BEATEN FOR AMATEUR GOLF TITLE HORNABROOK’S TITLE

Northern Advocate, 21 October 1935, Page 6

BEATEN FOR AMATEUR GOLF TITLE

HORNABROOK’S TITLE

AMATEUR GOLF CHAMPION B. M. SILK (HOLDER) BEATEN A CONVINCING VICTORY [Per Press Association. — Copyright .] CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Fiye up and four to play was the good margin by which J. P. Hornabrook, of 'Masterton, defeated B. M. Silk, of Hutt, in the final ; of the New Zealand amateur golf_jchampionship at the Shirley links on Saturday. At the end of the morning round, Silk, the holder of- the title, was 1 down, and Hornabrook secured a commanding lead over the last half of the second round, the match ending at the fourteenth. The play in the morning was of a high standard, but it slumped in the afternoon, when a gale was blowing. Silk was 1 up after the first, but at the third could not get the half and the match was square. At the fifth Hornabrook sunk a 60ft. putt for an eagle 3 to be 1 up. He was '2 in front at the eighth, but Silk took the ninth to turn 1 down. The tenth was Hornabrook’s, and the next two were halved. At the short thirteenth, however, Silk badly pulled his tee shot and Hornabrook had an easy win. Recovering xiicely at the fourteenth to win in a 4, and Hornabrook missed a shot putt for the half at the fifteenth. The final, three were halved, the morning round finishing with Hornabrook 1 up. Change In Weather.

During lunch, there was a big change in the weather, a gentle nor’-wester swinging round to a cold sou’-west gale, . Silk’s drive opening the afternoon. round was pushed out to the rough, while Hornabrook’s ball was too long, and also finished in the rough. Silk’s > second was short and his chip well past the hole. Hornabrook putted from the edge of the green, his ball running right over the edge of the hole. Hornabrook secured a 4 to win the hole'. At the second Hornbrook’s drive found a bunker. He was out to near the green, but his approach went right through to the long grass. His recovery shot lay 18in from the hole, stymying Silk’s third, which went well past the hole, so that his return putt missed and the hole was halved ifi fives. At the short third Hornabrook got on the green, but Silk fluffed his tee shot, going only halfway into the sand. His second was still short and Hornabrook won the hole with a 3.

The fifth was halved in bogey fives, the players’ attempts to sink their approach putts being poor, owing to the conditions affecting their work on the greens. At the next Silk’s drive ended in the rough, and his was only 30 yards out, while Hornabrook’s second found the bunker round the green. The wind caught Silk’s third, which was well through the green. Hornabrook secured his 5 for a win, to be 4 up. Both Ultra Careful. ’ Both were short at the next, but approached finely, with Hornabrook closer to the pin. The hole was halved in fours. With the wind, both drove nearly 300 yards at the seventh (327 yards), halving the hole in fours. Hornabrook’s second bunkered at the eighth. Silk’s second went through, but after a chip he holed a 10-footer for a 4 and a win. ■ The ninth was halved in threes, Hornabrook turning 3 up. The afternoon display had been considerably below that of the morning, as the figures showed. Hornabrok went out in 38 and Silk in 40. Both were ultra careful on the round, progress being painfully slow. The tenth was halved .in fives, both being on the green in 3, and Hornabrook missing a 6-footer for a win. Both were in trouble off the eleventh tee. Silk pushed out to the rough, and his second found the'bunker by the green. Hornabrook’s drive was bunkered, giving a lie from which he could only hit to the fairway. Silk’s third went through, but he chipped back nicely only to miss a fourfooter to lose the hole with a six.— Hornabrook, 4 up. Hornabrook played a fine iron second at the twelfth to within 6ft at, the pin. Silk hooked his drive badly, and his second was, just on the green. With a birdie 3 Hornabrook went to 5 up. Impossible Task For Silk. The crowd roared when Silk sank a 20-footer at “Old Nick,” but although he thus reduced the margin by one he faced an impossible task, being 4 down and 5 to go. The end came at the next hole, where Hornabrook

sank a 35ft putt for a birdie 4, Silk’s fourth being an approach putt which was a yard short. Hornabrook thus beat his friend and fellow Wanganui College Old Boy 5 and 4. He was much the steadier in the afternoon, putting considerably more accurately.. Silk was too much inclined to wander with his tee shots and seconds. New Zealand Plate, la the final •of the New Zealand Plate, C. J. Ward beat J. P. Mortland 4 up and 3. Ward was out in 37 and did the fifteen holes in 57. Mortland was out in 42, and showed a total of 65 for the fifteen holes. WOMEN'S GOLF TEST BRITAIN BEATS NEW ZEALAND. [Special to “Northern Advocate.”! WELLINGTON, This Day. In the women’s golf test at Miramar on Saturday between Britain and New Zealand, the visitors were successful, winning one of the two foursomes, and three of the four singles. The other foursome and singles were squared. The weather was fine but breezy. The foursomes this morning resulted:— Mrs Walker and Miss Anderson (Britain) beat Mrs Fullerton-Smith and Miss Kay, 2 and 1. Mrs Greenlees and Miss Wade (Britain) all square with Misses Horwell and Fleming. The singles this afternoon resulted: Mrs Walker (Britain) beat Mrs Ful-lerton-Smith, 6 and 5. Mrs Anderson (Britain) beat Miss Kay, 5 and 3. Miss Barton (Britain) beat Miss Barns-Graham, 1 up. Mrs Greenlees (Britain) and Mrs Horwell (N.Z.)*, all square.