GOLF CHAMPION

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20097, 17 November 1939, Page 4

GOLF CHAMPION

MURRAY’S TITLE PROFESSIONAL CROWN CONVINCING MARGIN AMATEUR FINALISTS HORNABROOK A. KiTTO (Tor I’niss Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Gull' of a high standard delighted the large galleries at the 1 second last day of the New Zealand championships at Miramar.

A. Murray played two sterling rounds to win the professional cham-

pionship by beating T. Galloway by the convincing margin of 8 and (i. J. P. Hornabrook, this year’s open champion, finished 2 and 1 against E. Kitto, after being 1 down at the end of the morning round. In the other amateur semi-iinal A. Kitto beat B. M. Silk, 1 up. Silk was 1 up after the first 18 holes, but over the final round his putting was not up to his usual standard, which really accounted for his defeat.

The weather could not have been better for good scoring. The wind was fairly calm and the general conditions were sultry, especially in the late afternoon.

A. E. Guy hit the longest ball in the competition at the end of the day's play. With a slight side wind, he drove 286yds. Ift. 4in. A. H. Boyd returned the best aggregate with two drives, 283yds. Gin. and 271yds. 4in. Carr, of Titirangi, was next with 278 yds. 9in. and 272yds. lOin.

The final of the amateur championship will be played to-morrow over 36 holes between I-lornabrook and A. Kitto. The weather promises to be fine, with a freshening north breeze.

R. Kitto’s Stern Fight R. Kitto put up a stern light against Hornabrook, and when he was 1 up after the first round there was great speculation whether he could keep up the pressure in the afternoon. The match was square at the ninth, but Hornabrook, playing well, drew ahead to be 2up at the twelfth. He got into a trap at the eighteenth, but recovered well. Kitto sank his longish putt to take tiie hole and be round in 74 to Hornabrook’s 73. Hornabrook drew level at the nineteenth, but lost the next, where he pulled his drive on to the sand and dulled his second also on to the sand. He found the bunker with his third. Kitto took four.

Homabrook's putting was not up to his usual standard, and he failed with a two-footer. At the twenty-third, Kitto missed a four-footer and the hole was halved in fours. Hornabrook hit a beautiful tec shot at the short twenty-fourth to within 10ft., and finished with a three, to be 1 up. Kitto got into the bunker and took four. Saved by Stymie A stymie saved Hornabrook at the twenty-fifth. Kitto had a three-footer for four, but he hit Hornabrook's ball and lives halved it. Kitto won the twenty-sixth with a four when Hornabrook's approach to the green from an angle rolled into the bunker and he could do no better than bogey five. The gallery watched with suspense as Hornabrook’s 40-footer stopped on the edge for fours. They were all square with 39 each out.

Fours followed at the twenty-eight and twenty-ninth. At the short thirtieth Kitto got a three to a four, and was 1 up. He was through the green at the thirty-first in two, but returned to within four feet of the hole, but missed and took five. Hornabrook squared the match with a four. They halved the thirty-second in fours after Kitlo’s second finished well through, but his chip actually jumped the hole. Turning- Point The thirty-third proved the turningpoint in the whole game. Kitto hit a poor drive that found the bunker. His second was only moderate, and his third a wild slice. The hole cost him six. but Hornabrook, with a good four, went into a one-hole lead. Hornabrook was on at the short thirty-fourth, where Kitto was bunkered, but he stymied Hornabrook at close range and fours halved the hole. However, a birdie three at the thirty-fifth to Kitto's four gave Hornabrook a lead of two for a win. He was 31 for the last eight, holes to Kitto’s 34. Hornabrook was not as certain as on previous days. He drove a good bah. but some of his approaches were a bn astray or short. Kitto fought back gallantly, but found a fair bit of trouble and could not recover all the lime. ’

The result of the match between Silk and A. R. Kitto was in doubt until the last. Silk established a lead at the second with a birdie three, but Kitto squared the match at the fifth, where he ran down a five-footer following a perfectly-judged pitch shot. Stymied at the short sixth, Kitto lost the hole in three to four. He drove to the green at the eighth (330yds.), but needed three putts, and the hole was halved.

The players were all square again at the turn. Kitto was unlucky to er-