. Duncan 74 315 A. Sime 76 315 :p C. C. Clements .. ■ 78 315 J. Shelly 72 316 *R. Butters 74 316 I. Cromb 76 316 K. Glendinning 79 316 H. A. Black 82 317 K. Smith 79 317 R. F. Kilto 77 318 :; B. Stratmorc 82 318 Eric Henderson .. ■ • 81 319 * A. Dyke 81 319 A. Doneghuc 78 319 J. Morrison 78 320 P. Quinn 75 320 *J. Lambic 85 321 F. Dixon 76 321 *John Watt 79 321 J. Nash 77 322 J. Tunncll 78 322 *N. H. Fuller 81 322 Stuart Taylor 80 322 R. Holland 83 322 : D. Boyd 81 323 11. Marshall, .inn. .. • 80 323 W. Davidge 86 324 ; A. Sheriff 83 32a H, Gyles 86 325 L. Watson 81 325 E. Pumphrey 81 325 M. Moore 81 325 *E. Jackson 78 325 E. Moriarty 83 330 E. Fletcher 86 332 H. McLean 86 334