THE AMATEURS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 233, 2 October 1929, Page 17

THE AMATEURS.

& SENSATIONAL SURPRISES. MOKPETH A TRIFLE LUCKY. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WANGANUI, Tuesday. The weather was again perfect to-day, when the flrst two rounds of the amateur championship took place. The day saw some great golf and some rather sensational surprises. Of the first four amateurs in the open, only Morpeth remains in, Horton, Duncan /and Silk having fallen by the wayside. Duncan had a very close call in the morning, and no doubt the strain of this encounter had left its mark, Morpeth is not playing Well, and was a trifle lucky to survive the first round. Two ex-champions in A< D. S. Duncan and Les Quin had a great fight, and both produced some wonderful golf. They both started off weil with . two perfect fours tit the first two holes, but Duncan was shott with hi? second at the "Dress Circle, 1 * arid Quiii became one up with a • nide four. Quin was iiriiucky at the fourth, his putt for a three rimming the hole. The fifth was halved ifl gobd" threes. Qiiiri just stayed out for a four arid win at the sixth, but became two lip wheft: Duhcaft stfriCk trouble at the seventh. Quin was short with his secorid at the "Quarries," and put a ball out; of bounds at the ninth, and the game Was sqiiare at the turn. Duncan sent a fifteen-footer for a two and a win at the tenth, and ■ stymied Quin at "Long Tom," and haired the hoie. Quin was stone-dead with his tee shot at the short twelfth" but Duncan holed a thifty-fodtef for a tWo arid a half.' Quih won the thirteenth with a perfect fotif, but iriiss'ed an awkward folif-footer for a wiri at the next. He became one wp at "Ffen6li -Pass," but spliced his seeorid badly at "Bunker's Hill," and Duncan won the hole and squared the game. Both were a trifle lucky at the seventeenth Quin's second skipping a bunker* and Duncan's just stopping short of another: At the last hole Quin sliced his tee shot badly} but recovered fairly well. Ducafi half topped his secorid, but it fan on to the green. Quin wa§ fifteen feet from the pin with his thifd,_ arid lifted, the hole for a fdiir to save the Hatch, Nevertheless it Was a fine matc'h, arid qiiite worthy of ftew_ Zealand chambions,_Diificari being found in arid Quih in 75. Kahl Tefeha started off iti good style against Louisson, arid was two lip at the sixth: ■ ? Lduissdri, however, Won tli§ seventh, and was bniy orie down at the turn. The tenth was halved, but then Kapi started to go astray with his tee shots, and Lduissdri won "Long TOm" with a five, and "Terawhiti" with a three,- and became one.up; The thirteenth was halved; but a fine four wdh "Ericainpment" for the Aucklander, Kapi being astray again. ''French Pass" was halved iri fours, arid then Louisson won "Bunker's Hill" and the match with a four. Young Reilly, the Patea player, had Morpeth doing* his best iii the- morning, and appeared to have . the champion beaten at the fourteenth, but he crashed, and Morpeth won the next three holes. Morpeth started with a ball t out of bounds, and Reilly was one up- However, he lost the next, and the third was halved. Reilly wdh the fourth after Morpeth had been short with his second. The next two were halved* but Reillv won the seventh after a great eecorid. Mdfpeth sank a for a three at the "Quarries* and squared the game with a fOlir With a. ball out of bounds at the ninth. Reilly won the tenth and eleventh, but Morpeth sank a 30ft putt for a 2 at the twelfth. The thirteenth was halved* mit Eeilly became 2 up by winning the fourteenth with a four; Morpeth then stefiteJUa run of 3* 4, 4, and won all iHreaSales, and Reilly could only halve the Aucklander a winner

[ The sensation of the afternoon was the defeat of the present champion, I Horton, at the hands of the Manawatu crack, Ekstead. The story of the match was one or missed putts on the part of the loser, the rest of his game bein* sound. The first hole was.halved after Horton had chipped nicely < over a bunker. Horton won the second, but missed an easy putt for a hall at the third. Ekstead struck trouble at the fourth and Horton, who had placed a fine iron second on the green, was one up again.. The next- three holes were halved in par figures, but Horton missed a two-footer at "The Quarries" and the aame was square again. The ninth was halved and they turned for home with honours even. Honton's dub slipped at the tenth and he lost the hole, but a fine four at "Long Tom" evened things up again. Ekstead sank a long putt for a two and a win at the 12th and Horton again took three putts at "Alma/"' leaving the Manawatu man two up with five to play. Ekstead missed an easy putt at the 14th and Horton had a great chance to square the match at French Pass, but his putter failed again. Ekstead won the 16th, Horton duffing his second. Ekstead took the match at the 17th. Another big surprise was the defeat of Duncan at the hands of the Castlecliff crack, Cathro, by the narrow margin of one hole, Both started with fours at the first and second, and Duncan won the third, Cathro missing an easy putt. The fourth was halved in fives, but another missed putt by Cathro allowed Duncan to increase his lead. The sixth was halved in fours, but Cathro was short at the next and Duncan was three up. However, he struck trouble at the next two holes and Cathro won both with good fours. The next two were halved in par figures, but Cathro squared the match with a fine two at the short twelfth and followed this by winning the next two holes with fine fours. His putt at "French Pass" stopped on the edge and Duncan won the hole with a three. Cathro retaliated by Winning "Bunker's Hill." Duncan took the 17th, but Cathro put his second on the green at the last hole and, though Duncan sank a fine putt for a four, it was of no avail, Cathro getting down in the requisite two putts. The two young Aucklanders, Basil Smith and Louisson, had a great go and, though the latter made a brave effort at the finish, the former proved too steady, being only one over fours when the game was over. The first was halved in fours, but Smith won the second with a four. Both took three putts at the third. The fourth was halved, but Louisson squared the match by winning the short fifth. The sixth was halved, but a great brassle second to the green gave Smith the seventh. Smith lost "The Quarries," being •short with his second, but was one up again at the ninth, where Louission put a ball out

of bounds. The 10th was halved, but a great iron second to the green at "Long Tom" saw Smith increase his lead. He won the next wo with finelyplayed fours, and after the "Encampment" had been halved was doing four. Louisson then won the next two by fine play, but Smith halved the 17th and won the match, 2 and 1. Macfarlane always had slightly the better of the game with Collins, and eventually won 2 up and 1. The Black brothers had a stern struggle, but J. L. always had slightly the better of things. Neither Morpeth nor -Whyte played at all well going out. Both commenced with three very ordinary fives at the first three holes,, but Morpeth became one up by winning the short "Seaview" with a. three. The pair continued to halve until the short fifth, which Morpeth took with a three. The' position was unchanged until the ninth, which Morpeth took, Morpeth commenced the home journey with a two at the Slope, putting his tee iron shot 2ft from the pin. Whyte struck trouble at the next, which Morpeth took'with a four, bogey five. Morpeth was again brilliant at tho next. He placed his mashie dead and took the hole in two. After a prodigious drive at "Encampment" Morpeth lost the hole through bad play on the green, but he halved "French Pass," leaving him dormie three. The game ended on the 16th.