SLOAN MORPETH EXCELS

Taranaki Daily News, 3 October 1929, Page 6

SLOAN MORPETH EXCELS

GOLF EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD STYMIES CONTROVERSY REVIVED. PERFECT WEATHER EXPERIENCED (By Wire —Special from “Stance.”) Wanganui, Last Night. Perfect weather conditions again favoured the Belmont links for the third round of the amateur golf championships to-day. The standard of the golf was exceptionally high and that displayed by Sloan Morpeth after the first four holes in the morning was the finest seen in a championship for years. The contest between Moss and Douglas was a classic struggle, but the finish was rather unsatisfactory and roused afresh the old discussion regarding stymies. ~ , ... Morpeth started rather unsteadily against McFarlane, taking three putts on the second and fourth greens, and lie was two down. He ‘hen commenced to play some of the golf that has made him famous. The short sth was halved in threes but Morpeth won the 6th and 7th, McFarlane getting into a bunker at the former and taking three putts at the latter. After a wonderful recovery shot from the rough on the right Morpeth hit a wonderful tee shot at The Quarries, while MacFarlane was in the rough and short with his second. He chipped up ’well and halved the hole "with a. four. Both hit fine tee shots at Land’s End and Morpeth’s second was only about four feet from the pin. MacFarlane was short with his approach putt and Morpeth’s third just slipped past and stymied him, leaving the Aucklander one U p af the turn. Morpeth won the, 11th with a thiec, MacFarlane being’bunkered, and seemed sure io win Long Tom/ but was laid an almost impossible stymie and the hole was halved in sixes.. He was bunkered at the 12th, but recovered finely and halved the hole in threes. He played a <rreat second at Alma to within four feet of the pin and holed a birdie throe. MacFarlane nulled his second at The Encampment and .'Morpeth increased his lead with a finely played four. MORPETH ROUND IN 73. French Pass was halved in a good three and Bunker’s Hill in fours. Both were on the green at the 1/th and IBtli with their seconds and both holes were halved in fours. Morpeth was round in 73 and MacFarlane in 78. ' Morpeth and MacFarlane halved the first hole in the afternoon, but then Morpeth laid his second at the next stone dead and holed a birdie three. He followed this up by holing a 30-footer at The Dress Circle for another three, making him 6 up. MacFarlane pulled his tee shot badly at the 4th but stymied Morpeth and halved the hole. MacFarlane was short with his tee shot at the sth and Morpeth won the hole with a three. Both were short with their seconds at the 6th-and Morpeth putted better and won the hole with a four. Morpeth was again short at the 7th but approached beautifully and the 'hole was halved in four. Morpeth just'-miss-ed a three at The Quarries and the hole was halved in fours again. At the 7th Morpeth was in and out of the hole foi a three and another half resulted. MacFarlane played a beautiful tee shot at the 10th to within four feet of the hole but .missed the’putt and Morpeth was dormy. MacFarlane lost his ball at the next and gave up the hunt, leaving the Aucklander a winner by 9 up and 7. With the exception of the first four holes in the morning Morpeth played wonderful golf; hie tee shots were, long and straight, while his approaching and putting were brilliant. . Eksteadt put his second in a bunker at the. first but recovered well and holed a 14-footer for a win, Black taking three putts. Black won the second with a three, placing his second six feet from th© pin. Black was short with his second and lost the hole. The 4th was/halved in good fours but Black took three putts on the sth and the Palmerston North man was 2 up. Black won the 6th with a good four. The next three holes were halved in par figures, both playing very steadily. Coming in the Slope was halved m threes and Long Tom in fives, Black being rather lucky. ALL SQUARE IN THE MORNING. Eksteadt won .the short 12th with a two and a four when Black took three ’putts. Black put his second out of Eksteadt was four up. Here,? however, he began to ; slip and Black won. the next four holes with 3,4, 4,4, finishing all square. Starting in the afternoon Eksteadt was short with his second at the first and Black went into the lead for the first time in the match, but Eksteadt squared things at the next by holing a birdie three. Eksteadt took three putts on The Dress Circle green. The next two holes were halved in fours, but Black increased his lead at the 6th, where the Palmerston North man was short with his second. Eksteadt' required three putts at The Quarries. The 9th was halved, leaving Black 4 up. The Hamilton player had come out in 36, nine fours. His tee shot at The Slope was only four feet from the pin and he had two putts for the hole. Eksteadt halved Long Tom with a long putt, but struck trouble at the short 12th and was six down. A half at the 13th saw the end of the game, Black winning 6 up and 5. Black played wonderful golf and was one under fours when the game ended in the afternoon. Young Smith was not putting too well in the morning against Cathro, but the Wanganui man was playing remarkably steady golf, as his round of 73 showed. Cathro started off with four fours and won the 2nd and 4th, Smith striking trouble in a bunker at the former and takino- three putts at the latter. Cathro missed an easy putt at sth for a half. Both had putts for a win at the 6th but missed and the hole was halved. A great second two feet from the pin o-ave Cathro the 7th, and after the remaining holes had been halved he started for home with a lead of two holes. A missed putt saw him lose the 10th but he holed a beautiful two at the 12th for a win; Smith again took three putts on the 13th and 14 th greens and the Wanganui man was 4 up. Smith reduced the lead with a fine three at French Pass and halved Bunker’s Hill with a fine four, Smith was bunkered with his second at the 17th and Cathro was 4 up again. The last hole was halved in fours. In the afternoon Smith could do noth-ing-right and Cathro, playing his usual steady game, won six of the first holes and was then dormy ten. Smith

