KIRK-WINDEYER CUP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21209, 15 June 1932, Page 11

KIRK-WINDEYER CUP.

JffiW ZEALAND TLAYERS.

TOUR OPENS AUSPICIOUSLY.

SCRATCH MEDAL TO BRINSDEN.

TWO MERITORIOUS ROUNDS

[SPECIAL TO HERALD. —BY ONLOOKER.] SYDNEY, June G,

ftew Zealand's team of youthful defenders of the Kirk-Windeyer Cup is now in regular practice in Sydney, and from the outset members have adapted themselves to tiie conditions. Sir Alexander Koberts and A. D. S. Duncan were among [hose bidding the. team farewell at Wellington, and, in the presence of the lastnamed, as the doyen of New Zealand golf, th:re existed perhaps an inspiration for that which lay ahead. Following an informal welcome on arrival here, the team immediately left to In' conclusions with the intricacies of the Kensington links, the homo of the Australian Golf Club. B. M. Silk, the Wanj;anui colt, rseled off a splendid 73, ; n spite of three putts on several greens and two missed short ones. Rana Wagg, amateur champion, was still suffering from the effects' of the capers of the Jlonowai, and was not after records.

Harold Black's golf was very steady, his round in the middle seventies representing nicely balanced play. 11. Brinsden, the Titirangi Club's representative, was steadiness itself for a score of 75, while J. P. Hornabrook, the Masterton Youth, was brilliant in patches, h's round having been an approximate 78. The team is apparently invested with the spartan spirit, as the scores were accomplished without luncheon, the members having been too keen, or impatient, to a-wait it. The press featured the fact that the New Zealanders were so enthusiastic, and touched on a vital spot in observing that the visitors were uniformly sound putters. This is a most important aspect, as the fact that all the so-called two-shot holes are within comparatively easy range, owing to the run of the ball, places a premium on accurate green work. " They Can Putt." Bv comparison with the greens in New Zealand, the perfect surfaces met with at Kensington, Rose Bay and Elancra have given our men unbounded confidence. No small amusement was derived from the views of the caddie at Kensington who, when asked what he thought of the New Zealanders, remarked : —"Gee, they can putt." In response to an invitation, Wagg and Black had a round over Concord, and when asked how they had fared, Black dryly remarked that their greatest difficulty arose at the nineteenth hole, where they narrowly escaped being both bunkered and stymied. Cc-rtainlv, Australian hospitality is both legion and embarrassing. All things considered, the tour can be said to have opened auspiciously, as at an open event "at Elanora at the weekend Brinsden won the scratch medal with a gloriously played 71, and, w.thout in anv degree overstating the position, he was unfortunate not to have broken the course record. He maintained his excellent form in the Highgate Cup, played for at Kensington on Monday, when his 73—58 outwards and 35 homewards—was by far tiie most me.iitorious round of the tlav.

A 5 and a 4 at two of the short holes, although representing faulty judgment of distoncs, served to throw into relief the merit of his figures at the long holes, -where any tee shot which leaves the fairway—and" the fairways are narrow—spells a 5 or worse. It was such a shot that cost Sloan Morpeth his chance of winning the Australian open title when played at Kensington last year.

Task for Selector. This morning I looked on the scene of this more or less historic disaster. The rough is sparse, very much so, and innocent enough looking. It is, however, of the reed variety, and causes the club head to turn, and" pulls further into the rough heap mean disaster on disaster. To return to the doings of other instilbers of the team. In the Ilighgate Cup, Silk and Hornabrook were each 78, Black 79. and Wagg in the early eighties. Die position is that New Zealand has five representatives, and only four places to be filled. The task facing the selector is , not an enviable one, but one thing is certain, that bsing that Brinsden has definitely played himself into the side, and into a high place at that. Next to him, on form to date, comes Silk, whose game is better balanced and more resolute than any of the others. . . In spite of Hornabrook's excellent win in the Wellington provincial championship last Easter. I view him as more brilliant than reliable. I should hesitate to include him at the expense Black 01 Wagg, although the last-named s golf is net, nearly so convincing as his Zealand championship success would lead one to expect. Possibly he has not vet t made any serious effort, but the time is opportune if he is not to occupy a place at the expense of one of the other members. To any scratch golfer, Kensington offered about a 74 test to-day, so tha , apart from Brinsden's effort, the peiformances of the remainder of the team are not such as to be unduly enthusiastic about. The team ha 3 not yet been invited to Rose Bay, which course is the venue ot the* Kirk-Windeyer Cup matches, but, as the courses on which they have player provide a better test of the game, no ne:d for worry exists. Players Entertained. Dr. Lee Brown, who will possibly figure in the challenging side, gave, the New Zealand party a treat in a halt hour's jaunt ovpr Sydney in one of the big monoplanes, when a most wonderful view of Sydney and its environs was obtained, l.ee Brovyn, who, as is also the case with; Mrs. Lee Brown, is an accomplished pilot, was at the contro s with "Scotty" Allan. Although this may appear realistic, my view of t ie Pj a,ie *as obtained from the Kens ngton linktr a. l the machine passed overhead. Theie •frere sufficient "pockets" in the Tasman without renewing acquaintanceship with such in th? ffir. Other members of the party were entertained at the Austialui versus Encland Rugby League test at the Cricket Ground. As an antido e to ' golf, one's mind could not but help centie on the fart that the sixty odd thousand "depressionists"" shouldered their troubles Jightiy. As I am about to conclude, word comes through that tho team is invited to Lo>e Bay in the morning, and appetites ai® whet ted in anticipation of what tne < a) holds.