WANGANUI AMATEUR GOLF TITLE WON BY KITTO, OF CASTLECLIFF

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 October 1946, Page 2

WANGANUI AMATEUR GOLF TITLE WON BY KITTO, OF CASTLECLIFF

ROBERTS (HUTT) BEATEN 3 AND 2

Maintaining his top form. A. T>. Kitto, of the ("astleclilf Golf Club, played his way to win the 1946 Wanganui amateur golf championship from G. Roberts (Hutt), who he defeated 3 and 2 in the final on Saturday. Conditions at the Belmont links were perfect under foot, hut there was a moderate wind, which was inclined to turn the ball on occasions.

By gaining a substantial win over 1!. Symes, J. T. Rowe won the Belmont Handicap, the score in the final being 6 and 4. R. S. Mcßae (Batea) was extended by R. Kendall in the Bal gown ic Ilan-

licap. but went on to win 1 up al the finish. Likewise. L. H. Artkcnl ran close to R. I’. Scott in the final of the Seavic w Handicap, the score also being 1 up. F. Freeman won the other handicap match—the Terawhiti—by defeating S. Powdreli, 2 and .1., in the final. KITTO’S MORNING START The semi-final, A. R. Kitto v. W. E. Jones, opened sensationally. With his drive from the first tee, Kitto hit a car and rebounded out of bounds. However, his third left him sitting 12ft. from the hole, which he went on to win with a birdie 4. Putting badly, Jones lost several holes, and the Castlecliff champion went on to a comfortable win, 7-5. Ah square at the 14th., Kitto won five holes in succession, four of them with bogies, and the 17th. with a birdie 4, for which he layed Jones a dead stymie. Kitto was five up at the turn, where he arrived in one under par, His card showed: Out: 4544 3 444 4—36 Jones reached the turning point as follows: Out: 55 3 44555 5—41 With a birdie 2 on “The Slope.” Jones won his last hole 2-3, Kitto going on to win with a birdie 4 at ‘‘Long Tom'' and bogies at the 12th. and 13th. Kitto finished at the thirteenth with two under fours for the 13 holes. • lie respective cards from the turn were:— Kitto:— In: 3 4 3 4—14 Jones: In: 25 4 5—16 GLENDINING GOES TO 20TH. The other semi-final between K. G. Glendining and G. Roberts went to the 20th. hole before Roberts gained the advantage to win, 1 up. Roberts opened to lay his opponent a dead stymie on the first green and won the hole 5-6. The second and third were both halved in bogie fours and Roberts went two up on the fourth with a bogie 4 to Glendining’s 5. From then on to the turn, where Roberts was 2 up, all holes were halved, the score cards reading: Roberts: Out: 54443444 6—38 Glendining: Out: 64453444 6—40

Roberts went further into the lead when he beat Glendining 3-4 on the tenth, but he then lost the two next holes, squared the 13th. and went 1 down at the fourteenth, where he took 4 against Glendining’s 3. The sixteenth and seventeenth were both halved in bogies and then on the eighteenth Roberts squared with a bogie 4 against the Manawatu player’s 5. The complete circuit took .38 and 40 strokes for Roberts and Glendining, respectively. The cards on the way home read: Roberts: In: 35455454 4 —39 Glei?uining: In: 44354 354 5—37

The 19th. hole was halved in birdie fours and Glendining, through duffing iiis shot to the green, went down 4-o on the twentieth, giving Roberts the match. THE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL Displaying more consistency on the greens, Kitto secured an advantage oi 4 up at the turn and, maintaining inis, he finally ran out the winner oi the championship by defeating Heberts, one of Wellington's leading exponents of the game, 3 and 2. After both driving well from the first tee, Roberts landed in a bunker with his second shot while Kitto, also with his second, lay about 15ft. from the hole. From the bunker, Roberts lay about 15ft. away and with Kitto taking two putts, the hole was halved in birdie fours. Both players gained the green with their seconds shots for the second hole and again the holo was halved in fours. Approaching the third hole, Kitto played a beautiful second to drop within 2ft. of the holo. Roberts then stymied Kitto but the Castlecliff player came around the outside and gained the hole 4-5, placing him 1 up. From the fourth tee, Kitto hooked his drive a|id landed in the rough but with his third shot dropped nicely

just off the green near Robert's second. Roberts missed his putt and allowed Kitto to again halve the hole in lives.

