RECORDS AT SHIRLEY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 245, 16 October 1935, Page 19

RECORDS AT SHIRLEY.

A PECULIAR ACCIDENT. D. C. COLLINS INJURED. v KNOCKED OUT BY CHAMPION. (By Telegraph.-—Special to " Star.") CHRISTCIIURCH, Tuesday. Winning the professional foursomes championship, partnered by J. D. Mcintosh, the young New Zealand open champion Alex Murray secured his second success at the national golf meeting at Shirley. After their magnificent moniinround of 09 the pair slipped to 70 in the afternoon, but their total of .145 headed off by one stroke Shaw and Bell and the Galloways. In the morning round Murray's play was again of real championship standard, but he felt the strain of the past few days' strenuous effort in the afternoon, when Mcintosh "came to light" with a lighting round. In the afternoon round of 70 Murray and Mcintosh went out in 41, but recovered finely for a homeward run of 35. The pair did not play with tiie smoothness that characterised the morning round. Though the latter placed them in the lead it began with a disastrous 7 at the first hole. Mcintosh's drive was in the bunker to the right. Murray played out to under the trees, ami the next two shots were short. Mcintosh chipped up, but Murray slipped a short putt. Then came a G at the sixth ho.o, where Mcl'.:tosh's long drive found the bunker, 1 two were required to get clear. Tl:e only other real blemish was at the i./ng sixteenth, when Murray's approach was wide. After Mcintosh ran up nicely a putt was missed. Murray is now the most talked aboat player at the tournament, and his round always attracts a big gallery. His style and likeable manner both make him popular with the crowd. Shaw and Bell could not turn to advantage the leading pair's falling oft, taking 75 in the second round. Shaw was playing easily, but Bell was not at his best up to tiie green, though the North Shore player's putting was splendid: The pair were out in 38 and home in 37, the worst hole being tiie eighth, where they took 0. Shaw hooked his second to the bunker and Bell, clearing, sent the ball 50 yards over the green. T. and J. Galloway played a fine round of 72 in the afternoon to tie with Shaw and Bell for second place. The Galloways were never in trouble and missed a better score only through no long putis going down. They were out in 37 (due to three putts on one green) and home in 35.

The best afternoon round was that of Blair and J. Forrest, 71—30 out and 35 in. This pair's star hole wag the fourteenth, where Forrest holed out from a bunker for an "eagle" 3. After a useful morning round C. Clements and Weir faded away to 82.

Mortland, winner of the amateur foursomes last year, with Guy (now a professional), again won yesterday, partnered by Jack Black, who also held the title ,':i 1931 and 1932 with his brother Harold. After a morning round of 73 Mortland and Black were second to Dr. Ross —Sime and Goss —Hutchison, but tiie afternoon winners turned on 72 for a total of 145. Ross and Sime crashed to take 80, and Goss and Hutchison carded 77. The Christchurch pair, Ward and Blank, were in good form in the afternoon with 73, which placed them second, equal with Goss and Hutchison. Silk and Hornabrook did not get going in the afternoon, taking 78. Cromb and Thomson improved in the afternoon to 77, though the round was spoilt by 7 at the short third. The Aueklanders, Menzies and Wilson, slipped a stroke every now and then to card 79, while Carr and Peate fell to 86.

Black and Mortland's figures were: 4, 5, 4, 5, 4, 4, 3, 4, 3—36; 5, 4, 4, 3, 4, 3, 5, 5, 3-30. ' t Two records have now been broken. Murray's open total of 280 is one stroke better than the record lor this event at Shirley, made by Shaw in 1931, but s 28-1 at Napier in 1930 remains the NewZealand record. A Dominion record was established in the amateur foursomes, 1 Black and 145 clipping two strokes off the previous best. The professional foursomes total equalled the New Zealand record for that event. D. C. Collins, a Wairarapa amateur and former New Zealand cricket captain, was knocked out in the afternoon round when a quick hook by Silk, amateur champion, from the tee ahead hit him over the heart. Collins was going down the seventh fairway, which runs parallel to the eighth, down which Silk was to drive. His tee shot whipped across, crashing into Collins from 100 yards range. Ho dropped like a log. but later managed to stagger t* the tenth. There he had to retire, but after a rest at the clubhouse recovered. His partner, Horton. finished the round as -scorer for the other pair.