HOCKIN LEADS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 625, 30 March 1929, Page 11

HOCKIN LEADS

GOLF IN A GALE (C —“ Auckland championship MANY PLAYERS CRASH Aspirant* to the Auckland provincial golf championship title faced a stiff proposition this morning when they went out to try and qualify for the match-play stages, which commence on Monday. In a howling gale player after player crashed. In the words of one of the players, each round was a series of regrettable episodes. For the first time the event was played at Titirangi, this being the rirst big tournament on the new course. After a heavy drenching of rain the course this morning was on the slow side, the greens not being as good as they have been. There wua an excellent entry, Sloan Morpeth, the open champion, J. L. Black, of Hamilton, runner-up for the amateur, H. IJ. Husk, defender of the provincial title, and J. Hockin, the Titirangi champion, who beat Morpeth in the final last year, being among the entrants. When Morpeth returned accompanied by McKenzie, the Pupuke champion, it was realised that the qualifying scores this year were going to be very high. The golf conditions at Jhe back of the course were such that golf was hardly playable. At the eleventh, for instance, Morpeth, who usually drives anything from 250 to 320 yards, with a full drive could not get xis far as the green 160yds away. Morpeth’s holes against the wind showed how hard the conditions were. Starting with three s's against the wind, ho did the next four holes with the wind in 3 4 4 3, against the scratch score 3 5 5 3. The next two scratch 4’s cost him a 6 and and 6, so that he was out in 40. Continuing against the wind he did 6 4 6, and then a 9. mainly duo to a pulled iron second into the ti-tree. He was one under 4’s for tire last fiVe. McKenzie, who was out in 4G, took 50 to return with a 9 and four 6’s in it. As the morning wore on, there was some indication of the force of tho wind dropping, but all .of the players had difficulty with it, particularly on the greens where the wind kept the balls in a quiver and made short putts most difficult. J. L. Black, who shared the honour of being a scratch man with Morpeth, could manage an 88 only, with 43 out and 45 back. He was entirely new to the course. Rex George and W. S. Ralph brought in the best scores of the morning, both 82’s. Ralph, with a 42 out, came home with an excellent 40, apart from two 6’s. George, with 43 out, came back in 39, the best half record up to that stage, and spoiled only by a 7 at tho 12th. H. B. Rusk started out well in defence of his title, with a well-played 43, he, also, finding the inward half tho easier. H. Plumley, another prominent Middlemoro player, was among the low scorers, with an 84, spoiled only by two lots of four puttsIt fell to the lot of J. Hockin (on the 2 mark), the Titirangi champion, to lead the field this morning. Also he was the only one of 70 competitors to break 80. His card read: Out: 456. 454, 454 —41. In: 635, 435. 444—38. Total, 79. B. J‘. Smith, the young Akarana player who did so well last season in the early stages of his golfing career, was in second place this morning and he was the only player to break 40 on the very difficult outward trip. He started off with 556, in both his halves. His card read: Out: 556. 344. 444 —39; In: 556, 544, 544—42 Total, 81. The next scatch score at Titirangi is 37 out and 38 home, the distances being 2,994 yards out and 3,131 yards in, a total of 6,124 yards. At the end of the first round the leading scores were: J. Hockin (Titirangi), 79; B. J. Smith (Akarana), 81: R. George (Titirangi), 82; W. Ralph (Middlemore), 82; H. B. Rusk (Middlemore), 83; S. Morpeth (Titirangi), S 3; E. R. Bartleet (Middlemore), 84: B. Menzies (Otahuhu), 44; H. Plumley (Middlemore), 84; R. O. Gardner (Titirangi), *6; C. Western (Titirangi). 86; J. L. fflack (Hamilton). SS: V. Humphreys (Titirangi), 88; H. Wiggins (Middlemore), 88. During the eoursro of this morning’s play, D. Mac Cormack and V. R. Humphreys. who were playing together, both did the 7th hole, 170yds, in 2. AFTERNOON PLAY The entry of 71 allowed the field to be handled with such expedition that the first players completed the second round and finished at 2 p.m. Morpeth, finding less difficulty with the wind in the afternoon, went out in 38. before finally making a bad hole. This was at the 10th. He hooked his second into a very bad spot in the rough, the hole costing him an 8. His card read: Out: 454. 445. 345—38. In: 836. 435. 453 —41. Total, 79.