Both lay on the fifth green with their drives about twenty feet from the pin, but their putts went astray, both taking three to hole. Kitto went further into the lead on the sixth by holing in bogey 4, Roberts going through to hole in 5. Roberts overran the green with his third on the seventh, but chipped hack well to halve the hole in bogey 5, Kitto still being 2 up. Roberts, by three putting at the eighth, gave Kitto another hole,

which he won 4-5. From the ninth tee Roberts drove well, but his ball went out of bounds. Kitto gained the green with his second and sank his putt for a birdie 3 against Roberts' 5, giving Kitto a lead of 4 up at the turn. The cards at this stage read: Kitto: Out: 4 4454454 3—37 Roberts: Out: 445545 5 5 5 —42

After landing short of the tenth green Roberts played a very good chip shot and lay close in with his second. Kitto was on the outside ol the green with his tee shot but Roberts putted well to halve the hole in threes,

Roberts won his first hole when he sank his ball for a birdie 4 against Kitto's 5 at the 11th. Both gained the green with their first shots from the 12th. tee. Roberts narrowly missed his first putt and Kitto followed by stopping on the brink. Bogey threes were scored by both players to halve this hole. Both made good approaches to the thirteenth green, Kitto out of a bunker witli his third and Roberts over a high mound, also with his third. They halved in fours. Kitto landed in a bunker with his second, went out of bounds with his third, chipped his fourth on to the green, missed his putt and finally noled in 6 against Roberts' birdie 4, placing Kitto 2 up, with four to play.

Using an iron from the tee, Kitto landed on the side of the 15th. green and with a brilliant chip, hopped on to the green and rain straight into the hole for a birdie 2. Roberts also landed just off the green with his tee shot and, missing his putt, holed in 3, Kitto again going into the lead 3

From the 16th, and final tee, Kitto landed in the rough and with a beautiful number six iron shot he flighted the hill and lay in a handy position. Both holed with their second putts to halve in bogie lives, giving Kitto the match, 3 up and 2 holes to play. The score-cards coming back read as follows:

Kitto: In: 353 4 6 2 5—28 Roberts: In: 343 4 4 3 5—26 The umpire for the final match was Mr. B. M. Silk. Detailed results of Saturday's games were as follows: WANGANUI CHAMPIONSHIP Semi-finals: G. Roberts (Hutt) beat K. Glendining (Manawatu), 1 up at the 20th. A. R. Kitto (Castlecllft' beat W. E. Jones Taumarunui), 7 and Final: A. R. Kitto beat G. Roberts, 3 and 2. BELMONT HANDICAP Semi-finals: J. T. Rowe beat B. Bidwell, 1 up. H. Hymes beat J. F. Collins, 3 and 2. Final: J. T. Rowe beat H. Symes, 6 and 4. BALGOWNIE HANDICAP Semi-finals: R. Kendall beat R. Orman. 4 and 3. R. S. Mcßae beat C. Dashfield, 1 up. Final: R. S. Mcßae beat R. Kendall, 1 up. SEAVIEW HANDICAP Semi-finals: R. F. Scott beat N. Freeman, 4 and 3; L. H. Aitken beat A. E. Hymes, 2 up. Final: R. F. Scott beat L. H. Aitken, 1 up. TERAWIHTI HANDICAP Semi-finals: S. Powdreli beat H. W. Collier, 5 and 4; F. Freeman beat E. D. Cameron. 6 and 5. Final: F. Freeman beat S. Powdreli, 2 and 1. The stroke handicap resulted:— First division: W. K. Creighton, 76-9-67. Second division, S. Powdreli, 84-16-59. PRESENTATION Ol TROPHIES At the conclusion ol the match play, Mrs. C. VV. Horae, wife of the president of the Wanganui Golf Club, presented the trophies to the respective winners.