GOLF CHAMPIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 22, 27 January 1928, Page 5

GOLF CHAMPIONS.

CONTEST AT MIRAMAR.

AUSTRALIANS COMPETING.

THE FIRST DAY'S PLAY.

SLOAN MORPETH'S FINE FORM.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Thursday.

The presence of a number of Australian golfers, including the team that will meet New Zealand in the content for the Kirk-Windeyer Cup on Monday, give# an almost national interest to the championship and handicap golf tournament which commenced at Miramar With the leading players of the Dominion also taking part no more widelyrepresentative gathering of golfer* has ever met on a New Zealand links.

The qualifying rounds in the tournament championship were decided to-day over 86 holes, the best aggregate being a 140 by the present amateur champion, Sloan Morpeth. He equalled the course record in the morning. A stroke handicap was also decided concurrently with each qualifying round. Members of the Australian team for the cup, emergency members of the team and all Australian and New Zealand golfers whose club handicaps are not more thaa three were eligible for the championship, this restriction not applying to competitors in the stroke handicaps. Only One Australian. With an aggregate of 149, the holder of the amateur title, Sloan Morpeth, of Maungakiekie Club, headed the qualifying list, the next lowest score for the 30 holes, 153, being secured by W. R. Dobson, of the Concord Club, Australia. Business engagements, however, prevent Dobson from playing in the remaining rounds of match play, and this allowed the 17th man, J. Goes, of Wanganui, to qualify. The only memJ*"! of 'lie Australian team to qualify was Dr. Nigel Smith, of the Australian Golf Club. Dobson, who played consistently, is first reserve for the visiting team. The course was in excellent order.

The outstanding round of the lay «a» a 70 by Sloan Morpeth in the morning, his performance equalling the official record for the course. Playing a sterling game, Morpeth went out in 3'] and came home in 34. The second best morning round was 75, comprising no less than six threes, by A. E. Conway. For the most part players returned higher scores for the afternoon than the morning round, the increasing strength of the wind no doubt being largely responsible.

T. H. Horton, who was runner-up in the amateur championships last September. and W. R. Dobson, each returned a card of 75 in the afternoon, theirs being the two lowest scores. Both H. A. Black and J. L. Black played consistently, and in the morning each returned a 78. In the afternoon the younger, H. A. Black, did slightly better than his brother, and returned a 77, against a 79. A player who displayed consistency was H. J. Shanks, who finished the day with two Bl's.

The Qualified List. As Dobson, who was the second man to qualify, is unable to play to-morrow and on Saturday, his elimination allowed the 17tli man, j. Goss, to qualify. Those who qualified are: Sloan Morpeth, 140; H. A. Black, 155; T. H. Horton, 156; J. L. Black, 157; A. E. Conway, 157; Kenneth Ross, 158; L. Seifert, jun., 150; A. D. S. Duncan, 160; Nigel Smith, 160; H. P. Dale, 162; H. J. Shanks, 162; Donald Grant, 163; W. B. Smith, 164; H. B. Lusk, 165; A. G. Sime, 165; J. Goss, 166.

Details of the scores for the two qualifying rounds are as follows:— Total. Sloan Morpeth (Maungakiekie 70 79 149 W. R. Dobson (Concord, New South Wale#} ... 78 75 153 H. A. Black (Hutt) .... 78 77 155 T. H. Horton (Masterton) 81 75 156 J. E. Black (Hutt) 78 70 157 A. E. Conway (Miramar) 75 82 157 Ken. Ross (Balmacewan) 78 80 158 L. Seifert, jun. (Man*watu) 80 70 159 A. D. S. Duncan (Wellington) 82 78 160 Nigel Smith (Australia) 81 70 160 H. P. Dale (Eltham) 84 78 162 H. J. Shanks (Mornington) 81 81 162 Donald Grant (Shirley).. 81 82 163 W. R. Smith (Manly) ... 81 83 164 H. B. Lusk (Middlemore) 82 83 165 A. G. Sime (Westport).. 83 5>2 165 J. Goss (Wan»anui) 82 84 166 D. Pharazyn (Napier) .. 85 82 167 M. Duncan (Wellington) 84 84 168 -T. Harold (Wangnnui) .. 83 85 168 Ian Mace wan (Wellington) 80 89 160 J. A. Mangan (Invercar* gill) 89 81 170 P. G. MacDonald (Leura) 80 81 170 J. H. Hutcheson (England) 84 86 170 Sydney Jones (Australia) 88 83 171 A. A. Stitchbury (Miramar) 84 88 172 N. R. Jacobsen (Miramar) 84 88 172 F. W. Huegins (Nelson) 88 86 174 J. T. Bowness (Mornington) 80 80 175 T. S. Park (Westport) 80 88 177 C. G. Maschwitz, junior (Killura) 83 — — W. P. Maschwitz, senior (Killura) 93 — — Lee Brown (Royal, Sydney), no card returned.