KIRK-WINDEYER CUP.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20274, 7 April 1934, Page 11

KIRK-WINDEYER CUP.

Australian Golfers Meet New Zealand. SOME POOR PLAY. (Special to the “ Star.”) AUCKLAND, April 6. Golf that was dull, disappointing and full of errors marked the first day's play in the Kirk-Windever Cup contest at Middlemore. As a result, changes have been made in beth golf teamsfor the singles matches. Apperly, “the New South Wales captain, 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 meets Ruwald. New Zealand and Australia won one match each in the foursomes. 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. An average of the round was about 80. or seven strokes worse than the scratch score for the course, giving a true indication of the golf played. New Zealanders’ Weakness. The main weakness of the New Zealand players was their putting, and the lack of confidence which the pairs appeared to have in each other. Horton and Wright both putted lamentably at times, for which little excuse could be found, seeing that the greens were in such perfect condition. Silk and Hornabrook were not a happy combination, j Paying throughout with little cohesion, j Both made far too many mistakes at j critical times for participants in a test j match. Silk’s form was too bad to be true. He does not, of course, mle -well with

Hornabrook. and one would think that the experience in SycEney in 1932, when he and Hornabrook were defeated 11 up would have been sufficient warning to the selectors, who were as bad in their judgment as was the general play of the pair. Results:— T. H. Horton and B. V. Wright (N.Z.) beat W. R. Dobson and P. F. Hughes (N.S.W.), 1 up. H. M Cutler and C. C. Ruwald (N.S.WJ beat B. M. Silk and J. P. Hornabrook (N.ZJ, 2 up. E. Apperly, New South Wales captain, stood down in the foursomes. The morning round between Horton and Wright and Dobson and Hughes finished with the New Zealand pair 1 up. Strokes: New Zealand 79, New South Wales 83. ‘There was a surprise on the first green when the second round commenced, Horton missing a two-foot putt and losing the hole. He atoned somewhat for this lapse by chipping Wright’s overstrong second back to within a couple of feet of the hole and this time Wright was unequal to the simple task of holing it. The Australians won the third hole decisively, Dobson’s second giving Hughes a twelve-foot putt for a birdie three and this he holed after the opposition had played fdur and were still several feet from the pin. New South Wales 2 up. After an indifferent drive by Horton. Wright played a beautiful second to the fourth green, Hughes putting his out on to the third tee, the New Zealand players winning four to five. At the fifth Hughes again topped his drive, but Dobson compensated for this with a beautiful wooden shot to the green and a half in four resulted. New Zealand squared the game at the S’xth, where Dobson failed to uce his morning drive and found the amaki creek. When Hughes pushed 1 his tee shot out at the short seventh, a win in three put the home side in I the lead again.

The lead was increased to 2 up when New Zealand won the next with a birdie three to be 3 up. They had played the nine holes in 38 and their opponents were a stroke worse. New Zealand went on to dormie three and while New South Wales won the next two holes the last was halved to give New Zealand a win, 1 up. Poor Display. In the other match, Silk and Hornabrook v. Cutler and Ruwald, the match was square at the end of the first 18 holes. The golf was poor throughout. In the afternoon a mistake made by Ruwald cost his side the first hole, while at the second Ruwald recovered well and gave Cutler an opportunity which he accepted. He brilliantly holed out for a win in four, bringing the match square. Cutler again drove into the bunker at the third, where following Hornabrook’s drive. Silk badly pushed out his second. A brilliant third by Cutler to within eight feet of the pin gave New South Wales the advantage, Hornabrook looking up and completely duffing his third. Silk was much too strong in getting out and New South Wales was conceded the hole. At the fourth weak seconds followed good drives and then Silk completed the debacle by duffing a short approach. The ball luckily came to rest between the bunkers and Hornabrook putted up well. Ruwald’s excellent recovery from the bunker gave Cutler a chance, which he accepted by splendidly holing the fourth to put his side 2 up. The next four holes were halved, but the New Zealanders took the ninth hole in five to six. New Zealand, 41; New South Wales 39. The game went on with varying fortunes and though it was square at the fifteenth, New South Wales won the next two holes and the match, 2 up and 1.