A WIN EACH

Southland Times, Issue 22293, 7 April 1934, Page 6

A WIN EACH

KIRK-WINDEYER CUP DISAPPOINTING GOLF IN FOURSOMES TOO MANY MISTAKES (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, April 6. With one success to each of the Nevz Zealand and New South Wales teams, honours were even at the end of the first day’s play (foursomes) in the contest for the Kirk-Windeyer Cup. Results:— T. H. Horton and B. V. Wright (New Zealand) beat W. R. Dobson and P. F. Hughes (New South Wales), 1 up. C. C. Ruwald and H. M. Cutler (New South Wales) defeated B. M. Silk and J. P. Hornabrook (New Zealand), 2 up. The weather was beautifully fine and warm. There was a large attendance of the public, more particularly in the afternoon. The majority of the spectators followed the No. 1 match in the morning, but the gallery was more evenly divided after lunch. E. L. Apperly, the New South Wales captain, stood down, but he will participate in the singles to-morrow. The course was a little faster than it had been when the players practised upon it earlier in the week, and all eight failed at times to gauge the changed conditions. Almost without exception the standard of play was disappointing. This is revealed by the figures, as the average of the round was about 80, or seven strokes worse than the scratch score for the course. This is a true indication of the golf played. The chief weakness of the New Zealand team was their putting and the lack of confidence which the pairs appeared to have in each other. Both Horton and Wright putted lamentably at times, for which little excuse could be found, seeing that the greens were in such perfect condition. Mistakes at Critical Times. Silk and Hornabrook were not a happy combination, playing throughout with little cohesion. Both made far too many mistakes at critical times for participants in a test match. This was particularly the case at the fifteenth hole in the afternoon when Silk displayed very bad judgment, and it can truly be said that the result of the match hinged on the playing of this hole. Wright drove well throughout, but he was indecisive on the greens. Horton was not up to his usual standard, developing a dangerous hook with his tee shots which at times gave his part - ner a difficult line to the hole. Dobson quite unaccountably failed in his greatest strength—-high shots to the green—cutting them into the waiting bunkers on four or five occasions. Hughes was very shaky at the start and it was only towards the end of the first round and later in the afternoon that he really settled down to give a glimpse of his capabilities. Silk's long game was most unreliable, many of his drives and second shots being badly hit, but he made amends several times by sinking useful putts, one at the thirteenth of fully 30 feet being a brilliant effort. Hornabrook drove fairly well and made some good recoveries from bad shots by his partner, but he was weak on the greens. The quality of the golf played by both Ruwald and Cutler scarcely deserved the result obtained. Too many drives were pulled and hazards were encountered much too frequently, but fortunately for the pair their opponents were unable to take advantage of these mistakes. However, the finishing effort of the Australians cannot be overlooked, as they won two of the last three holes and halved the final one. Keen Interest in Singles. The fact that each side has won one match with the visitors leading by the narrow margin of one hole in the event of a final tie lends greater interest to the singles matches which will be decided to-morrow. Judging by the attendance to-day there is every likelihood of a record crowd for an Auckland golf match being present tomorrow. The Governor-General will be among the spectators and he will present the Kirk-Windeyer Cup to the winning team at the conclusion of the play. With the exception of the first two players changes have been made in both teams for the singles matches. Apperly replaces Cutler and will play in third position in opposition to Hornabrook. B. H. Menzies comes into the New Zealand team in fourth place and he will meet Ruwald. The inclusion of the Auckland Club member will be popular with local followers of the game. Menzies and Ruwald will leave the first tee at 9.45 a.m. and the order of play of the other pairs will be: Hornabrook v. Apperly; Wright v. Hughes; Horton v. Dobson.

