GOLF

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 208, 28 May 1921, Page 3

GOLF

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

PROSPECTS OF THE PLAYERS Little is talked or thought of by golfers just now (says the ‘Sydney Morning Herald ) but what Kirkwood's chance is of winning the open championship. It is somewhat curious how little is known of the conditions governing the event. One player was under the impression that about eight qualified to play off by match play. The event is open to .all golfers, and is to be played on the old course, St. Andrews, on Thursday and Friday, June 23 and 2-4, and it will be decided by four rounds of eighteen holes. In ths event of a tie or ties, the competitors will play two additional rounds on Saturday, June 25. Eighty golfers shall be entitled to compete. If there are more than eighty entrants, twe qualifying rounds of eighteen holes will be played by strokes on Monday and Tuesday, June 20 and 21, over the new and Eden course at St. Andrews.

The three courses adjoin one another, and it is possible to step off one on to the other. The new course runs more or less parallel with the old one; the two, to say nothing of the Jubilee course that runs along the spurs of the sandhills, being all squeezed into a very narrow compass. The new course has many merits, but it is curiously unlike its neighbour. Partly, of course, this is on account of newness. Myriads of feet have not trampled it into adamantine hardness, and when the greens in the old course are keen and fiery the new course remains soft, slow, and easy. Besides this, however, there is another difference. The comparative commonplaceness of the now course, if further inquired into, resolves itself largely into the fact that there are not nearly so many good natural greens. At both the third and the fifth there are plateau greens, and the latter especially has the quality—so characteristic of the old course —of demanding that the shot be played exactly right The majority of the greens, however, are quite ordinary, and they lack a natural protection by their own conformation.

Kirkwood’s entry for the blue ribbon of golf is of great moment. Up to this year we have had to rely for our interest in the event upon men whom few in Australia have seen. Even then there would have been little more than a passing curiosity as to the probable winner but for the deep hold that Vardon, Braid and Taylor had on our feelings. , The first of them to win was J. H. Taylor, in 1894 and 1895, from which date one or other of them headed the list until 1914, except in 1897 when H. H. Hilton won, in 1902 Alex. Herd, in 1904 Jack White, in 1907 Arnaud Massey, and in 1912 E. Ray. So that, excepting the triumvirate, there were only five winners of the open championship in 20 years. In 1894 there were 73 entrants, in 1913 2459, and in 1914 194. For some years before Taylor’s first win the event was quite open, and in no sense a monopoly as it was afterwards. Kirkwood, if he does win, will no doubt remind the old players of the sensational entry of J. H. Taylor, who came up to try his luck from Westward Ho. He soon became conspicuous for his accuracy and straightness. It was said of him that no bunkers had anv terrors but the guide-posts. He did not win the first time —nor. for the matter of that, has anyone else—but he did remarkably well, returning a card of 75; but two bad rounds on the second day spoilt hie chances of winning. Then came Harry Vardon, from Jersey, who again upset all calculations. After him came Braid, and so until 1914 they dominated the situation. George Duncan was looked upon as their logical successor, and might have beaten them sooner than Tie did but for the fact that he could not keep one bad round from creeping into his card. He won in 1920, the first year it was played after the war, and rightly came into his own.

The position now is that we have three schools. First, the triumverate who learned their golf with the gutty ball, and who believe in the follow through; the second consisting of Ray, Duncan, and Mitchell; and the third of youngsters. Havers, Allis, Seymour, Ritchie, and Kirkwood, who are fighting for recognition like Taylor and Vardon were in 1894 and 1895.

There can he little doubt that the strain is now too great for the first chins, who are all 50 years or over, notwithstanding Verdon’s sensational showing in the American championship when he finished second, and would have won but for his age. Duncan and Mitehell easily defeated Taylor and Herd in a recent open event nt Southport, and fought out the final between themselves. Mitchell, by the way, had the best chance of winning the championship at his first attempt last year, for he was a' strong favourite, but "nerves” beat him. The position appears to be that Ray, Mitchell, and Duncan, on paper, have the best chances of winning, for the two lastmentioned seem to be playing bettor than Ray just now. nnd Rnv won the American open. Against them there is Kirkwood, whose practice rounds at St.

Andrews justify the very strong hone that he may win; Hallam, who won the £lOOO tournament, at Liverpool, and beat Havers by one stroke ; Havers, who beat Kirkwood in a match by 2 up. The American contingent’s chances

have then to be considered. Walter Hagen was their first hope la°t year, lint he failed miserably. Further, he does not seem to be considered in America in so favourable a light as he was at that time. Barnes, who did not seem to be ploying at Whit" Snlnliur Snrings or Pinehurst when Kirkwood was there, appears to have a very good chance of winning. He was very steady last year, and was the only plover to have no bad round. "Jock” Hutchison, a St. Andrews boy when recently over in Scotland, did some sensational practice rounds there, two of them being 70 and 71, and he is very strongly fancied, both in America and Scotland. His fine showing at Pinehurst and While Sulphur Springs would give his supporters additional confidence. To come to the last on the list, there is Ixruis Diegel, who is 23 years old. He has not been playing long, but is. without doubt, the best native-born American. Nothing would have stopped him winning the American open championship last year, but for tlie fact, that his caddie, for some foolish reason or another, was "sacked” during tho last round, when "Chick” Evans took his place, and Diegel then started to throw innumerable strokes away; but even then lie tied with Vardon for second place. .It. would be very interesting to see a match between Hiegel and Kirkwood, as the former plays his long wooden shots with a “fade-away”—that is. a slight list to Hie right at the finish of i.Tieir flight, just as Kirkwood did when playing his very best golf in Australia. Since then he is reported to be playing with “hook” for greater length. Little importance should be attached to the close game in I lie various four halls that Kirkwood and East aro playing at St. Andrew’s, for, as one golfer who knows the Scottish conditions put it: "A great number of unknown men play marvellously good scores there, well down in tho 70’s,” and H. 11. Hilton has noticed tho snipe thing. Further, East, may be of 777 Tb help. He should *T. but no doubt lie is unable to adapt hiinsolf to the altered conditions like. Kirkwood. Mr. Ivo Whitton and Mr. Barton Adams, who have seen u lot of the piny by all of tho best professionals, while tho former has played a good deal in exhibition matches with them, are firmly o' tlie opinion that Kirkwood —though he may not win the open championship —wi.il easily hold his own in any company. Mr. Bar'on Adams says that, he never saw anyone so consistent at. Kirk-

wood. By the way, one golfer whom Mr. Whitton thinks very highly of is J. Douglas llflgar. who won the French open championslnp in 1914 with 288— flic second-best score over put up in (he event, the best liein" 281 by Massy—and wlio won the Canadian open with 2<B. the world's record for four rounds medal play in a championship. He is said to be pinving beanflUiDy in England, and lie should have strong claims for consideration.