ON THE GOLF LINKS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 142, 17 June 1936, Page 4

ON THE GOLF LINKS

HORNABROOK IN SPLENDID FORM By “SEA VIEW” Golf clubs throughout New Zealand apparently have to support any move which will have the effect of preventing that Saturday afternoon congestion so often experienced on the links. One wonders whether the five-day week is going to provide a solution.

A visitor to Belmont links over the , week-end was J. I’. Hornabrook. New Zealand and amateur champion. He • engaged in a four-ball match with J. Galloway, the Manawatu professional, • and F. C. Hutchison and L. W. Hog- j ben, of the Wanganui Club •Starting at the seventh hole in* the I morning, Hornabrook commenced rather i weakly with two lives, but thereafter | he was in devastating form. a?, the following figures will indicate:— Out: ... 44443155 3—30 In.- .. .. 34344343 4—32 His round of 68 is one of the best, f not the best, produced at Belmont, and indicates that Hornab’ook is in splendid form. It must be most unusual for a card to be returned with six threes on it. The second round of the Balguwnie Cup is set down for next week-end, together with the second round of *he i Imlay Cup, the first rounds of both competitions being played last Saturday. The Balgownie Cup is for the best aggregate bogey score in two bogey matches. The remaining rounds of the Imlay Cup will be played in July, August and September. Owing to the races on Saturday many players may find it more convenient to arrange suitable times for play within the | limits of the competitions. An annual match set down to be played at Belmont next Saturday week is that between 4eams representing the President and the Captain. A fourball bogey match will be played in conjunction therewith. The second qualifying round of the Castlecliff Golf Club’s championships was played last .Saturday, and already interest is being aroused in the developments likely to take place as a result of the third round, which is to be played oa July 4. J. Wilson headed last Saturday’s list with 75. and this player’s consistently good game must attract notice. As a result of notching seven birdies on the return half of his round in trfe qualifying round at Castlecliff on Saturday, A. W. Brown came home in 34. Had his outward journey been of anything appro-aching that standard he would have had figures that would have staggered some of the other players. As it was, he was runner-up to Wilson with 76, one better than Cathro’s card.

Thet inter-club match at Seafield over the week-end, with the Waverley i Club as girests, proved c-ne of the most 1 enjoyable in the series which these two ’ clubs have held. Weather conditions | had a good deal to do with that happy • lesult. but another thing that counts ; is the spirit of healthy rivalry which i exists between these two clubs. Such I encounters must have a most beneficial ’ | effect in encouraging the real sportI ing spirit. Finishing the last four holes of his round in darkness on a recent Saturday, G. T. Mitchell, a member of the Otahuhu Golf Club, returned a net card of 71 to qualify in the competition for the Eccles Cup. When the light failed Mitchell and his opponent were at the 15th hole, and the secretary of the club intimated that they could finish their match on the following morning. However, Mitchell, who , wished to be absent from town dur ’ I ing the week-end, requested permission to finish his round. Thereupon, the secretary, the caddy and the player’s opponent agreed to station themselves on the fairways and listen lor the , player’s ball to land. The ball was then located by match-light and a si mi- - lar method was used in assisting the player to hole out on the greens. Mitjchell’s figures for the last four holes were 4,6, 4, (5. 1 1 The four-ball match, in which Hornabrook and Hogben played Galloway j and Hutchison, resulted in an easy win ( for the former pair. , Having accomplished his objective of . breaking 7(J for the round, Hornabrook | suffered a reaction in the afternoon and | could not reproduce his form. He and Hogben conceded Galloway and Hutchison a handicap of two holes but suf- ( fered defeat, the latter pair winning 1 1 up. * * - * I Hutchison, in receipt t-f three holes, I had a comfortable win over Hornabrook f in a singles match. The individual 1 scores of the three amateurs were: ' Hutchison 74, Hornabrook 77, Hogben ! 77. Galloway picked up his ball on one ‘ or two occasions. * A feature of Galloway’s play was his ] almost uncanny approaching and put- ( ting, a department of the game in j which his ability is well known to ( golfers in his district. His long game, ' however, was not so good. i . c

JYdlCldU V. Ulrtlivn, O.V VW. The four-ball game in the morning was dominated by the amateur champion’s play, but the afternoon match was more closely contested, the last ten holes being, halved. Hornabrook was hittii< -a- long ball off the tee, and his short game was splendid. The only weakness one could detect in his game was in his longer nxn shots, a department of the game w\ h probably is not so much required at the Hokowhitu course as it is on other testing grounds. • « • • C. A. Whitcombe, Britain ’s last Ryder i Cup team captain and winner of the ( Dunlop - Southport tournament 12 months ago, provided the sensation of the tournament by withdrawing from the event in the first, round. He played steady golf, and after turning in 37 was only two over 4’s with two holes . to play. At the long 17th he hit a fine second shot, but it was a little too strong and the ball came to rest, against .the trunk of a small tree in a coppice behind the green. Whitcombe thought that he could just hack the ball away, but it went into a footdeep hollow a yard away. After two fruitless efforts to dislodge it Whitcombe picked up his ball and retired. This is the first time in any tournament that Whitcombe has torn up his card.