FOURSOMES TITLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 November 1938, Page 6

FOURSOMES TITLE

HORNABROOK AND SILK WIN CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF AT DUNEDIN DRENCHING RAIN SPOILS PLAY (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, November 14. After the exacting work with card and pencil in the New Zealand open golf championship last week, golfers at the Balmacewan links today entered upon the foursomes championships in a care-free spirit. The Clerk of the Weather had a word to say, however, and this morning a piping south-west-erly wind was blowing and brought frequent showers. In the afternoon the wind increased in force, and by about 3.30 p.m. a full southerly brought drenching rain, which made the playing on the high parts of the course most difficult.

So threatening did the sky look at one time that the caddie who was carrying the clubs of W. H. Dillicar (Shandon), when about halfway up the eleventh fairway, took a hasty glance at the wrath to come, and bolted with the bag of clubs for the clubhouse. When Dillicar looked round for his caddie, neither he nor the bag of clubs could be seen, and for the remainder of the round, Dillicar had to share the clubs of his partner, J. E. Nicolaus (Shandon). The only trouble was that Nicolaus favours heavy clubs and Dillicar light ones. Needless to say, the pair did not win the amateur championship. In the conditions prevailing, good scoring was difficult. A. J. Shaw (Wellington) and Alex Murray (Auckland) won, the professional championship with two steady rounds of 75 and 75. In the morning • they went out in 40 and did a brilliant home journey of 35. In the afternoon they did the run out in 38 and came back in 37.

The amateur foursomes championship was annexed by J. P. Hornabrook (Masterton) and B. M. Silk (Wanganui), who started with a mediocre round of 79 in the morning. The fact that Hornabrook had done a magnificent practice round of 64 on Sunday led to this pair being favoured for the championship. They had a lot of fun during the morning round. AS the eighth Hornabrook hit a good tee shot against the wind. Silk hooked his No 4 iron into rough grass to the left of the green. Hornabrook got only four yards out of the rough, and Silk then popped the next a few yards into a bunker, the hole costing them 7. Notwithstanding this, they went out in 40. Silk hit a drive of fully 340 yards with the wind off the eleventh tee, and Hornabrook went for the green with his brassie second but failed to get the shot up and the ball came to rest in the hawthorn plantation. Silk had to wedge himself between two branches and make a shot with a No 4 iron: The hole, however, cost them 6. They also had adventures at “Crossways” (172 yards). Hornabrook’s tee shot found the green but kicked into a bunker to the left. • There was very little sand in the trap, and Silk’s explosion sent the ball 30 yards beyond the green. Hornabrook made a neat downhill chip but the ball kept on running and eventually came to rest in the same bunker from which Silk had played his second.

