N.Z. GOLF TITLES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20096, 16 November 1939, Page 14

N.Z. GOLF TITLES

SEMI-FINALS REACHED AMATEUR CONTEST PROFESSIONAL. FINAI. MURRAY AND GALLOWAY (Pnr Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. At the end of the sixth day's play in the New Zealand amateur and professional golf championships at Miramar yesterday the fields have narrowed to leave .1. P. Hornabrook, the two Kitto brothers and Silk in the amateur title, and Murray and T. Galloway in the professional event. The professionals will fight out the final to-day, while the amateurs, after two rounds in the semi-final to-day. will play oil' on Friday in two rounds of 18 holes each.

Murray, in a sterling morning round, set a new record of GG for the 74 bogey course, beating his second-round score of G 7 the previous day.

Hornabrook eliminated Npsh 4 and 3 after turning on an almost incredible 31 for the first nine holes. He played faultless golf to finish 4 up on Nash. Hornabrook was out in 31, with eagles at the first and seventh. After missing a three-footer at the eighth, Hornabrook brought a gasp from his gallery when he sank a 30-footer at Coates' Fancy (175yds.). He looked like getting bogey figures for the last three, which would have given him G 7. The Kittos played like champions to finish in the last four. R. Kitto was 2 up on Glading after doing nearly everything fight. His game got him a good start and. after turning 2 up, he went on to play them just a little bit better than Glading, who fought sternly all the way and could have done with a little belter luck in putting. Kitto’s Birdies A. Kitto got birdies at the first, third, sixtli and seventh in his match against Glendinning. He was a mere 3.3 at the turn —sensational play for such a young amateur. Glendinning played at the top of his form but on the day just failed to match Kitto’s all-round steadiness. Murray, with a GG that was a delight to watch, led Allbon at the end of the first 18 holes by five. He was botli out and back in 33, with eagles at the long third and seventh. Allbon showed a wide variety of resourceful and clever shots, but Murray was a little too good. Allbon’s card reach Out: 5. 3,5, 3. 4. 3, 4. 4, 4—35 In: 5,5, 3,4, 3,5, 3,4, 3—35 Murray was 74 —37 each way—in the afternoon, but his lead after the first. 18 was too much of a hurdle for Allbon. Murray putted exceptionally well in the morning round, but lost touch in the afternoon. Nearly to Pin In Two Galloway was 1 down to Stratmore at the end of the morning round. The game was square at the nineteenth, where Galloway got an eagle three. Stratmore was within eight feet of the pin with his second at the twentieth. Galloway got into the blinker with his second and just exploded out on to the green. He missed the putt by two inches and the hole was halved in fives. Stratmore was wild with some of his drives in the afternoon. He took five to reach the green at the .twenty-first for Galloway to draw 1 up in live to seven. The latter tlien settled down to be 3 up at the turn. The Rotorua professional forged further ahead with a brilliant eagle three at the twenty r eighth and was 5 up by taking the twenty-ninth. The end came at the thirty-second, where Stratmore placed his second in the bunker on the right of the green, the hole going to Galloway in four to six. which gave him a comfortable victory of 5 and 4.

It is interesting to note that Stratmore and T. Galloway met to-day for the first time since they were apprenticed in 1919 to the oldest golf club manufacturing company in the world, at Levin, Scotland. Results:—

Amateur Championship Third Round J. P. Hornabrook cl. J.' D. Nash 4 and 3. C. Kitto cl. R. H, Glading, 1 up. A. Kitto d. Glendinning, 5 and 3. B. Silk cl. Tunnell, 4 and 2, Professional Championship Semi-final A. Murray cl. W. Allbon, 2 and 1. T. Galloway cl. B. Stratmore, 5 and 4. New Zealand Plate Second Round Ewen cl. Jeffery, 5 and 4. Taylor cl. Cromb, 3 and 2. Mortland cl. Duncan, 4 and 3. J. Black d. Shelly, 4 and 3.