GOLF

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 April 1939, Page 7

GOLF

WELLINGTON TOURNAMENT.

HORNABROOK’S NARROW VICTORIES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Features of yesterday’s play in the Wellington provincial amateur golf championship on the Hutt club’s links were the narrow victories of J. P. Hornabrook, the Masterton and former New Zealand open and amateur champion, and a brilliant effort over the concluding nine holes, of 34, three under par figures, by L. Quinn, Waiwetu, which enabled him to turn what appeared a certain loss into an exciting victory on the last green. Those who qualified for the semifinals today were J. P. Hornabrook (Masterton), J. Shelly (Miramar), L. Quinn (Waiwetu) and H. A. Black (Miramar). Shelly and Quinn qualified in a play-off for the last two places in the qualifying rounds, but indicated yesterday their greater adaptability to match play. Hornabrook was hard pressed all the way in his morning match with G. Tustin (Hutt). He was never more than one hole ahead, being one up at the end of the first nine, for which he did par figures to 38. Tustin, who has only just resumed serious golf after a spell of three years, displayed rare match form, squaring the match at the eleventh with a birdie two and becoming one up at the fourteenth. Hornabrook missed a one-foot putt at the fifteenth for a win, but squared the match at the sixteenth. The seventeenth was halved, and in a dramatic finish, Hornabrook won on the last green with a bogey four, Tustin missing a two-foot putt for a half. Hornabrook covered the 18 holes in 73 and Tustin in 74.

In the afternoon round Hornabrook turned four up against H. H. McElliott, doing the first nine in one under par. In an effort to coast home without undue exerting he had several lapses, and six brilliant holes by McElliott, which he did in two under par, reduced the margin to one up at the sixteenth, where only a confident 15-foot putt by Hornabrook prevented the match from being squared. At the seventeenth McElliott forced his second well out to the right and fell short with his approach. Hornabrook was right on the line to secure a birdie four and win the match. Both players drove prodigious tee shots with the wind, McElliott repeatedly being 10yds to 20yds ahead of Hornabrook, but his approaches to the green lacked the consistent accuracy of Hornabrook.

Championship results were: — First Round—J. P. Hornabrook (Masterton) beat G. Tustin (Hutt), 1 up. H. H. McElliott (Hutt) beat J. S. Park (Hutt), 1 up. J. Shelly (Miramar) beat F. W. Page (Manor Park), 3 and 1. F. H. Kembler (Paekakariki) beat H. L. Perry (Featherston), 2 up. D. J. Oliver (Waiwetu) beat J. B. Crawford (Waiwetu, 6 and 4. L. Quinn (Waiwetu) beat F. W. Huggins (Nelson) 1 up. J- B. Tunnel (Rangimaire) beatE. S. Thomson (Hutt). 4 and 3. H. A. Black (Miramar) beat H. E. H. Aplin (Miramar), 4 and 3. Second Round.—Hornabrook beat McElliott, 2 and 1. Shelly beat Kembler at the twentieth. Quinn beat Oliver, 1 up. Black beat Tunnell, 5 and 4. The draw for the semi-finals today is Hornabrook v Shelly, Black v Quinn. R. H. Rawlinson and D. J. Oliver, with 4 up, tied for the morning bogey competition. Rawlinson won the playoff. .... In the special flight competition, G. Tustin, H. L. Perry, J. B. Crawford and E. S. Thompson entered the semifinals. k , .. The following players entered the finals of the flight competitions: No. 1 flight, E. J. Moriarty and L. F. Potter; No. 2 flight. J. A. Wilson and R. H. Rawlinson; No. 3 flight, D. L. Irwin and W C. Wedderspoon; No. 4 flight, 5. A. Wiren and C. L. Maloney; No 5 flight, H. S. Hand and F. C. Pears. NORTH ISLAND TITLE. WON BY D. H. GRAHAM. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association.) PALMERSTON N., April 10. The North Island golf championship was won by the 19-year-old D. H. Graham, Wellington, who beat R. H. Glading, Hamilton, at the thirty-eighth, on the Hokowhitu links today. Both took 148 strokes for the 36 holes, and the decision came from Graham’s superiority with his irons. Glading was disappointing with his putting at times. At the end of the morning round Graham was two up, and at the turn in the afternoon he was three up. After Graham was dormy three glading carried the game to the thirtyeighth, where Graham won. Both were driving very long balls and played the best of golf. It would have been very difficult to find anything wrong with either play on the d'ay.