“Stay where you are, Johnnie,” jocularly remarked Silk as he shaped up for another attempt. This. time he reached the green, but the hole cost them 6, three over bogey. They did the home run in 39, which gave them 79 for the round. It was in the afternoon, however, that they pair showed what brilliant players they are. In the worst possible conditions, with a half gale of wind, blowing and rain descending in torrents, they completed the round: in 72. It was one of the finest displays of golf in adverse conditions even seen at a New Zealand championship meeting. Their figures were: — Out: 444363464—38 In: 364424344—34 72 The detailed scores are:— AMATEUR FOURSOMES B. M. Silk (Wanganui) and J. P. Hornabrook (Masterton), 79-72-151; T. B. Ferguson (Otago) and B. V. Wright (Otago), 77-76-153; J. P. Mortland (Taihape) and J. Shelly (Miramar), 75-80-155; J. L. Blair (Harewood) and J. W. Jackson (Avondale), 78-80-156; W. B. Reilly (Shandon) and R. G. Holland (Waiwetu), 79-77-156; R. H. Gladding (Hamilton), P. G. F. Smith (Akarana), 78-78-156; I. A. Ewen (Hutt) and J. R. Laidlaw (Otago), 77-79-156; W. C. Bennie (St Clair), and W. W. Clayton (St Clair), 79-78-157; A. Thom (Invercargill). and J. W. Mclntosh (Otago), 8176- A. G. Sime (Otago and K. Ross (Otago), 79-78-157; A. D. S. Duncan (Wellington) and D. C. Collins (Wairarapa), 77-81-158; I. R. P. Douglas (Otago) and J. T. Dodgshun (Otago), 77- J. E. Matheson (St Clair) and A. Lawrence (St Clair), 81-80-161; A. R. Kitto (Wanganui) and R. F. Kitto (Wanganui), 81-81-162; S. E. Field (Otago) and J. B. Dick (Otago), 80-84-164; J. A. Scouler (Otago), and J. A. Dunning (Otago), 82-82-164; B. Kiernan (Greytown) and J. A. McLennan (Alexandra), 82-83-165; H. J. Pollock (Otago) and A. Lucas (Otago), 83-83-166; J. N. Sams (Otago) and A. H. Boyd (Otago), 83-84-167; W. H. Dillicar (Shandon), and J. E. Nicolaus ( Shandon), 83-86-169; R. B. Carr (Titirangi), and P. F. Francis (Rangimarie), 84-86-170; B. W. Caulton (Greymouth) and D. S. McLean (St Clair), 88-82-170; J. D. Nash (Rangimarie) and J. B. Tunnell (Rangimarie, 86-85-171; D. H. Butcher (Christchurch) and W. D. Wood (Christchurch), 86-86-172; D. B. Stratmore (Mornington), and P. Quinn (Akarana), 89-95-171: J. R. Callender (Otago) and F. S. Avent (Otago), 91-93-184. PROFESSIONAL FOURSOMES A Murray (Titirangi) and A. J. Shaw (unattached), 75-75-150; A. E. Guy (Poverty Bay) and T. S. Galloway (Rotorua), 79-73-152; A. Dyke (Maraenui) and J. Lambie (Hastings), 77-76-153; J. Forest (Avondale), and H. R. R. Blair (Christchurch), 78-79-157; E. S. Douglas (Otago) and C. Sherriff (Otago), 80-80-160; James Watt (Wellington) and R. C. Butters (Miramar), 85-77-162; G. Watt (Wanganui) and John Watt (Wellington), 80-85-165; N. H. Fuller (unattached) and H. McDougall (Queen’s Park), 80-86-166; D. M. Boyd (Shandon) and J. A. Clements (unattached), 88-79-167; B. J. Smith, jun. (Invercargill) and C. C. Clements (Maungakie), 82-88-170; G. W. Melvin Hamilton) and B. J. Smith, sen. (Akarana), 87-88-175.

TODAY’S PLAY

LINKS TO COMPETITORS .LIKING SOME SENSATIONAL GOLF ANTICIPATED (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, This Day. Bright sunny conditions with a slight north-easterly breeze followed a sharp frost at Balmacewan this morning and players found the links to their liking. The course was drying out well and yesterday's gale had not shifted the sand in the bunkers.

Gibbs, of Otago, who led the amateurs in the open title did not play in today's championship match on account of university examinations.

The professional title will be decided on Thursday, and the amateur on Friday. With Hornabrook out of the amateur championship, interest centres in Silk, the present holder, who, despite the terrible weather yesterday afternoon, went round with Hornabrook in the foursomes in 72. Silk was playing his shots confidently, and only narrowly missed putts prevented him from breaking 70. Should Shaw and E. Douglas win through to the second round today they should turn on really sensational golf in the professional title.

The foursomes handicap yesterday was won by Dodgshun (Otago) and I. Douglas (Otago) with 77-6-71. In the amateur championship Logan beat Mortland 1 up; Ross beat Ewen at the 21st; Silk beat Rogers 6 and 5; Collins beat Kitto, 2 and 1; Ussher beat J. Blair, 2 and 1; Bennie beat Menzies. 5 and 4; B. Wright beat Holland, 2 and 1; Pollock beat T. Ferguson. 3 and 2. In the professional championship Fuller beat Shaw, 1 up; E. Douglas beat G. Watt, 1 up; J. Galloway beat H. Blair. 5 and 4, Murray beat Butters, 4 and 2; Guy beat T. Galloway, 2 and 1; Lambie beat Fowler, 5 and 3; Sherriff beat Dyke, 3 and 2; B. Smith, Ju nr. beat C. Clements, 3 and 2.