GOLF TOURNEY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 83, 10 April 1939, Page 14

GOLF TOURNEY

PROVINCIAL TITLE

PLAY AT HUTT

HORNABROOK'S BRILLIANCE

The Wellington provincial golf tournament at the Hutt course began with a brilliant start on Saturday, as J. P. Hornabrook, former open and amateur champion of New Zealand, scored a superb 67 in his second qualifying round and paced the field with a two-round total of 141. His score, seven strokes below the par of the course, followed a 74 in the morning and gave him a seven-stroke advantage over H. A. Black and F. H. Kember. It was an official amateur record.

Perfect conditions in the morning gave way a little in the afternoon as the southerly breeze stiffened and made the course almost two strokes more difficult. Apart from the -hardness of the fairways, which induced a tendency to flinch in iron play, the course was in fine order, with the greens true and fast and the ball running long distances from the bound. Like any other golf round ever played, Hornabrook's had its legitimate touches of misfortune. For the first eleven holes his putting was adequate but not inspired. With a little of the luck which is called inspiration in putting, he would have had a round of 63 or 64. Several putts of nine or ten feet slipped past the hole by an inch or stopped two or three inches short. From the twelfth his putter worked capitally, giving him birdies on the 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th, and 17th. His score was: — Out. —443444444—35. 1n.—433444244—32. After a morning round dt 76, Black produced the second best round of the day with a 72 in the afternoon. He played steady golf, taking 36 each way. He might have reduced the score with a couple of shortish putts early on. But the score, a fine one, adequately represented the quality of bis play. F. H. Kember, the young Paekakariki scratch player, led the field with his 73 in-the morning (he was out in 35), but he made one or two costly errors m the afternoon. His tee shots at times carried a slight hook, but he recovered grandly with his irons and he showed spirit on several greens with tricky second putts from the nasty distance of three or four feet. Qualifier for the Wellington title were: — J. P. Hornabrook 74 67 141 H. A. Black 76 72 148 F. H. Kember 73 75 143 J. B. Crawford 75 79 154 JS. Park 7G 80 156 J. B. Tunnel! .... 78 81 159 FW. Page 84 78 162 G. Tustin 81 81 162 F. W. Huggins 83 79 162 H. H. M. Elliott .... 80 84 164 H. E. H.Aplin 81 83 164 H. L. Perry 82 82 164 D. J. Oliver 81 83 164 E. S. Thomson 80 86 166 J. Shelly 82 85 167 L. Quiiin 81 86 167