BEST GOLF PLAYED YET

Taranaki Daily News, 17 October 1935, Page 7

BEST GOLF PLAYED YET

HARD-FOUGHT MATCHES

CHAMPIONSHIP OPENING ROUNDS.

J. L. BLACK’S CARD OUTSTANDING.

70 BY HORTON NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night.

Two rounds of match play have left eight amateurs and four professionals to fight out the respective New Zealand golf championships. Some of the best golf of the tournament to date was seen to-day, and a notable feature was the number of closely fought matches. No fewer than 13 of the 24 amateur matches were decided on the last green or by the playing of additional holes. Four of the 12 professional matches were equally close, and no match was won by a greater margin than three holes. In a day of extremely low scoring the performance of J. L. Black in beating Horton was outstanding. Winning the match 3 up and one to play, Black completed the last hole and had a score of 67 for the round. Horton’s score was 70, which would have won any other match played, Silk, holder of the amateur title, is still in the running after two rounds, and although he was taken to the last green by Wright, champion in 1933, he showed good form in the second round in beating fairly comfortably A. D. S. Duncan. ‘ ,

A. J. Shaw, who is defending his professional title, had a very narrow escape in the second round against A. H. Dyke, who played fine golf. A. Murray, the new open champion, who is in the opposite half of the draw, won two well fought matches. The cards in the Black-Horton match read:— Out.

The most interesting match of the day among the professions was that in which the unattached professional from Whangarei, A. H. Dyke, took Shaw, former open champion, to the 19th green. Shaw was in good form on the outward half, but although he was two ■ strokes under the scratch score he was only two holes to. the good. Over the last nine his putting began to fail, and only a splendid birdie at the 18th saved him from defeat.

A. Murray, winner of the open championship, won both his matches three up and one. In the afternoon he beat the young Wanganui professional, George Watt. The rounds were not exceptional, but steady golf was played. Murray appeared tired after the strain of continuous championship play, and he did not play as well as in the morning, when he beat R. C. Butters. Butters was playing his best golf of the tournament, but it was not good enough.

Scratch score: 44355444 3—36 Black: 5 4254444 3—35 Horton: 54364434 4—37 In. Scratch score: 44435354 4—36 Black: 44334 3 53 3-32 Horton 54324354 3—33