GOLF

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20852, 7 October 1937, Page 8

GOLF

NATIONAL TITLES HORTON BEATS OPEN CHAMPION INJURY CAUSES MOSS TO RETIRE By Telegraph—Press Association HAMILTON, October 6. Surprises and brilliant golf were again the features of the play to-day when the Amateur and Professional Golf Championships of New Zealand were advanced a further stage. The elimination of J. P. Hornabrook, the title holder, was one of the sensations of the tournament, and the golf in his match with Horton was perhaps the most exciting of the tournament so far. In the professional title E. J. Moss had to withdraw with a sprained thumb. E. S. Douglas eliminated A. J. Shaw, and he will meet B. J. Smith, jun.. in the final to-morrow. Hornabrook Eliminated “The champion is beaten,” murmured the crowd, as T. H. Horton sank a 15-foot putt at the eighteenth hole to win his quarter-final in the amateur championship from his Manawatu club mate, J. P. Hornabrook, the titleholder, for the past two years. “It was one of the best games I have ever played in,” said Hornabrook, as he came off the green, and the applause of the large gallery testified to this. It was the first meeting of the pair in the New Zealand championship; but they have often contested minor championships in which the honours were even. Horton held the New Zealand title in 1925 and 1928. It was high-class golf. Horton’s medal round being 71, and Hornabrook's 72. A feature of the tussle was the most exciting match play of the tournament s> far. There was brilliant chipping by both players, particularly Hornabrook. The champion had command on one occasion only, and if anything attributed to his defeat other than the magnificent golf of Hprton, it was a lapse in his tee shots. Hornabrook was not as convincing as usual, and over the concluding stages of the game, his tee shots were often steered to the rough. On the other hand, Horton cut truly down the fairway, with almost every drive. On the green his work was of a class seldom seen in quarter-final match play. Hornabrook. who appeared to be standing the strain a little the better of the two, took a lead for the first time in the match when he holed a fine 15 footer for a birdie three at the twelfth. Then came the first real sensation of the match, in which there were others to come. When playing a chip, from the rough to the left of the green. Horton sank the ball from 20 yards out. Hornabrook missed a difficult putt for a half, and the match was 'again square. At the short fourteenth. Horton failed to hole a long putt and halved the hole. For the first time a real indication of the ultimate result came, when Hornabrook steered his drive at the fifteenth, but recovered well to be fortunate to halve the hole when Horton had missed the putt,: which was just bordering on being difficult. After two good drives at the sixteenth; Hornabrook again got into difficulties by pulling his fairway wood to the rough to the left of the green, and in hollow, while Horton was correct in his progress to the phi. Hornabrook encountered a stymie for a 20 feet putt. He had no chance of overcoming it and lost the hole to Horton's four. More ' thrills came at the seventeenth. When recovering from the rough splendidly, Hornabrook over-ran the green with his second, only to chip back 18 yards and jump the cup. The ball was poised on the lip. Horton halved by sinking a difficult putt. On the last hole there was a gruelling contest. Hornabrook pitched the ball pin high with his second, and Horton had the crowd in suspense as his second just carried a bunker and pitched on to the carpet to run within 15 feet of the hole. The odds were in favour of Hornabrook at this hole, but Horton had the satisfaction of seeing that long putt drop for a half, thus winning the match and stepping up to semi-finals to-morrow. It was the end of a brilliant game. A Merited Victory Outdistancing his opponent with his drives, which t." 3» again working well, and displaying brilliancy on the fairways, H. W. Hattersley scored a merited victory over W. G. Horne. Horne lost the majority of his strokes on his driving, whicn was inclined to be inaccurate and short. Both players putted well and Hattersley finished with two birdies on his card by holing in three at the third and the fifth. The match between the brothers A. R. and R. F. Kitto went to the nineteenth when A. R. Kitto, the younger, who is a scratch player, entered the semi-final. Although at times he played excellent golf, the older Kitto did not display form that gave him 69 and 71 in his two rounds yesterday. It was even pegging throughout, the game being all square at the ninth, to which both players took 38 strokes, and they were again square at the eighteenth with cards of 74. A. R. Kitto took the decision at the nineteenth, where his opponent was bunkered. R. F. Kitto took the lead at the thirteenth, but his brother squared the match at the seventeenth. Silk Plays Well Playing the best golf of the tournament so far, B. M. Silk entered the semi-final of the championship to-day when he defeated J. R. Hobbs, the Napier 1 handicap player. Silk is now playing excellent golf, but in meeting Hattersley in the semi-final to-morrow he will have to fight probably the ultimate winner. Silk won the amateur championship at Wanganui, his home course, in 1934, and was runner-up to the new champion. J. P. Hornabrook, in 1935. Last year. Silk after playing well in the open, was eliminated early in the amateur event. To-day Silk played well on the tees while his iron shots in the fairway were correctly accomplished. On the greens, however, he experienced one or two lapses, but except for these his work around the cup was up to his normal standard. Hobbs was at times wild with his tee ahots, with a result that he was obliged to play ieom bunkers more often than

