KIRK-WINDEYER CUP RETURNS TO AUSTRALIA

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 266, 31 January 1928, Page 13

KIRK-WINDEYER CUP RETURNS TO AUSTRALIA

YESTERDAY'S GOLF TEST GAME DECIDED ON POINTS

Set a good example by the visiting team winning the Kirjc-Windeyer Golf Cup in Sydney last year, the Sydneyites at Miramar yesterday won the cup from New Zealand. The matches were even, but th© visitors won the cup on holes played out. (Special to THE SUN.) WELLINGTON, Monday. The results in the cup matches Sloan Morpeth and Dr. Ross (New Zealand) defeated Dr. Nigel Smith and W. R. Smith, 1 up. W. K. Dobson and Ur. Lee Brown (Australia)- -defeated T. -H. Horton and Donald Grant, 3 up. Dr. Ross defeated Dr: Nigel Smith, 4 up. T. H. Horton defeated W. R. Smith, 1 up. W. R. Dobson defeated Donald Grant, 1 up. Dr. Lee Brown defeated Sloan Morpeth, 6 up. Bad. division of her golfing forces cost New Zealand the Kirk-Windeyer Cup, the matches finishing. three all, and the decision was on holes play. New South Wales had won 11 to New Zealand’s eight. Many thought that Duncan should have found a place in the team ahead of either Grant or Horton, but Horton justified himself by his defeat of Walter Smith, and Grant's loss to Dobson was a very near thing indeed. On the other hand, it was obvious that neither the Horton-Grant nor the Mor-peth-Ross combinations went very well together, and had Ross and Grant been paired, as they hoped and expected, things would have gone off very much better. As it was, New Zealand's first pair just scraped in one Qp, and in the other foursome Lee Brown and Dobson played brilliant golf to which neither Horton nor Grant could answer. The match was lost in a tine run of 433, which the Australians got after the eighth hole, for it made a desperate attack by New Zealand necessary, to reduce the tremendous lead of four holes in only seven holes play. Grant and Horton did their utmost, and won three holes in succession, but the effort was too great, and at the 16tli Horton picked a small ditch out of all the wide fairway to put his drive. STYLISH GOLF In the afternoon Lee Brown showed that, at his height, he is equal to any golfer in Australasia. He reeled off a 70 by most stylish golf, and scarcely made a bad shot, losing only two holes to Morpeth, the third, where he made an approach which only caught the edge of the green, while Morpeth’s was in easy distance for a par four, and the eighth, where his drive found a hole in. the fairway, and his second went only a few yards. Even there Brown had a chance of a-half, Morpeth leaving the ball nicely in line for him, only a couple of inches from the hole, but. with; this big mark, tho Australian’s ball slipped between* his opponent’s and the cup.- For the rest it was all Brown. A long putt for three at the fourth, and a two at the sixth; were unanswerable scores, and at th© 415-yard hillside Morpeth had to do a three to get a half. Brown was out in 34 and Morpeth in 36, the New Zealander being two down. Coming in he was npt so spectacular, but was too sound for Morpeth- Morpeth had completely lost his touch on the greens, and collapsed .entirely on the way in. Brown’s win was a great one, - for a very temperamental player who was all nerves before the game. Cards: Brown— Out: 4,4, J,5,4,2,3,5,4 .. .. 34 In: 4,4,3,5,3,4,4,5,4 36 Morpeth— Out: 5,4,4, A, 5,3,3,4,4 .. .. 36 In: 4,5,4,5,3,5,4,5,5 .. .. ... 40 ROSS JUSTIFIES SELECTION Kenneth Ross spread-eagled Nigel Smith as badly as Brown beat Morpeth. Ross was a victor from the very first hole, and was three up inside four holes, taking the score up to four up at the turn, and holding it there. H© went out in 35, which Smith could answer with nothing better than bogey 39, and that was not . good enough. Ross cam© in in 37, spoiling a great card by lashing his -drive out of bounds at the last hole, and then finding a bunker and taking six. BENT ON REVENGE Horton went out bent on having his revenge on Walter Smith for the thrashing which the young visitor inflicted on him in the championship tourney, and just got there by dogged play in a match which saw him pushed to the utmost- Horton missed a vital hole at the seventh, where his two-foot put for a win went astray. Smith got the lead when Horton struck serious trouble at the ninth, and held it until the New Zealander, with a great winning break, took the 13th, 14th, and 15th in a row, to be one up. Horton then clinched the match with a sound four at the long 17th, being two up and one to play, though he lost tho 18tli through taking things easily round the green, and having to enter a six on his card. Horton took, •10 out, and 37 in, while Smith was out in 39, and in in 38. A GOOD BEGINNING Grant began in famous fashion against Dobson, whom Wales fielded as fourth man. There was some criticism of Dobson's placing., in tlie light of his showing in the qualifying round, but the result showed that he should not have played first. Grant *von the first hole easily, Dobson beng desperately nervous, and taking seven, but lost the second through finding a bunker. Dobson turned three up, they played the short 11th badly, Dobson winning it 4 —5. After chat Grant made a remarkable spurt, winning the 13th and 14th in 4—5, and the 16th in 3 —4, reducing Dobson’s lead to one hole with two to play. Grant’s last win was with a 20ft putt from the edge of the green, and Dobson felt the strain of having a winning lead snatched away from frim. Grant hit a good drive down the centre of the fairway, while Dobson pulled his away on to the 18th, topped his second abcut 10 yards, and barely reached the green with his third. Grant was lying nicely with his second and played a push shot to run the ball up to the pin. Dobson then played a long putt, which was reasonably near, but did not attempt to hole out with it and clinch th© match. His nerve was evidently shaken, and he was ready to crack, unfortunately fo»r New Zealand, Grant’s eight-foot putt for the hole halted an inch from the cup, and they halved in fives. THE CUP LOST He now had to make .an effort for a break, and Dobson had his confidence back. Grant duffed his last drive, barely carrying the rough in front of the tee with it, and though he played a good second, his approach was pulled, and not even on the green. Dobson played two easy shots, and was lying nicely, for a probable four, when Grant, who oyer-ran the pin with his fourth, missed his last chance with a 20-foot putt back, and the cup was destined for a long journey. Had Grant even squared his match the trophy, would have rested in New Zealand for another year.