DAY OF SURPRISES

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 15, 12 October 1933, Page 10

DAY OF SURPRISES

Golf Championships

UNEXPECTED DEFEATS

Open Winners Eliminated

SHAW-LAMBIE CONTEST

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Auckland, October 11

To-day was a day of surprises at the Titirangi golf links, where the annual New Zealand championship meeting was continued. Two rounds in each of the amateur and professional championships were decided, and also a bogey handicap for amateurs. The defeats of B. M. Silk, T. H. Horton, J. C. Bidwill, B. H. Menzies, and H. D. Brinsden in the first round of the amateur championship were not expected.

Silk was eliminated by R. M. George, of Maungakiekie, while J. M. Coltman, Titirangi, accounted for Horton after a deciding hole at the nineteenth. The weather was again fine, with a fairly stiff breeze blowing across the course. There was a large attendance of spectators, who had plenty to occupy their attention, and the better-known pairs were all followed by large galleries. Results are as follow: —

Amateur Championship.

First Round. Ralph heat Gpulding, 5 and 4. Smith, jun., beat Plumley, 5 aud 4. McEwan beat Rainger, 5 and 4. J. H. Young beat Ferguson, 4 and 3. Hawley beat Menzies. 2 up. Coltman beat T. H. Horton at the nineteenth. Dale beat Brinsden, 5 and 4. Hornabropk beat Quin, 3 and 2. George beat Silk, 3 and 2. Ross beat J. D. G. Duncan, 5 and 4. H. A. Black beat J. L. Black, 4 and 3. Edmonds beat Barns-Graham. 5 and 4. Browne beat Ta reha, 2 and 1. B. V. Wright beat Coyle, 7 aud 6. Pym beat Bidwill, 2 and 1. A. D. S. Duucau beat Mortland. 1 up.

Second Round.

Smith beat Ralph, 4 and 2. Young beat McEwan, 6 aud 5. Coltman beat Hawley, 2 up. H. A. Black beat Dale, 2 and 1. Hornabrook beat George, 4 and 2. Ross beat Pym, 1 U" A. p. S. Duncan beat Edmonds at the nineteenth.

Wright beat Browne, 2 aud 1. Several of the leading amateurs went down, including Menzies, who led the competitors in the open for the first two rounds. He and Hawley were square at the turn, which Menzies reached in 35. Hawley continued steadily, profiting by Menzies’s mistakes. Menzies holed a 12-footer at the sixteenth to save the match, and got a good 4 at the next, but failed at the final hole, Hawley winning, 2 up.

Hornabrook was in one of his brilliant moods in his match with Quin. After being 3 up at the seventh, he took three putts at the next two greens, and his lead was reduced to 1 up. He got a birdie 4 at “The Wrecker,” arid holed in 2 at the short fourteenth. After winning his match, Hornabrook completed the last two holes. His round was 74.

Ralph outplayed Gouiding, and when the game finished at the fifteenth he was one over 4’s.

Horton, the runner-up last year, was beaten at the nineteenth by Coltman, after making a great recovery from the fourteenth, where he was 3 down.

J. L. Black, who has been runner-up in the amateur championship on several occasions, was defeated by his brother, who won the title at Palmerston North three years ago. The veteran, A. D. S. Dunean, Wellington, who won the amateur championship ten times between 1899 and 1926, just got home on the last green ahead of J. P. Mortland (Taihape). The only amateur match to go past the eighteenth in the afternoon was that between Duncan and R. F. Edmonds, Hamilton. Duncan finalised matters with a three at the nineteenth. Edmonds put his approach through the green, whereas Duncan left himself with a three-foot putt.. Professional Championship. First Round. Moss beat Butters, 5 aud 4. Dyke beat J. Clements, 2 and 1. Blair beat Branch, 5 and 4. Fuller beat J. G. Watt, 3 and 2. Shaw beat Ritchie, 4 and 3. Lambie beat Weir, 4 and 3. C. C. Clements beat Mclntosh, 3 and Woodroffe beat. Douglas, 2 and 1. Second Round. Dyke beat Moss, 1 up. Blair beat Fuller, 2 and 1. Shaw beat Lambie at the 22nd. M oodroffe beat C. C. Clements at the 21st. The sensation of the morning was the defeat of E. S, Douglas in the first round of the professional- championship, his conqueror being C. W. Woodroffe, Titirangi. Douglas had tied with Moss in the open championship, and, naturally, was one of the most fancied candidates in the professional contest. Another feature of the morning's play was a meteoric run by Shaw in the homeward part of bis match with Ritchie. Shaw did not shape confidently over the first nine holes, being unhappy on the greens. However, when he holed a long one for 3 at the eleventh it was the turning point in his play, and he covered five holes in 17 and clinched the match by holing a fifteenfoot putt at the fifteenth green. The early afternoon brought still another sensation, when A. H. Dyke, Lower Hutt, proved that there was nothing flukey about his morning round. In eliminating Moss, Dyke went out in 35, and did the round in 71, this being the best of the day. Dyke was one up at the turn with Moss, who squared the match at the eleventh in 3 to 4. The twelfth and thirteenth were halved In 4’s and s’s, and Dyke assumed the lead again at the'next hole, where Moss was unlucky. His ball pitched on a mound aud rolled right down the hill. Halves in 4’s and s’s followed. Moss was dead with his third at the seventeenth, where Dyke was in a bunker with his second. A nice shot got him out of the difficulty, and he lay ten feet from the hole, which enabled him to gain a half. Moss made a great effort to get square again at the last, his third stopping an inch short, enabling Dyke to halve aud win the match.

