GOLF TITLE PLAY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 11, 6 October 1937, Page 9

GOLF TITLE PLAY

•Proas Association.)

N.Z. Amateur & Professional Championships MATCH ROUNDS BEGIN

(By Teloffraph-

HAMILTON, Last Night. Auiong geveral interesting features in to-day 's first and second rounds of the ainiiteur and professional golf championships wero the unofficial course record of J. P. Hornabrook by returning a 68 and the excellent score of the young Seafield player R. F. Kit'to Whose figures (69) equalled the course record held conjointly by Sloan Morpcth, B. G. Thomson and R. H. Glading. A gusty westerly wind made for unpleasant and rather difficult conditions in the forenoon but the weather improved later. J. P. Hornabrook, T. H. Horton, A. R. Kitto, B. F. Kitto, B. M. Silk, J. R. Hobbs, W. G. Horne and H. W. Hattersley xemain to contest the third round of the amateuf title to-morrow, while the remaining professionals are Moss, Smith, junr.,' Douglas and Shaw. The results of the amateur championship were as follow:— First Round. J. P. Hornabrook beat J. Mortland, 1 up. B. G. Thomson beat K, "Ward, 5 and 4. A. Duncan beat Dale, 4 and 2. T. Horton beat H. Brinsden, 4 and 3. J. L. Black beat. H. A. Black, 1 up at the 19th. A. R. Kitto beat X Young, 6 and 5. A Sime beat F. McDonald, 4 and 2. R. Kitto beat P. Smith, 5 and 3. B. Silk beat H. Longstaff, 4 and 2. R. Holland beat J. Logan, 4 and 3. I. Ewen beat A. B. Blank, 4 and 2. J. Hobbs beat G. Roberts, 3 and 2. W. Horne beat S. Cooper/ 3 and 1. B. Menzies beat P. Peacock, 1 up at the 19th. K. Ross won by default from At Moore. H, "W. Hatterslcy beat R. Glading, 4 and 3, Second Round. J. P. Hornabrook beat B. G. Thomson, 6 and 5. T. H. Horton beat; A. D. S. Duncan, 4 and; 2. A. R. Kitto beat X L. Black, 3 and 2, R. F. Kitto beat A. G. Sime, 3 and 2. B. M. Silk beat B. G. Holland, 4 and 3. H. W. -Hattersley beat K. Ross, 2 up. ,W« G. Horne beat B. H. Menzies, 3 and 2. . H. E. Hobbs beat Q. A. Ewen, 3 and 2, , .v. . PROFESSIONAL, First Ronnd. E. J. Moss beat N. Fuller, 3 and 2. A. E. Guy beat G. Ritchie, 4 and 3 B. J. Smith, junr., beat J. A. Clement's, 4 and 3. J. Weir beat J. Mclntosh, 4 and 2. E. Douglas beat A. Dyke, 1 up. T. Galloway beat 'P. Branch, 5 and 4. N. Bell beat C. C. Clements, 3 and 1. A Shaw beat J. Lambie, 2 and 1. Second Round. E. J, Moss beat A. E. Guy, 2 up. B. J. Smith, junr., beat J. Weir, 5 ind 3. E. Douglas beat T. S. Galloway, 1 up. A. J. Shaw beat N. Bell, 1 up. HORNABROOK WINS, 1 UP AT THE 18th Close Game with Mortland J. P. Hornabrook, who is defending the amateur title, experienced a Tepetition of the opposition he Teceived from L. J. Bryant, the Hamilton player, in the first round at New Plymouth iast year when he met J. P. Mortland, of Taihape, this morning. W'hereas Bryant took the champion , to the 19th, Mortland to-day finished 1 down at the 18th. Mortland played a fighting • game throughout and after being 2 down at the 12th he took the 13th and maintained. the .position of 1 down to the end. An indication of the difference in the luck of the two men was that

