KITTO PLAYS GREAT MATCH-WINNING GOLF IN AFTERNOON

Wanganui Chronicle, 31 October 1946, Page 6

KITTO PLAYS GREAT MATCH-WINNING GOLF IN AFTERNOON

N.Z. TOURNEY CONTINUES (P.A.) Palmerston N., Oct. 30 After heavy overnight rain the Hokowhitu course was heavier than ever this morning. Detailed results were:— PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Semi-finals Alex Murray (Auckland) beat N. H. Fuller (Christchurch), 4 and 3. A. J. Shaw (Hastings) beat A. E. Guy (Auckland), 7 and 6. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP Second Round R. H. Glading beat D. H. Graham, 5 and 3. D. L. Woon beat V. E. Jones, 3 and 2. L. B. Quinn beat H. A. Black, 6 and 5. W. B. Reilly beat R. Hay Mackenzie, 8 and 7. K. S. Glendinning beat E. H. Gray, 2 up. A. R. Kitto beat J. P. Ralph, 2 and 1. W. G. Horne beat B. Bamfield, 6 and 5. G. P. Roberts beat I. A. Ewen, 4 and 3, NEW ZEALAND PLATE Eliminating Round E. J. Astin beat C. F. Schadick. N. H. Amon beat V. K. Palmer. A. H. Boyd beat G. N. Tustin. C. J. Ward beat P. L. Peacock. H. J. Longstaff beat D. C. Collins. J. Holden beat B. K. Thomson. J. L. Black beat R. B. Carr. B. M. Silk beat T. H. Horton.

Some of the above were won by default and the winners will be matched with players beaten in the second round of the championship. The professional stroke competition to-day was won by J. A. Clements (Christchurch).

The professional semi-finals provided some of the best golf of the tournament. Fuller and Murray went round in about 74’s to be square at lunch. Murray had missed one or two putts and Fuller was stymied a couple of times. Fuller was driving badly and against Murray's relentless attack he was 5 down at the turn. In the afternoon he got one back, but Murray went out in 37 and home in 43 to win 4 and 3.

Shaw, before lunch, proved much too steady for Guy, who was out at bounds at the 7th., 9th„ and 10th. Shaw’s morning round would be 75. Guy played well in the afternoon, but Shaw went out in 34, two under par: 44435443 3. He followed with 4 4 3 and won 7 and 6.

The Glading-Graham match attracted a big gallery. Glading won after they had been square al tne end of the first round. Graham went out in 35. He was 3 up at the turn but Glading was square after the 15th. Graham won the 16th., but was out of bounds at the 18th. Glading played superlative golf in the afternoon, better than par. He was lour up at the turn and the figures were 4 4 4 3 5 4 5 3 3—35. Graham hdlcd a putt for a brilliant 3 at the 10th., but was over the back at the 12th. Glading easily secured a birdie 4 at the 15th., where the match ended 5 and 3. Glading was playing heart-breaking goit and putting for birdies all the time. Woon was 2 up on Jones at lunch. Both missed putts and Woon was round in about 74. Woon chipped m to hole at the 18th, for a par 4, but it was no good against a 3 by Jones. Jones lost the first two holes in the afternoon. He rallied and returned the margin to one at the 11th. He missed a foot putt at the 12th. Woon celebrated a "let off” by getting a birdie at the next. Woon won 3 and 2.

Against Quinn, Harold Black threeputted at the 17th. and 18th. and was 2 down at lunch. Quinn was wonderfully steady in the second round. When the game finished six and five in his favour he was one over 4’s.

Glendinning went out in 35 against Gray, from Otaki. He was 3 up at lunch and a 4 at the eighteenth would have given him 75. Gray proved himself a good golfer and had Glendinning working all the time. In the afternoon Gray continued to play splendid golf. Glendinning was dormy 3 and Gray took him to the 18th. Reilly was 3 up against Hay Mackenzie at the end of the first round, after Reilly had won the first three holes. They shared the honours oj the morning. Reilly opened the afternoon round with a birdie 3, and he never let up, reaching 6 up. Hay Mackenzie, forced to go for wins, threw away holes he might have halved.

Ralph went round in about 74 and was 3 up on Kitto at Lunch. Kitto played good golf, but could not save that shot on the green. Ralph was 4 up after the fifth in the second round, but Kitto then started to play brilliant match-win-ning golf and secured birdies at the 6th., 7th., and 10th., where, after missing a drive, played one of the greatest iron shots ever seen at Hokowhitu. At the 13th. and 14th. Ralph was playing golf which would have won nine times out of ten, but Kitto beat him 2 and 1. Horne went out in 36 against Bamfield, the young New Plymouth player, but was only 1 up. He was out of bounds at the 10th., but chipped out for 2 at the 12th. Bamfield secured a win at the long 13th. with a birdie 4, 'At bumped into an eagle 3 by Horne at the 15th. Horne won the 16th. and 18th. and was 3 up at lunch. Both went out in 36 after lunch. At the ninth, Horne was on the lip of the hole with his second which was a stymie. Bamfield was three down and forced to take a risk. He hit Horne's ball into the hole for two. Curiously, the same thing happened at the next hole. Horne clinched the match with a birdie at the 13th.

Roberts began brilliantly against Ewen and was six up after seven holes. Ewen played a great recovery shot at the Sth. Roberts chipped out at the 17th. and was five up at lunch. Roberts was round in about 74 and Ewen came in in about 78. In the afternoon both played great golf. Ewen went out in 34 and got two back. Roberts went out in 36 and was back in one under par. His short game was wonderfully good and enabled nim to keep the pressure right on all the way.