GOLF TOURNEY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 243, 14 October 1935, Page 9

GOLF TOURNEY.

NATIONAL MEETING. OPEN TITLE CONTEST. SHAW AGAIN IN THE LEAD. (By Telegraph.—Special to " Star.") CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Interest in the final two rounds of the New Zealand open golf championship at the Shirley course to-day centred in the leading players, the .remainder battling to qualify by match play for the amateur and professional championships. In the open A. Shaw finished late in the morning with a 71, which gave him a decided lead, with Murray, Hornabrook and Duncan his nearest opponents.. Murray, the Auckland professional, whoso 69 on Saturday attracted attention, played with Horna'orooK, the match being watched by a substantial gallery. Murray was in trouble only a fewtimes, from which he made brilliant recoveries, chipping and putting with uncanny accuracy. His climax of accuracy came at the eighth (427 yds), where this third shot, a 30-yard chip, nestled against the pin-and sank (when tho pin was taken out) for a "birdie" 3. Murray went out in 35 and Hornabrook in 30.

p Murray was driving upwards of 300 - yards and at the fourth (491 yards) was on tho green in two and secured a birdie 4, getting the same scorc at the next hole. Horiiabrook was finding trouble among the bunkers. At the • tenth Murray topped his iron second and put his third in a bunker, but got out j in one and holed a 20-footer for a 5. At the twelfth ho had a cruel stroke of 2 luck when from his second shot the bail t, buried itself in the sido of a bunker near the green and he could only hack | it out, but a 10-foot putt gave a 5. • Ilornabrook started the home run : with three s's, losing the lead given him by his opening two G9's. ! Tho weather changcd to rain overv night and for an hour this morning • strong sou'-wester tightened up the course. Murray's Confident Play. As tiie result of a fine round of 72 L under adverse conditions Murray finished > one stroke ahead of Hornabrook after three rounds of the open. On the second • half of his homeward journey Murray secured bogey figures at each hole except the seventeenth,' where lie secured a perfect "birdie" three, the second stopping a few feet from the pin. At the last • hole Murray put his drive in the trees, his second in a bunker near the green, and was out 20ft from the pin, but ' sank his putt for 4. He was given a great reception by tile crow'l. With sixes for the sixteenth and seventeenth Hornabrook crashed, making his round 78. This afternoon Murray has a great chance in the open, for iie is piaving a powerful, confident game. His driving is magnificent, surpassing even Hornabrook's long game, and the Aucklander's putting is startling at times—the best yet for the tournament. Carr, of Titirangi, struck trouble with the wind, taking 88 on his outward journey. Two sevens figured in bis 4(i out and two sixes in his 42 home. Another player whose putting could not go wrong was Heney (Rangiora), who followed 80 on Saturday with 73 to-day, the halves being 37 and 36. For a "three" man he played good golf under testing conditions. One of the prettiest rounds of the morning was that of Charlie Clements, who got 30 each way for a very sound 72. With a birdie three at the' second and an eagle three at the long fourth (491 yards) he made a great start. To secure the eagle lie smashed away n terrific brassie which stopped a few feet from the pin, and his putt went down nicely. A birdie four followed at tho next hole, but a run of three fives saw three strokes slipped. On the homeward journey Clements was bogey at every hole. He came right on his form, and never looked like going wrong, the sou'-wester making no difference to his steadiness. Pumphrey provided the most startling opening run with 3, 3, 2 —three birdies which led to the splendid outward journey of 34. On the last nine be bad too many fives to be pleasant, recording 42 and a useful round of 70. Aucklanders Astray. B. G. Thomson found trouble on this morning's round, for which lie took 85 strokes —43 out and 42 home. At the long fourth his second was to the left of the green and just crept under the fence. He put a provisional ball on the green but then took three putts. Bad I luck followed at the next from a drive out of bounds, and the hole cost 7. On the second half a 5 at the bogey 3 fifteenth spoilt things, and two missed short putts concluded a tale of misfortune. Menzies went round in 80, in which there were only two real blemishes. He was out in 39 and home in 41. Misshitting two shots and slipping a short putt, he took 7 at the tenth and 0 came up at the bogey 4 seventeenth. Harry Blair cannot get away from 75's, recording his third this morning. Taking two G's, Horton dropped four strokes in those holes to take 77. Tho best scores to date are:— *A. Shaw (unattached) 71 —211 *A. Murray (unattachcd) 72 —215 A. Duncan (Wellington) .... 70 —21G J. Hornabrook (Masterton) . 7S—2IG T. Horton (Masterton) 77—225 *H. Blair (Cliri3tchurch) .... 75—225 A. Black (Miramar) 78 —220 *G. Ritchie (unattachcd) .... 7G —227 *N. Fuller (St. Clair) 79—233 B. Thomson (Auckland) .... 85 —233 E. Heney (Rangiora) 73 —-235 J. Hobbs (Napier) 88—230 *R. Butters (Miramar) 82 —237 *G. Forrest (Timaru) 77—239 K. Jeffrey (Miramar) 81—239 G. Ussher (Timaru) 85—241 J. Ross (Rawliiti) 50—242 H. Davies (Napier) 84 —243 ' S. Watson (Wellington) .... 84 —244 T. Ellis (Rangiora) 8G—245 1 R. Stedman (Nelson) 84 —24G ' Other scores are:—'K. Douglas. 7S —220; , D. Bennie, 73—223; C. Ward, 7G—224; C. ' Clements, 72 —226; I\. Ross, 77- —226; G. < Watt, 80 —227; A. Si me. 84—228: H. Black, 82—22S ; N. Bell, T9—230; ,T. Mc- , Intosla, 81—230; H. Dale, 76—231; E. ■ Pumphrey, 76—231: J. Mortland, Sfl—23s: J. Blair. 76—234; T. Galloway, 50—235; 1 C. Seymour, 80—235: B. Meuzies, SO— . 238; IF. Hutchison, 78—239: P. Godby, . 80—239; A. Boon, 85—241; G. Alley, S2— J 241; R. Jones, 51—241; D. Stratmore, I 86 —242; J. O. Clements, 82—243. ] *Professional. j