GOLF CHAMPIONS

Evening Star, Issue 19778, 31 January 1928, Page 4

GOLF CHAMPIONS

KIRK-WINDEYER CUP AUSTRALIA’S NARROW WIN DH ROSS IN GOOD FOSS [Feb United Press Awccution.] . WELLINGTON, January 30. New Zealand to-day lost tho KirkWindeyer Cup to Australia on the Miramar links in ideal weather. Both teams won three matches each, but on holes being counted it was found that Australia had won 10 holes to 0. Morpeth and Boss won their match in the foursome, and Horton and Ross each won their singles for the New Zealand team. Galleries followed tho games closely. . THE FOURSOMES The foursomes game between Nigel Smith and W. 11. Smith for Australia and S. Morpeth and K. Boss for Now Zealand was a keen strugle, tho result being in doubt to tho last hole Nigel Smith was hitting a tremendous ball, while W. Smith showed a marvellous gift of getting out of trouble well. Neither, however, struck really good putting form. Morpeth and Boss played steadily, but both showed the effects of strain. Australia won the first hole in 4 to 5. At the second, Boss laid the New Zealander's third shot 3ft from the third hole, and Morpeth sunk the putt for a 4. Smith was nicely on tho green from the tee at the fourth hole, and Australia took the hole in 3 to 4. The fifth was halved in four and the sixth in three. Morpeth hit a beautiful drive at the eighth just past tlie dip in front of the green, 270yds against the light southerly. Both were nicely on with their seconds, but Morpeth sank a 12ft putt for three —all square. N. Smith out-drove Boss at ilio ninth by 30yds, but W. R. Smith pushed out his brassie_ second into the rough, and N. Smith was short. W. Smith nearly holed a 30ft putt. Morpeth’s second was short of the green to the right, but Ross with a 30yd chip struck the pin firmly and stopped 3ft away. Morpeth missed the 3ft putt, halving in s—all square ai> the turn. Both seconds were on opposite edges at the tenth green, and the hole was halved in 4. W. Smith’s second was through the green into the blinker at the eleventh. Morpeth sank a long putt for a 4.—New Zealand 1 up. Morpeth was to the left of tho green and too strong with his_ tec shot at the twelfth, while W. Smith’s iron was dead on tho pin and stopped oft away. Nigel Smith missed the putt, but W. Smith sank the next, and as Morpeth had missed a short putt after Ross’s neat approach, Australia took the hole in 3to 4. The thirteenth was halved in 4 The fourteenth was also halved in 4. Australia became 1 -up on New Zealand at the fifteenth. Getting into the rough, faulty putting by the visitors made the score all square at the sixteenth. The seventeenth was the most spectacular hole of the match. W. Smith had played a magnificent iron shot trom the left side of the fairway, but it kicked into the bunker hole high on the left. N. Smith, with a mighty explosion shot, placed it 3ft from the pin, but Morpeth, from a ball nicely placed by Ross cm, of the marram grass, holed "a 20ft putt for a birdie 3, making .New Zealand 1 up. Morpeth’s drive was bunkered at the eighteenth, and Ross was unable to get it out more than a few yards. _ N. Smith’s tremendous second with his brnssie found the bunker to the left of tho green, but W. Smith laid tho ball almost dead. Nigel Smith found tho strain too much and missed tho mitt, the hole being halved in 5, and New Zealand winning 1 up. Tho golf was singularly matched as regards the cards, each taking 38 out and 39 back.

With the exception ,ol’ oue or two holes sterling golf was played between the New Zealand representatives, T. H. Horton and Donald Grant, and the Australians, W. 11. Dobson and Dr Lee Brown. New Zealand took the first hole in 5 to 7. There were good drives at the second, but Horton and Grant were each in a bunker, and the Australians won in 4 to o. The third was halved in o. Horton was unlucky at the fourth. Ho had a good long putt for a win, and the hall hit the lip of the cup, ran around the edge, and then off sideways. The hole was Laired in 4. The fifth was characterised by a great second by Lee Brown, who put his iron shot about a foot fr >ui the pin, Australia winning the nolo in 3 to 5. At the sixth Grant sank a long putt to win in 2, the second by Dobson running round the edge of the cup. Horton missed a 3ft putt at the seventh, and Australia advanced again to 1 up, winning in 4 to o. Horton sliced his drive at the eighth across on to the fourteenth fairway, but a fine second by Grant landed on the edge of the green. The hole was halved in 4. A 10ft putt sunk by Leo Brown at the ninth gave the Australians the hole, and they turned for home 2 up. Another long putt by Lee Brown at the tenth gave the Australians this hole in 3. Playing a difficult shot, Dobson sank a 20ft putt for a win in 3 at the eleventh, giving the Australians a lead of 4 up. New Zealand took back the next three holes. At the fourteenth Horton played a beautiful pitch shot over a stymie, landing into the cup. Grant got a slightly longer length at the fifteenth, where Brown sank an Bft putt for a half in 4. To the sixteenth New Zealand were in trouble, Australia winning in 3. The seventeenth was halved in 4, ana Australia, winning the eighteenth in 5 to 7, stood 3 up. SINGLES Dr Kenneth Boss defeated Dr Nigel Smith by 4 up, and T. H. Horton accounted for W. It Smith by 1 up. W. R. Dobson beat Donald Grant by 1 up, and Dr Lee Brown won bis match with Sloan Morpeth by 6 up. There was a closely-contested game between T. H. Horton and W. R. Smith in the singles. Fives halved the first hole, while Smith won the second in 4 to 5. The third Horton _ won in 5 to 6, Smith overrunning his putt. At the next Smith was in the rough, but he pitched out, and sinking a 10ft putt halved the whole in 3. A half for 4 3, and 5 was secured at the iittli, efxth, and seventh holes respectively. Horton was within a few feet of the pin with his second at the eighth, but through missing a putt he lost a chance for a win, and the hole was halved in 4 Horton met trouble at the ninth, which Smith won in 5 to 6, and turned 1 up. Fives halved the tenth. The eleventh was won in 2. Smith was weak with a putt from the edgei of.the green, and also stymied himself, Horton winning in 4 to 5. Smith again stymied himself at the twelfth, but he pitched over into the cup for a half in 3. A long putt from the edge of the green gave Smith the thirteenth in 3, feaving Smith 1 up. Horton squared the game at the fourteenth by winning the hole in 3 to 4. Horton’s drive at the fifteenth hit into the bank, obscuring the green; but with his second ho was nicely on the green to win in 4 to 5. giving him a hole to the good. The sixteenth was halved in 4. Smith being unlucky not to win the hole, a putt of his from the edge of the. green sending the ball to the lip of the cup, where it rested. Horton went very wide out to the left with his

