MACFARLANE AND HORTON IN FORM

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 948, 15 April 1930, Page 14

MACFARLANE AND HORTON IN FORM

Special to THE SUN CHRISTCHURCH, Today. Though the Kirk-Windeyer Cup golf matches resulted in a tie, each side winning one, New Zealand emerged with a lead of six holes from the foursomes with Victoria. In the event of the singles resulting in a tie, the match will be decided by the number of holes won by each side, so that New Zealand’s lead of six holes may prove useful. Horton and Maefarlane played very solid, and, at times, brilliant golf to beat Ryan and Bulte 7 up. Horton played his usual cool, stylish game, being absoluetly sound in all departments.

Maefarlane has few pretensions to be called a stylist, but on his own course, Shirley, which he knows like the palm of his hand, he is a very hard man to beat. He is apt to be nervous in big golf, but yesterday he struck his gait right at the start, and he played great golf over the whole 36 holes, giving practically nothing away. Some criticised his selection for the team, but it would have been a great mistake to leave him out. Maefarlane and Horton equalled par figures in both the morning and afternoon round, and that about described their golf. It was of par variety in all departments, and there was little to choose between the two of them. SHORT OF PRACTICE Ryan, the amateur champion of Australia, played fine golf, but the play of his partner, Bulte. was rather patchy. Both are a bit short of practice, and probably are not playing up to their best form. The outstanding features of their play yesterday was Ryan’s deadly approaching and Bulte’s weak putting.

In the morning, Bulte’s touch on the greens -was not too sure. In the afternoon, at the third hole, he missed a putt of less than a foot—the sort of putt that a player would give an opponent in a friendly game. After that miss, he lost all confidence on the greens for about half a dozen holes, and could do nothing right. He is the colt of the team, being only 21 years old. He hits a long ball and shows great promise as a golfer. Ryan is the sort of golfer who never lets a bad hole or bad shot worry him. Like Bulte, he hits a long, low ball from the tee, and his approaching yesterday from anywhere within 50 yards of the green was absolutely deadly. He putted well, too, though without a great deal of luck.

After beating par figures for the outward journey and turning 1 up in the morning, the Victorians fell away somewhat. Coming home, they missed some fairly easy putts, and one or two shots on the fairways went astray. They took five strokes over bogey coming home, finishing two down. After a rather scratchy beginning. Horton and Maefarlane settled down again to par golf in the afternoon. They went out in 39 and came home in 33, equalling par for the round. The Victorians picked up at the eighth, their score for the other eight holes going out being 35. They came home in 38. Both were hitting their woods and iron shots well. Ryan’s approaching, as in the morning, was splendid. ROSS’S WEAK PUTTING Black was right on form against Hancock and Russell, but Ross, though sound in other departments, was lamentably weak in putting. This cost the New Zealand pair the match. After losing the match 6 down and 5 •to play, they made a brilliant spurt, eventually finishing only 1 down. Over the first 18 holes, the play was good, without being brilliant, except in a few patches. All four were playing good golf through the green, but the puttting was not good. After lunch, the New Zealand pair started well, taking the first and second holes, thus reducing Victoria’s lead to 2 up. After that, the Victorians steadily increased their lead. They were putting much better than in the morning. The match was decided at the 13tli hole, Victoria winning 6 up and 5. From there on. the New Zealanders made a great recovery. Ross’s game improved very much. The match ended in sensational fashion. Ross hooked his drive into the trees and Black then played his best shot of the day, placing the ball sft from the pin. Ross sank the putt, the hole going to New Zealand 3-4. In the afternoon, the New Zealand pair went round in 75, only one over par, while the Victorians took 80.