REVIEW OF THE PLAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 253, 24 October 1936, Page 19

REVIEW OF THE PLAY.

WILL AN AMATEUR WIN?

BRINSDEN IN FINE FORM, j MURRAY'S PATHETIC PUTTING. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") ( NEW PLYMOUTH, Friday. The opinion was expressed before the New Zealand golf championships commenced that the open title would live up to its name, in that the eventual winner would be hard to pick. Most prophets reduced it to three or four, but it is safe to say that half of the contestants among the six with whom the honour now appears to rest were not in the favourite selection. With Brinsden running second, three strokes behind . Galloway (the leader), and Sime, Jack Black and Hornabrook all distinct possibilities, there is a probability of the domination of the professionals in the event being interrupted. Shaw, four strokes behind the leader, is not likely to repeat his failure of to-day, and he may yet prove the toughest nut to crack. Galloway is in a position today that he has never previously occupied, but he may be equal to the test. The mighty hitting Guy has 'more control over his grand tee shot this year, and seldom hooks one, as he has been prone to do. He made but one error from the tee and that was at the seventeenth, when he may have been disconcerted when some one spoke as he was about to play his shot. Given the slightest break with his first putts to-lday Guy would have been several strokes better. Brinsden is playing fine goif and putting well, and the most likely thing to get him into trouble is an occasional tendency •to hook his mashies. Sime is .putting so confidently that he must be given a chance for the big title; but Black, one would think, will have to have more than his share of good luck to hold his place. Hornabrook showed liis best form today with a really classic round, and he may show in the next two rounds chat he is really the outstanding amateur. ? Murray's pathetic putting to-day seems to have put him definitely out of .the contest. Shaw Out of Touch. Starting confidently Shaw reeled off three fours, but at the fourth his old fault of timidity with his approach putt saw him take three putts and record a five. At the fifth a colossal drive was nullified by a badly pushed out mashie, and another five resulted. At the short "Dell" hole lie again pushed out his mashie shot, to lose another stroke to tne scratch score. A grand second to the seventh green afforded him an opportunity to regain the two strokes, but his putt for the "Eagle" three went astray. There was something of a sensation when he missed his tee shot at the eighth, to finish with a 6 after three ,putts from the far edge of the green. His tee shot at the short ninth was again pushed out, and when he carded a four there he had taken 40 out. Further trouble was in store for Shaw as at the long tenth (560 yards) he failed to carry the valley with his third to the green, to finish in 0. He was on the spot at the eleventh and twelfth, but lost another stroke to the bogey at the next. He played the next two correctly, but lost another stroke at the sixteenth. For the last two holes Shaw had to obtain "birdie" fours to prevent him recording an 80, but the fours presented no difficulty and he made a gallant attempt to repeat yesterday's effort of a 3 at the final hole. Shaw experienced a most unenviable dav, having been out of touch with practically all his clubs. Hornabrook's Brilliant 71. Max Moore, who partnered Shaw, played fairly consistently over the first half, then gradually fell into errors. He finished weakly with 5, 6, 5 for 42 homeward. His outward half was 39, marred by fives at the two opening holes. In striking contrast to Murray, his partner. Hornabrook (the amateur cham,pion) turned on brilliatvt golf. His round of 71 (the best of the day) was practically flawless, the only blemish being at the eleventh hole, where he skied his drive and could not recover with _ his second from a downhill lie. His driving was otherwise perfect, his shots to the greens unerringly straight, and when he [ was short he always made a resolute chip,

and the.desired figure was obtained by courageous and accurate putting. A string of five foftrs was followed by the three at the "Dell." He made no mistakes about the next three, picking up another stroke with a 4 at the seventh, to be out in 35, against the scratch score of 37. Coming home lie lost the stroke at the eleventh as already mentioned, and also another at the thirteenth, but he made parUal amends by holing a 2 at "Moses." He finished in two fours, that at the eighteenth after a beautifully judged chip when over the back of the green, saw him home in 36. Murray played an iron off the first toe to keep out of trouble, and got his 'o ur _- but his troubles commenced at the second where he took three putts after being nicely on in two. This was the first of five greens on which he took three during ■the round, and generally, too, when he was nearer the pin than Hornabrook with his second. Murray's occasional tendency to slice his drives was evidenced at the eighth, where he put three consecut:ve balls over the fence, and was luckv to card a 7. He was 39 out. despite the 7. but never looked like picking up any strokes coming home. In fact he slipped further strokes on the greens, giving the gallery at the eighteenth a sample of ms weakness by missing one putt of undei a yard. Spectacular partnership. Brinsden and Mcintosh in partnership provided the moet spectacular halt ot the tournament to date, but both weakened slightly when there was a possibility of them breaking 70. Brinsden was out in 34, but Mcintosh went a stroke better. The latter was the first to make an error, failing with his mashie to the green after a glorious tee shot. Mcintosh also slipped a stroke at the short twelfth, and another at the following short hole, "Moses." The last was an extraordinary lapse, as he had hit the can for a 2, and missed the return —a twotfooter. Further trouble beset him at the i fifteenth, where he pulled his tee shot ■I into the lake, to card a 6. The professional further marred his card by threeputting at the penultimate green. Brinsden's first mistake coming home was at "Moses," where he pulled his tee shot into the rushes, and carded a 4. He slipped another stroke at thfe fifteenth, and when a "birdie" 4 at the seventeenth looked a "sifter" he pulled his mashie into the bunker. A determined attempt to can a 4 . hit the back of the cup, and just ; stopped out. Brinsden finished with a four 'for a 38 home, and a round of 72.