drive at the seventeenth, but with his third he was handy to the pin. Smith stymied Horton with his fourth stroke, but Horton played a masterly shot and chipped over his opponent’s ball for a win in 4. Horton was in the bunker at the seventeenth, and Smith won the hole in 4, Horton winning the match 1 UD.

In the match between Dr Lee Brown and the amateur champion, Sloan Morpeth, Brown won the first hole in 4 to 5. Sound 4’s halved the next, while Morpeth won the third in 4 to 5. Brown won the fourth in 3 to 4, and at the fifth Morpeth missed a 2ft putt for 4, Brown taking the hole in 4 to 5. Brown won the sixth in 2, and perfect 3’s halved the seventh, which has a bogey of 5. The eighth went to Morpeth in 4, and with a half in 4 at the ninth Brown turned 2 up, going out in 34 to Morpeth’s 36. The tenth was halved, and at the eleventh Morpeth lipped the cup with a pjif.tr for 4, Brown winning in 4. The Australian topped his iron shot at tho twelfth, but he played a fine pitch shot on to the green, and won the hole in 3. The thirteenth was halved in 6, Brown pulling his drive over by the seventh green, while Morpeth missed an easy putt. Good 3’s halved the fourteenth, while at the fifteenth, where Morpeth took two putts, Brown won in 4 to 5. Four’s and s’s halved tho sixteenth and seventeenth respectively. At the last hole Morpeth missed another short putt, and Brown finished 6 up, having come in in 36, compared with Morpeth’s 40. The first' hole in the Donald GrantW. R. Dobson match went to Grant in 5, Dobson meeting with bunker trouble around tho green. The second hole Dobson won in 4. Grant pulled his second at tho third, which Dobson took in 4. The fourth was halved in 4’s, Grant taking three putts. The fifth was halved in four, and the sixth in 3. The seventh went to Dobson for a win in 3, while Grant won the eighth in 3. On the ninth green Grant missed three putts again, and Dobson wont down to tho tenth green with 3 up. The hole was halved in 5, both getting away particularly long drives, and both missing an easy putt. Dobson won the eleventh, Grant catching the side of the hill with liis drive, while tho twelfth was halved in 4. Grant won the thirteenth in 4 to 5, and repeated these figures at the next hole, where Dobson took three putts. Fives halved the fifteenth, and Grant wonjn a well-played 3 at the sixteenth. The seventeenth was another half for 5, and the last hole went to Dobson in 6, which gave the Australian the honor by 2 up. • D r Kenneth Ross had a comfortable win over Dr Nigel Smith. The South Island player again displayed that consistency which has been one of the features of the tournament. _ Ross took the first and second holes in 4, while safe s’s for halves were recorded at the third. Ross pushed his second into the rough at the fourth, while Smith was in tho bunker. Ross played a fine approach to within 6tt of the pin, and won in 4. Smith holed a 14ft putt at tho fifth for a win in 3. Ross did a 2 for a win at the short sixth, he having obtained these figures at this hole in practically every round since the start of the tournament. Ross won the seventh in four. Tho eighth was halved, while Smith recovered a ho!e_ at the ninth, where lie won in 4, leaving Ross 3 up. The outward figures for Ross were 36, as against 40. Both plaved good 4’s for a half at the tenth, while the eleventh was also halved in 4’s. A win in 3 was obtained by Ross at the twelfth, and at the next hole Ross missed a 2ft putt, and Smith won in 4 to 5. Three halved the fourteenth. At the fifteenth Ross won in 4. There were excellent drives at the sixteenth, Ross being 18in from the pin in 2, and holding in 3 for a win. The seventeenth was halved in s’s. At the eighteenth Ross got a long drive, and his second went out of bounds. Smith fluffed his second, and, though lie was on in 3, ho failed with a long putt. Ross won the hole in 5, and finished' 4 up.

AUSTRALIA. Out—4 4 5 3 4 .3 6 4 5-33 In—4 5 3 4 4 4 5 5 0—39 NEW ZEALAND. Out—5 5 1 4 4 3 0 3 5—33 iu—4 4 4 4 4 G 4 4 0—459