A DOUBLE WIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 November 1939, Page 7

A DOUBLE WIN

1 HORNABROOK’S SUCCESS 1 — OPEN AND AMATEUR GOLF CHAMPION. A. R. KITTO DEFEATED YESTERDAY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. By defeating A. R. Kitto (.Seafield) by 3 and 2 in the final of the New Zealand amateur golf championship over 30 holes on the Miramar links yesterday. J. P. Hornabrook (Masterton), who won the open championship last week, made himself the first amateur in New Zealand to perform such a notable feat since 1911, when A. D. S. Duncan (Wellington) took both titles at Wanganui. Great as Hornabrook’s performance was, he has still to perform this outstanding feat again to equal Duncan's record, as the “Grand Old Man” of New Zealand golf also took both titles at Napier in 1907. Both played high-class golf, their mornings cards reading:— Hornabrook —Out: 444343534—34. In: 443445434—35—69. Kitto—Out: 545343535—37. In: 453434344—34—71. A gallery of fully 1000 followed the pair as they started off on the afternoon round at 2 o’clock. Hornabrook found a bunker with his drive, but hit a splendid No. 6 iron shot, which just trickled through the green. He chipped back well and managed to halve the hole in birdie 4’s. Kitto found a bunker at the twentieth, but played a good shot to the green. Hornabrook, however, played a gem of a chip shot to within two inches of the cup, and drew 3 up with 3 to 4. They halved the twenty-first in> birdie 4's, and Hornabrook drew 4 up when Kitto, who had found the green off the tee, missed a 3-foot putt at the twenty-second. Kitto was stabbing his putts, and this fault caused him on the round. Kitto got one back at the short twen-ty-fourth with 3 to 4. and they halved the twenty-fifth (420yds), against the wind, Kitto here sinking a 30-foot putt. Hornabrook played a poor drive off the twenty-sixth tee. while Kitto hit a beauty to the edge of the green, Hornabrook. however, made a good recovery and weak short work by Kitto saw the hole halved in 4. Hornabrook had gone right off his drive and hit another poor one off the twenty-seventh tee. Kitto made no mistakes and took the hole in 4 to 5, which left Hornabrook 2up at the turn. Both took 35 for the out journey, which was good golf for a championship final. Both played indifferently at the twenty-eighth, taking three to reach the green and halving the hole in 5. Hornabrook ballooned his drive on to the eighteenth fairway off the twentyninth tee, but hit a screaming brassie second. Kitto was on in two, but weak short play on his part enabled Hornabrook to get a half with a bogey 5. They halved the short thirtieth in 3, and Kitto reduced his leeway to one down by taking the thirty-first in 4 to 5, after his drive had landed on the lip of a bunker. Hornabrook hit a poor drive off the thirty-second tee, but played a good iron second to the middle of the green. Kitto, who had hit a prodigious drive with the wind, was much too strong with his chip, and Hornabrook drew 2 up again by taking the hole with a birdie 3, running down a 15-foot putt. They halved the fifteenth against the wind in birdie 4’s, Kitto missing a 12foot putt for a win. The end came at the thirty-fourth, .when Hornabrook found the green off the tee, and Kitto found a bunker to the right., Kitto missed a 7-foot putt for a half, and a win for Hornabrook by 3 to 4 gave him the amateur championship by 3 up and 2 to go. Their cards read: — Hornabrook —Out: 434344445 —35. In: 5535343. A. R. Kitto—Out: 444443444— 35. In: 5534444.