won the ninth and looked like winning the 10th when Cathro sliced his tee shot badly. The Wangahui. man recovered brilliantly and was', within two feet of the pin. Smith' missed his putt for- a half and the game': was- • over, Cathro winning 10 up and 1 .-8. - !■ The Auckland boy played well-in I 'the--morning but was" obviously feeling the heavy strain in the afternoon and Catliro gave him no loopholes for mistakesv -1 Sime and Ward,’comriienced with fives at the Ist but Sime a won the next two in fours, Ward''failing with his putt. The Christchurch boy, however, got one back with a great'.birdie four at the 4th, but after the isth had been halved Sime won the 6th. : The. next two were halved in par figures, but Ward struck trouble at the ; 14th and Sime was 3 up again. A' finely played three at French Pass enabled Ward to reduce the lead again, The next two. holes were halved, but another birdie three gave Sime- the last' hole and a dandy lead. By good golf Ward helped, himself to another birdie three at The Quarries and after the 9th hole had been halved Sime turned for home 2 up. SIME INCREASES LEAD. Sime won the 10th with a three but Ward played a brilliant approach "to win Long Tom with a four. ■ Sime increased-i his lead immediately in the second; round by winning the Ist with a four. 'The second was halved in fours, but: Ward won the 3rd after Sime had taken (four putts. Both i»ere short with their seconds at the 4th and the hole was halved in fives. Ward holed a pretty chip for a two and a win. He had a chance to win the 6th but missed a four-footer. A pretty approach enabled him to halve the 7th. The Quarries- and Land’s End were halved in fours,' leaving Sime 2 up with the 9th to play, His lead was increased when Ward missed an easy putt for a half at the 16th. Ward won Long Tom and had a great chance at Terawhiti but- his putt just slipped past. At Alma, Sime holed a long putt for a win. At The Encampment Ward approached brilliantly from a difficult position and won the hole. French Pass and Bunker’s Hill' were halved in par figures and Sime was dormy. Ward was in the rough with his tee shot at the 17th. He failed to get out with his second and Sime won the hole and the match 3 up and 1. The Christchurch boy played a courageous game but Sime had just a little too much experience and steadiness.