"Birdies" For Southerners. Though he encountered plenty of trouble, last year's New Zealand Plate winner, C. J. Ward [Christchurch) returned a 74, five strokes better than his first round tally. He 'had even halves of 37. After a confident start, with two 4's, he found the trees at the third, but got out with a 5. -At the fifth he pushed one out of bounds, and at the thirteenth was again in the trees. His recoveries were good enough to avoid disaster, and 'he finished his round with three 4's, two of them "birdies." J. L. Mackay (the Timaru plus one man) clipped three strokes off his first round score of 78, when he finished with two "birdies" for a 75. His card was spoilt by a 6 at the eighth, and 7 at the sixteenth (bogey 4). He had five 4's in a row to start with, capped by a "birdie" 2 at the "Dell." He was out in 36, one under par, but took 39 on the homeward run. He had a great chance till his upset at the sixteenth. Titirangi Fields a Team. The Titirangi Club managed to field a team for the O'Rorke Vase —Brinsden, Tallis, George and MacEwan. Brinsden could not have done more for. his side than he did, while Tallis, despite all his missed two-footers in a, round of 81, managed to qualify for the last day's play in the open. Rex George was not a shadow of his real self, while MacEwan mixed some atrocious holes with first-class golf. Of the other Aucklandcrs Pax Smith was the only one to qualify for the third and fourth rounds of the open. _ j PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS. SHAW SIX WINS, DOUGLAS FOUR. Winners of the New Zealand open golf championship since its institution at Napier 29 years ago: — Meeting Year. Player. Score, held by 1!J07 A. D. S. Duncan* 150 Napier 190S .T. A. Clementst 333 Otago 100!) .T. A. Clementst 824 Auckland 101)0 A. D. S. Duncan* 295 Cli'church i 1911 A. D. S. Duncan* 319 Wanganui 1912 ,T. A. Clementst 321 Wellington ' 1913 E. S. Douglast 303 Otago 1914 13. S. Douglast 313 Auckland 1915-18—Not played owing to war. 1919 E. S. Douglast 327 Napier * 1920 J. 11. Kirkwoodt 304 Hamilton 1921 E. S. Douglast 302 Cli'church 1922 A. Brookst 308 Manawatu 1923 A. Brookst 312 Wanganui 1924 E. J. Mosst 301 Auckland 1925 E. M. MacFarlane* 308 Cli'church 1926 A. J. Sliawt 307 Miramar 1927 E. .T. Mosst 300 Hamilton 1928 S. Morpeth* 303 Otago 1929 A. .T. Sliawt 299 Wanganui 1930 A. J. Sliawt 284 Manawatu 1931 A. ,T. Sliawt 287 Cli'church 1932 A. .T. Sliawt 289 Wellington 1933 E. .T. Mosst 300 Titirangi 19K4 A. .T. Sliawt 288 Wanganui 1935 A. Murray t 256 Ch'cliureh *Ainatctir. tProfessional. Note.—ln 1907 the event was played over 30 holes, subsequent years 72 holes. Arthur Duncan, the winner in the initial year, is competing at Ngamotu and carded 82 for the first round yesterday. VICTORY FOR HUTT. WINS O'RORKE VASE BY POI'NT. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, Friday. The O'Rorke Vase for annual Inter-club competition among teams of four, scores being computed on the second round of the New Zealand ooen golf championship, was won by Ilutt by one point from Now Plymouth A. Christchurch was tlurd, three points behind Hutt. Scores: — Hutt.—Silk 75, J. L. Black 77, Wagg 79, Keniber 51—312. New Plymouth A.—Conway 7S, Sutherland T7, F. E. Quin SO, Cheng 78— 310. Cliri-stehurch. —C...T. Ward 74, I* reeth S4, Mncfarlane 82, Oodliy 70-—316. Scores of other teams: —Wellington, 317: Wanganui, 320; Titirangi, 324; Miramar. 326; New Plymouth Li, 329: Plymouth C, 330; Eltham B, 331; Elthain A, 3'3u»