MANY SURPRISES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20095, 15 November 1939, Page 11

MANY SURPRISES

NATIONAL GOLF TITLE-HOLDER BEATEN SMITH ELIMINATED GUY GOES UNDER FIRST ROUND MATCHES (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this clay. Surprises came thick and fast in the first round of play in the amateur and professional championships at Miramar to-day when the New Zealand golf tournament was continued in good weather The first disaster was the defeat of “Pax” Smith, other early casualties being Ewen and Reilly. The amateurs turned on sensational golf as was shown by the 68 of Mortland and Taylor. Interest in the professional championship promises to be well sustained. Guy, last year’s runner-up to Fuller, who did not qualify, has been playing sensational golf in the present tournament and Murray, McIntosh, Shaw and Weir promise to be his most serious rivals.

Major Upset

A major upset was provided in the first round in the defeat of the amateur title-holder, “Pax" Smith by the young Rangimarie Club champion, Nash. Out in 35 (two under scratch) Nash was one up at the turn and birdies at the tenth and eleventh gave him a grip on the game that he did not relinquish. Home in 37. Nasli played good golf throughout and his card included six birdies. This is his second national tournament. liornabrook eliminated Sime by a convincing margin. The open champion was not always on the line with his long shots, but made some tine recoveries and, when the game ended, he needed two fours for 70. Sime was only one down at the thirteenth but the issue was never in doubt thereafter.

With a magnificent round of 68 Mortlancl beat Dixon at the thirteenth. The Taihape player went out in 34, with birdies at the first and eighth and an eagle three at the third ("45G yards). He was stymied at the short fourth where lie dropped a stroke. His homeward nine reflected sound play for another 34.

Brilliant Exhibition

Among the outstanding feats this morning was that of Stuart Taylor, a two-handicap player from the Hutt Club, who gave a brilliant exhibition to beat Roberts, a scratch player also from the Hutt. Taylor went out in 35 and home in 33, including a string of five threes.

Ewen and K. Smith had a great tusle, the game going to the twentieth where Smith won with a birdie three. Ewen was 1 up at the turn and dormie one at the eighteenth, but he was short with his approach and missed a .ive-footer for Smith to square the match. The nineteenth was halved in fives, Ewen missing a two-footer for a win.

Jefl'ery, the young New Plymouth scratch player, put E. G. Henderson, Masterton, out of the championship at the twenty-first. The match was squared at the eighteenth and, at the nineteenth and twentieth both got birdies. With the pressure on, Jeffery won at the next with another birdie. His 70 was a particularly good effort.

Murray’s Hard Fight

' Murray had to light hard all the way to beat Weir 1 up at the nineteenth in spite of the fact that he did a sensational round ot (17, the best of the tournament so far. Murray got Tive threes in ,a row. lie was all square with Weir at the turn, where he was 33 to Weir's 35. The match went to the nineteenth where Weir pushed his second out, but Murray was on in two with a pinsplitting 1 low iron shot into the wind. Weir laid him a stymie, but Murray succeeded, to win in five to six. Against J. Clements, Mclntosh was 2 down at thp turn but then produced a devastating run 3,4, 3,3, 3, to win 3 and 2. The unattached Auckland professional, Allbon caused one of the greatest surprises of the day to defeat Guy 1 up, Allbon was 3 up at the seventh, but Guy won three holes in a row to square the match at the twelfth and lie went into a one-hole lead at the next with a birdie three. Allbon fought back grimly to regain the lead at the sixteenth. The next two were halved. Allbon’s putter stood him in good stead to-day. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP First Round

J. P. I-lornabrook d. A. G. Simc, 5 and 3.

j Jeffery d. E. Henderson, 1 up at the'2lst.

J. D. Nash d. “Pax" Smith, 2 and 1. K. Smith d. I. A. Ewen, 1 up at the 20th.

S. Taylor d. G. Roberts, 4 and 3. R. Kitto d. W. B. Reilly, 2 and 1. L. Quinn d. J. Morrison, 3 and 2. R. H. Glading d. I. B. Cromb, 5 and

,J. P. Mortland d. F. Dixon. G and 5

K. Glendinning d. R. Wagg, 4 and 3. A. Kitto d. A. Doneghuc, 1 up at the 19th.

R. Holland d. A. D. S. Duncan, 5 and 3.

H. Black d. D. O. Whyte, 2 and lflz J. B. Tunnell d. ,T. Black, 2 up.

P. Quinn d. R. Cameron, 2 up. B. Silk d. J. Shelly, 4 and 3 PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

First Round W. Allbon d. A. Guy, 1 up. A. Murray d. J. Weir, 1 up at the 19th. James Galloway d. R. C. Butters, 2 up. George Watt d. A. Dyke, 1 up. ,J. D. Mclntosh d. J. Clements. 3 and 2. A. J. Shaw d. C. Clements, 5 and 4. T. Galloway d. J. Lambic. 2 up. B. Stratmore d. E. S. Douglas, 3 and 1.