six occasions and every time experienced ideal lies, whereas his partner was ofl the fairway only twice but both times the ball was in difficult positions. • , A bad gtart lost Mortland the first hole. His tee shot found the river and he completed the hole in 5. Hornabrook was 2 up at the third whieh was halved and from that sbage until the turn bogey figures were obtained by both players. Driving from the ninth Hornabrook went down the river bank and with his second entered the rough but chipped to the green, finishing the hole for a maguificent four. Mortland miss* ed his putt and was out in fivo, finishing the outward journey in 40 againsfc Hornabrook 's 38. Hornabrook maintained his load until the 12th but Mortland took the 13th in four wMch included a chip and putt against his. opponent's chip and two putts. The 14th and 1.5th were halved in bogey and tho 15th was halved in birdie fours. With the 17th also halved Mortland made a wonderful bid to even the 18th. After hooking from the tee his second shot passed over a tree and came toi rest near the first green. Hiu flfth shot, which was only a five-yard putt, lippe^l the hole and he holed out in six. Hornabrook dro've first to the right of the 'ounker but a poor second entered tho, bunker only five yards away. He was on the green in four to hole out in six ; " Nineteen-Year-Old Star. i With a backgrotmd knowledge of tiu. use of a golf club since the age oi peven but merely four yeara in club jplay combined with confidenee in his own ability, the nineteen-year-old Sea-, field champion B. F. Kitto leapt to the .position of one of the finest amateui. golfers in the Dominion to-day whea playing in his second New Zealand .cbampionship tournament. He unofficially equalled the course record at St. .Andrew's with a brilliant round of G9. The feat cannot be xecognised as it was !not accomplished in stroke play but after winning his round match in the 'championship against Pax G. F. Smith, the young Auckland star, with 5 and 3, Kitto completed the course to finish in the Temarkable figures of 69 which aTe five strokes below the standard scratch score. A farmer by occupation, JTitto '' has played on a private course at his home in Brunswick, Wanganui, since childhood. He is one of a golfing fam ily and his round to-day was mainly the result of almost consummate putting but his other work, too, was brilliant. . Ihe Tecord is jointly held by Sloan e Morpetb, B. G. Thomson and E. H Glading. Kitto 's card read:— Out: 34434445 4—35 In: 34433453 3—34 Total . . .. 69 Hornabrook's Record. Going around the course in a manner never before witnessed at St. Andrew's, the favourite for the amateur title, J. P. Hornabrook, the new open champion, continued on after beating his opponent, B. G. Thomson, 6 and 5, in the second round to create an unofficial course record of 68. It was the second great round of the day and it outclassed thc earlier performance of R. E. Kitto. Although not a long hitter from the teeg Hornarook gained good length by accurate direction, but his record came mainly as the T|sult of accuracy with his irons to the pin. Despite the fact that three putts were taken at the 17tb and an 18-inch putt was mlssed at the ninth, Horijabrook was still able to .better the record. This indicates just how brilliant his golf xealiy was. Hornabrook's first mistake came at the eighth where he went over the bank to a bunker and took five for the hole. At the other holes his play was fir3tclass except for two lapses in putting and hiB score included two eagles and five birdies. There were five bogeys and strokes were dropped at six holes. Hornabrook's oard Tead: — Out: 3 3 4 3 4 4 4 5 5— 35 In: 44S32445 4—33 Total 68 Kitto's Fine Form. r R. F. Kitto, the Seafield handicap 2 player who unofficially equalled tho course record in the first round, again played excellent golf in the sbcond^when he eliminated A. G. Sime 3 and 2. Sime was in the same position us P. G. F. Smith 'in tho morning as although he returned a fine card it was not good , enough to win. Sime came home with eight 4's and a 5. Kitto was out in 36 and finished the last nine holes with an

eagle three for 35. Sime "went out in 38 and come home in 37. / Guy '8 Big Hits Crack Vp. Cracking up with his big drive at a time when he was leading 1 up with four holes to play A. E. Guy was eliminated from tho professional championship in the second round by E. J. Moss Who played consistent golf and left nothing to chance. It was at the 16th that the young professional first, topped his drive which had before been perfeet. .The same lapse occurred at the 17th and after that Mo3s took the game 2 up at. t!he 18th. Both players were out in 37 after each had encountered trouble at the bunkers at two holes. At the sixth Guy suhk his third stroke and at t.he 12th Moss negoti'ated a stymie in brilliant manner to win the hole, but a birdie two at the 14th gave Guy a leld of one hole. At that stage, however, it was the breakdown at the tees that lost an otherwise even match for Gny. 3haw's Close Call. ~ ' Partners in the foursomes for many years and two great golfers^ A. J.

Shaw and Norrie Bell had a great (tussle which ended at the 18th green ,with Shaw the victor 1 up. The game provided the most interesting match play of the tournament and Shaw finishe'd with an excellent medal score of 71 after experiencing a sxx at the 15th. Shaw squared the match at the second hole with an eagle three and after that all the holes to the turn were halved in par figures. Skaw went out in 35 and Bell in 36. All the holes' to the 15th wero halved, but Bell then secured a lead with 5 to Shaw's 6. Shaw made a great recovery and won the match with a birdie four at the last.