DETAILS OF GAMES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21769, 7 April 1934, Page 12

DETAILS OF GAMES

DISAPPOINTING PLAY INCONSISTENCY ON GREENS SOME BRILLIANT RECOVERIES The first Now Zealand pair, Morton and Wright, started off in promising manner, reaching the turn in 37, or oito under bogey. They won the first, third and sixtli holes, all one under scratch figures, the only hole they lost up to this stage being the ninth, at which they took six. They turned 2 up on their opponents, who took <l3 for their first half. Two holes were won by each team on the second half, the scores of both being 35 up to tlio last hole. Here the New Zealanders got into a succession of difficulties, the final outcome being that the hole was forfeited.

The New Zealand pair started off indifferently in the afternoon, losing the first two holes and enabling their opponents to lie on even terms. They quickly recovered, however, and at o;no stage stood 3 up. Hughes, who followed Wright, duffed his drive and Dobson found a hunker in attempting to recover. The hole went to New Zealand ir 3 to 5 after Wright had holed a 2-'lft. putt. Hughes pulled his second irto a bunker at the next hole, but Dobson exploded well to within three foot from the pin, only to see his partner miss the putt and a half in five resulted. Lead Increased The third was halved in fours. Hughes again found a bunker at the fourth which enabled New Zealand to win in i to 0 and become 2 up. The taking of three putts on the fifth by the homo pair saw the fifth halved iu fiie. Hughes completely misjudged his second on the succeeding green, going right over into the gully. The Australians wore unable to recover and conceded the hole, making New Zealand 3 up.

Halves in threes and fours followed and then a heavy approach by Wright through the green into the rough let the Australians in, as they won in 5 to 6, and the players turned with New Zealand 2 up. The next three holes were halved, due to indifferent putting by the New Zealand pair, who took three on each green. The visitors equalled bogey in taking the thirteenth, and then Wright took advantage of a missed putt bv his opponents to hole from 6ft., making New Zealand 2 up again. Following a half in five. New South Wales regained a hole when a nice approach bv Hughes paved the way for an eas'v putt.

One of the best shots of the round was then played by Horton, who cleared tho bunkers with the second shot to be six feet from the pin. Wright made no mistake with the putt and the pair recorded a brilliant three for a bogey five. Both New Zealanders struck bunker trouble at the last hole, which was eventually abandoned, leaving Horton and Wright 1 np. Easy Putts Missed The New Zealanders started the afternoon round badly, easy putts on both the first and second greens being missed, allowing their opponents to become one up. A visit to the rough and to a bunker at the next gave them no chance against a perfect three. The next holes saw a recovery and with a win at the fourth in four and a half at the fifth in fours, after brilliant seconds, the match stood at one up to the visitors. Dobson's drive at the next wont over the bank and the hole went to the New Zealanders. Hughes placed his partner under a tree at the seventh and a left-handed shot was called for. This failed to reach the green and the hole went to the other side in three to four. A brilliant three at the eighth increased the New Zealanders' lead to two up. Both sides kept to the right of the fairway at tho ninth, and superior play round the green enabled the lead to be increased to three up. The tenth was won by the Australia 11 . 8 , in three, after both Horton and Wnght had failed to get out of tho bunker beyond the green. The eleventh was halved, and the twelfth was won by New South Wales in four, but a good three bv their opponents at the next brought the score to two up. There was no change at the fourteenth, but with a five at the fifteenth the score became dormy three.

Two brilliant fours by the Australians at the next two holes kept the msitch alive until the last green. Wright played a bold approach, which went tbrouch. but Horton recovered brilliantly to halve the hole in fives. Disappointing Play

The match between Silk and Hornabrook and Ruwald and Cutler produced golf that was. with the exception perhaps of the driving, little above what might be expected in an ordinary interclub competition. With the experience that the New Zealanders have had of big golf it was disappointing to see, at a number of holes, distinct errors of judgment as well as of play. The first hole went to the New Zealanders in 4 to 5, and the fourth to New South Wales. New Zealand took the lead again at the fifth, and then a succession of halves saw them turn one up. Tbt- tenth was badly played and the match was squared with a four to a five, and the next two holes were halved in good fours. After very wide drives at the thirteenth, the New Zealanders scrambled out with a win in four. The next was halved in fours, but bad play at the fifteenth saw the match again squared with a five. Each side won one of the next holes and, after an exhibition of bunker play at the eighteenth, the morning round ended with the score all square.

Recovery by Visitors The afternoon round saw the New Zealanders start off well by taking the first hole in bogey figures, but poor putting enabled the visitors to square. When the New South Wales pair won tho third hole they assumed the lead for tho first time, and this seemed to put new life into them, as superior driving placed them in a better position to win on the fourth green. They had thus taken three holes in a row. Kour halves followed, and then the deficit was reduced when Silk holed an eight-footer after his partner had made a splendid approach over the hunkers. New South Wales thus turned one up. Equalling bogey the New Zealanders took the tenth and eleventh, Cutler having placed his partner in a hazard at the latter hole. A missed putt from two feet by Hornabrook enabled his opponents to. draw level at the next hole, but a brilliant ■soft. putt bv Silk at the thirteenth saw his team record a two and lead once again. A beautiful approach by Cutler to within a fool, of the pin enabled the visitors to draw level once more. The fifteenth was thrown away by the New Zealanders. Both Cutler and Hornabrook hooked their drives off tho fairway, Ruwald having to play from under a tree, and he sent it against the trunk of another one further 011. Silk hit wildly with his second in avoiding the branches, the ball lodging right down in the rough in the bottom of the gully. Hornabrook duffed his shot and Silk just chipped out over the top. Meantime Cutler had approached wonderfully from a difficult lie, with the result that the hole was ultimately halved in six.

This appeared to unnerve the New Zealandc.rs, Silk pulling his drive 011 to the neighbouring fairway, TTornabrook being faced with a row of trees. He was unable to steer clear, and the hole went against the pair, the. Australians holing a beautiful three. The visitors were under boftey again in taking the seventeenth. Silk having badly sliced his second. This gave the Australians the match. 'Die final hole was played) heing halved in fours;