More Brilliant Golf Played at Hamilton

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 144, 8 September 1927, Page 9

More Brilliant Golf Played at Hamilton

Three Ex-New Zealand Champions are Left in Tina Is of Avia ten rEven t (Special to THE SUN.) HAMILTON, To-day. At a result of yesterday’s matches in the third round of the New Zealand amateur golf championships three ex-amateur champions will meet in the semi-finals on Friday, with the probable result that T. H. H orton, Masterton, and S. Morpeth, Auckland, will meet in the final on Saturday. A. G. Sime, West Coast, is the other ex-cham-pion, and the fourth semi-finalist „ N. Bell, Hamilton. To-day’s matches resulted: T. H. Horton, Masterton. beat Morgan Duncan, Wellington, 5 and 4. N. Hell, Hamilton, beat G. F. Colbeck, Hamilton, 1 up. S. Morpeth, Titirangi, beat P. Grey, New Plymouth, II and 10. Sime. Westport, beat Arthur Duncan, Wellington, 3 and 2. GREAT GOLF On the day’s play Morpeth and Horton were outstanding. Horton played the whole of the 32 holes of his match in one over fours, while Morpeth, when he finished, was level fours. But these are two experienced players, and an equally remarkable performance was put up by Morgan Duncan, who is only just completing his apprenticeship, and who was round in the morning against Horton in 78, and was level fours in the afternoon till the match finished.

Both Horton and Duncan had had extremely narrow wins the previous day. Hana Wagg apparently underestimated Duncan, who won on the last green, and Horton put J. Goss, another ex-champion, out on the last green. Horton set out in the morning with 3, 4 3 in a row, and the 3 up he Sot as the result of that was what eventually enabled him to vyn where he did. Duncan held to him and was eventually 4 down at lunch. SCORING UNDER FOURS The gallery which saw the match in the afternoon was treated to brilliant g;olf. After the 6th Horton and Duncan were each one under 4’s. Then Duncan secured a brilliant 4 with a 10foot putt at the 521 -yard 7th and reduced the lead to 3 up. A brilliant recovery' from the rough at the Bth saw him hit the hole for a long putt for three, but the ball hopped out and stayed on the edge. Duncan was out in 35 and had only recovered one hole, Horton showing a 36. Then Duncan laid a stymie on the 10th. Three halves in _ fours were seen, following which Horton got home in 4 to 5 at the 13th. Duncan at last cracked, topping his tee shot to the short 14th into a huge bunker fronting the green, Horton winning 3 to 4.

It was brilliant golf even for such ii championship. BELL AND COLBECK POOR Horton will now meet Norrie Bell, nnd if Bell cannot produce something better than the stuff he and Colbeck Played to-day the match will be over about three-quarters of the way round. Bell and Colbeck each took 41 to go out in the morning, and Bell finally' Kot home in 79, being then 3 up. In the afternoon tliev were even worse, being out in 43 each. Colbeck made h.s effort on the way home. Bell giving him every chance, Hnd the pair were square at the 15th Going to the next Bell topped his tee J*hot and was on the green in 4 to 2, losing the hole. Colbeck pulled into in© rcugh at tin* 17th and then, from K good lie, handed the hole to Bell with ,in iron, off the shaft of which he pushed his second wide of the green, iis third being short and his fourth 100 firm.

Both hit good tee shots at the last Colbeck under-clubbed himBell reaching the green with his • «?cond and winn ng with a perfect lour.

the long driving craze Grey apparently suffered from his inatch with Tareha in the first round, le was then credited with consistently out-driving Tareha. As a matter of fact, Tareha was following ill-given advice and reducing his length. When Grey met Morpeth he not only met some-