It was in 192 G that R. C. Kirk, then chairman of the New Zealand Golf Council, and W. A. Windeyer, o£ Sydney, imbued with the idea of instituting inter-colonial contests on the lines of the Walker Cup, succeeded in finalizing rules controlling the competition. The donors hoped that teams drawn from the different States and New Zealand would all compete in the annual match. This hope has not yet been realized, but might be when the affairs of the world have reached a state bordering on normality. The first match took place in 1927 in Sydney when the New Zealand team, consisting of A. D. S. Duncan. Dr. Ross, E. M. MacFarlane, T. H. Horton and Leo Quin rather unexpectedly defeated a strong New South Wales team and brought back the cup. In 1928 a not powerful New South Wales team turned the tables at Miramar, the New Zealand team being Sloan Morpeth, T. H. Horton, Dr. Ross and D. Grant. In 1929 Morpeth, Horton, Ross and J. L. Black journeyed to Melbourne in an unsuccessful quest for the cup. In 1930 two powerful teams from Victoria and New South Wales came across to Christchurch. The New Zealand team on this occasion, Horton, Ross, MacFarlane and J. L. Black, played magnificiently to beat Victoria first and then New South Wales and regain the cup. No match took place in 1931 owing to the depression, but in 1932 the council, at no small sacrifice, succeeded in sending Rana Wagg, H. D. Brinsden, H. A. Black, Brian Silk and John Hornabrook over to meet New South Wales. That this youthful band failed in its mission was not to its discredit, the fiery nature of the Rose Bay greens proving its downfall. CANTERBURY WOMEN’S TITLE. SEMI-FINALS DECIDED. (Per United Press Association.) Christchurch, April 6. The Canterbury women’s golf tournament was continued to-day. Although the weather was perfect and the course easy the standard of play was disappointing in the match play rounds of the championship. Results were:— Miss .V. Fleming beat Mrs McKillop, 4 and 3. Miss K. Johnston beat Miss J. Stevenson, 6 and 4. Miss E. White-Parsons beat Miss M. Beadel at the 19th. Miss Loughnan beat Miss Bams-

Graham, 2 and 1. In the semi-finals Miss Fleming beat Miss Johnston 2 and 1 and Miss WhiteParsons beat Miss Loughnan 6 and 5. The final will be played to-morrow morning. ROEIIAMPTON TOURNAMENT TWO BRILLIANT ROUNDS. A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) London, April 5. In the Roehampton £2OO professional golf tournament 16 qualified including: King, assistant professional at Knole Park, 136, R. A. Whitcombe 139, Cotton 139, Davies 140, Lacey 141, Mitchell 143, Barber 143, Perry 144, Kenyon 144, Holland 144. Those not qualifying included Padgham 146, Duncan 146, Boomer 147, Gadd 147, Alliss 148, Havers 148, Dailey 152, Compston 153. The newspapers emphasize the brilliance of King, who is 22 years old and was the champion assistant in 1933. He is a potentially fine golfer and led a field of 274 professionals with two rounds of 68—a record for the altered course. He might have done better in both rounds. He had a score of 29 for nine holes in the first round when he broke down, and had 26 for eight holes in the second round. Unfortunately he has little desire for golfing honours. The failure of the majority of the prominent players to qualify was due to bad putting. ONE-ARMED GOLFER. REMARKABLE SCORES. TARANAKI PERFORMANCE. A remarkable golf performance has been recorded on tlje New Plymouth course by H. W. Kirkby, who early in life lost his left arm. He demonstrated that he can. do better with his right arm alone than most people can do with two. Kirkby gave a taste of his prowess last Saturday, when in the second qualifying round of the Taranaki championship he recorded a fine 82, which is only eight strokes over the scratch score of the course. Only five players in a field of over 120 players, from all over the North Island, improved on his effort. He failed by only two strokes to qualify in the select sixteen who finally contested the Taranaki amateur championship. Kirkby’s total for two rounds was 175, which left him in the contest for the Waiwakaiho Handicap, an event decided by match play on handicap. In this match he was certainly in receipt of strokes from all his opponents, but not many, eight being the most. His first opponent was the Stratford player K. Neal. Kirby received five strokes, but Neal could not make a race of it, and had to admit defeat on the 13th green. His next opponent was the dour match player Imlay Saunders, whose fighting qualities have been proved on many occasions. He had to concede Kirkby eight strokes, but was not equal to the task, the game ending at the 16th. On Tuesday Kirkby was faced by the improving Hawera player R. Ward, but he again proved equal to the occasion, triumphing with three up and one. This brought him to the final, where he had to meet H. P. Wills, of Eltham, who was conceding him six strokes. Wills has been Eltham Club champion. He pressed Kirkby hard all the way, and was under 80 for the round, but with no avail, for the one-armed player, with an approximate stroke round of 83 or 84, held a one-hole advantage at the finish. The standard of Kirkby’s play maybe judged from the fact that, commencing from mid-day on Saturday, he played five rounds, the best being 82 and thq. worst 86. This represents good golf, and vzould have kept the best of the field busy. Kirkby is a shining example of swinging the club-head theory. There is no semblance of hit about his shot. He swings in free, powerful fashion, and can equal even long hitters off the tee. His irons are inclined to be unreliable at times, but he is steadiness itself on the greens. When fast, fiery surfaces were puzzling the best players, he was putting confidently and well. Onlookers speculated whether any one-armed golfer in the world could register a better performance.