CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF.

Waipawa Mail, Volume LXVI, Issue 9, 4 October 1937, Page 3

CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF.

HORNAIROOK WINS OPEN TITLE PROFESSIONAL DISQUALIFIED. HAMILTON, Last night. Following a play-off this morning with A. J. Shaw (Wellington) and E. J. Moss (Auckland), J. P. Hornabrook (Palmerston North) won the New Zealand open golf championship at the St. Andrew’s links. Hornabrook scored 73-, Moss 75, and Shaw 76. Unusual circumstances made the play-off necessary. A. Murray, the Auckland professional, who won the open championship in 1935, actually returned the best aggregate of 297, as compared with 299 by those who played off, but was disqualified for a breach of the rules in the final round. Hornabrook, who played with Murray, signed Murray’s card under protest and, upon returning to the clubhouse at 6.10 p.m., reported to the committee that Murray, on the eighth green, after marking his hall for Hornabrook to take his putt, had practised putting on the green. The committee of the Hamilton Golf Club, with Mr G. 0. Sutton, secretary of the council of the New Zealand Golf Association, in attendance, deliberated for over an hour, and eventually decided that they had no option but to disqualify Murray for a breach of the rules. This disqualification also applies to the professional championship. The incident caused considerable excitement while the committee was deliberating, and it was the general opinion that it was essential that New Zealand should follow the lead of Britain and America and appoint referees for all championship games.