he would have been. That was Ms main trouble early in the game, but coming home he improved considerably. Shaw Defeated Rated for some time as the leading golfer in New Zealand, A. J. Shaw lost his chance for gaining his seventh professional championship to-day when he was eliminated in the semi-final in a decisive manner by E. S. Douglas, the Otago player. 6 and 5. Douglas has never won the New Zealand professional title, although he has held the open crown on four occasions. He is the veteran professional of the tournament, and his prospects now, after his overwhelming defeat of Shaw, are bright. Douglas played excellent golf all day and deserved to win the match. His long work was impressive but he overcame Shaw more on his play round the greens, where his putting was splendid. On the other hand Shaw spoiled excellent work from the tees and good approaching by lapses on the greens. After defeating Shaw on the thirteenth Douglas completed the course and returned the excellent card of 70 for the round. His card read:— Out—2 44454444 35 In —3 4 5 4 4 4 5 3 3 35 Total 70 Moss Retires A badly sprained thumb handicapped E. J. Moss considerably in his semifinal match for the professional title in with B. J. Smith, jun., in the first the morning. At the eighteenth Smith had a lead of 4 up. Moss experienced difficulty with his ground shots, and on most occasions was outdistanced with his tee drives. In spite of his Injury he played a fighting game and did remarkably well with his long shots. Smith was playing well, although at no stage was the golf outstanding. Except for two long putts which he holed Moss was unlucky on the greens, otherwise he might have made up for his loss on the fairways. He experienced most success at the fourteenth, where he holed a long putt for a birdie two, only a stroke below par. He withdrew from the match after 18 holes had been played, Smith then having a lead of 4 up. Flight Match In the final of the flight match for the 16 amateurs below those who qualified for the championship, played today, W. A. Donald (Auckland) defeated H. E. Crosse (Napier), a previous New Zealand title holder. He was 3 up at the fourteenth, but Crosse won the fifteenth in three, the sixteenth in four and the eighteenth in four. The nineteenth was halved in three and Donald won at the twentieth with a nicely played four. Since failing to qualify for the amateur championship, Donald has struck his best form, and his medal rounds over the last few days have been 73, 71, 71, and 77. The record for St. Andrews was again unofficially equalled to-day when the youthful Hamilton star. R. H. Glading. completed a brilliant round in 69 after covering the first nine holes in 34. Glading is only 17. and two years ago was on 17 handicap. He had six birdies in the round and eleven bogies. The only hole in which bogey beat him was the short fourteenth, where he needed four after encountering a little trouble. His card read:— Out—3 4 4 4 43543 ..34 In —3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 35 Total 69 AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP Quarter-Finals T. H. Horton beat J. P. Hornabrook, 1 up. A. P. Kitto beat R. F. Kitto at the 19th. B. M. Silk beat J. R. Hobbs, 3 and 2. H. W. Hattersley beat W. G. Horne, 4 and 2. PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Semi-Final Moss defaulted to Smith after 18 holes. Douglas beat Shaw 6 and 5. FLIGHT MATCH Crosse beat Shannley 3 and 2. Donald beat Shelly 4 and 3. Final W. A. Donald (Auckland) beat H. Crosse (Napier) at the 20th. NEW ZEALAND PLATE Second Round Ward beat Thomson 3 and 1. Brinsden beat Duncan by default. Young beat Smith 1 up. Logan beat Ewen 1 up. Glading beat Cooper 8 and 6. Semi-Final Ward beat Brinsden 2 and 1. STROKE HANDICAPS Amateur V.. Salek 78 6—72 J. Galloway 75 2—73 Professional R. C. Butters net 69 J. Watt net 70 TIMARU LADIES’ CLUB A match played on the Fairlie links on Tuesday resulted as follows:

Woods' Great Peppermint Cure For Bronchial Coughs, Colds, Influenza

Singles T. F Miss G. Campbell V. Mrs E. J. Robertson 0 1 Mrs O. L. Robertson V. Mrs J. Anniss 0 1 Miss Davies V. Miss Keefe .. .. 0 1 Miss Bradley v. Miss E. Jones .. 1 0 Miss J. Robertson v. Mrs P. Carlton 1 0 Mrs Minifie v. Mrs J. McLean .. 0 1 Mrs Piddington v. Mrs Geaney 0 1 Mrs Steele v. Miss Lyons 1 0 Miss Hunt v. Miss McLean .. .. 0 1 Mrs Davies v. Mrs H. Carlton .. 4 * Mrs Richards v. Miss McShane 1 0 Mrs Tlmpany v. Miss Collins .. 1 0 Foursomes Miss Campbell and Mrs O. L. Robertson v. Mrs E. J. Robertson and Mrs Anniss i i Misses Davies and Bradley v. Misses Keefe and Jones .. .. 0 1 Miss Robertson and Mrs Minifie v. Mrs P. Carlton and Mrs McLean 0 1 Mrs Piddington and Mrs Steele v. Mrs Geaney and Miss McLean 1 0 Miss Hunt and Mrs Davies v. Misses Lyons and H. Carlton .. 1 0 Mrs Richards and Mrs Timpany v. Misses McShane and Collins 0 1 8 10