The large crowd which was following Shaw and Lambie was swelled very considerably when the spectators saw Lambie draw level at the eighteenth. There were not many people left on the veranda and balconies after the players had driven off from the nineteenth. They had no reason to regret their ac-

tion, as they witnessed a grim struggle as the players went from green to green. It was one long succession of thrills, Lambie drawing forth the first round of hearty applause with a brilliant putt of fully 16 feet to halve the nineteenth in 3’s. Another half followed at the twentieth in 4’s. Shaw was responsible for a great drive off I the twenty-first, and he followed with another good shot, from the bottom of the gully, the ba’ll resting ten feet from the pin. Lambie was some distance away with his second, and then his third almost stymied his opponent. Shaw’s putt grazed the edge of the cup and Lambie was enabled to still remain on terms. Shaw again had the better drive off the twenty-second, a beautiful effort leaving him with a 14ft. putt. Lambie was near the top edge of the green, but his second saw him in a handy position five feet from the pin. Shaw just failed with his long putt, but Lambie missed his fivefooter and the match went to Shaw. The spectators were not slow in showing their appreciation of the players’ efforts. It was a splendid finish, which could scarcely have been more exciting. With the strain fully on the competitors could afford to take no risks. The spectators recognised that it was a case of which would be the first to falter and all the shots were played in breathless silence.

WONDERFUL GOLF

Sensational Endings Seen

YOUNG PLAYERS DO WELL

Dominion Special Service.

Auckland, October 11

Spectators to-day were treated to some wonderful golf and perhaps never in the history of the game were there so many surprise wins and sensational endings to matches. The professional games between Shaw and Lambie and C. C. Clements aud Woodroffe were of a particularly high standard. In the amateur ranks, Horton (Maeterton) has not produced his usual sound golf during the tournament, and like many fancied candidates he has had to acknowledge defeat to a better player on the day. : H. A. Black, who has not been playing much golf this season, proved his matchplaying temperament when he downed t.wo hard men and reached the select eight who have survived the test so far. Basil Smith played wonderful golf against Ralph, and when the match finished at the sixteenth he was under fours, including six at "Temptation.” He drove tlie first green to win in three to four, a lead he retained to the seventh, where Ralph squared with a two. Smith holed a lovely three at the ninth to become one up on Ralph, both players being out in 35. Ralph took three putts at the tenth, lost the twelfth to a. four, and became dormy four down when Smith won the fourteenth in t.wo to three. At this stage Smith was three under fours, but he found trouble at the fifteenth, taking a six. and the match finished at the sixteenth.

Young played par golf against MacEwan. but had the latter been in better putting touch, the margin of six and five would have been greatly reduced. The clash to-morrow between Young and Smith should be one of the most interesting of the tourney. Browne, the North Shore player, who shares with Young, of Titirangi. the distinction of being the most youthful competitor in the championship, played some sterling golf against Tareha and Wright. Browne possesses a sound style, nnd splendid match temperament.

Ross won at the eighteenth, after » dour struggle, and appeared greatly relieved. when Pym putted for a three to save t.he match, but the ball failed to drop. Harold Black had to call on all the resource for which he is famed to stall off Dale. An example of this occurred at the eleventh, where he recovered from the rough to secure a half in three. Aubrey Dyke, the Hutt club’s young professional, turned on some of his best golf to-day, and. after beating J. A. Clements in the morning round, caused 0 mild sensation when he toured the course in the afternoon in 71. to beat Moss 1 up. This young professional has been playing some grand golf in Wellington for the past year, nnd his semifinal match with Blair will be followed with interest.