LAWSON LITTLE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 65, 3 April 1937, Page 14

LAWSON LITTLE

SOME OF HIS EXPERIENCBS «r. andbews ihe best coubse fl'L ~~ Warmly welcomed in January to San Francisco, where his parents still reside, Lawson Little, former British and Uhited States amateur champion, was asked to define the most outstanding event in his golfing career. "It was not an event," replied Lawson, "but a decision I made last April when I resolved to join Bobby Jones in a programme to try to build up an interest and do everything we could to better golf and make ihe game more enjoyabie." Answering the question: "Which xnoment stands as the most thrilllng in your career?" Lawson replied: "When Is was dovvn at Sanford University, near San Francisco, on January 7, 1934, I was selected for the Walker team of that year and I went to Great Britain, where the American team successfully competed and retained the Walker Cup. We went over to Prestwick and played in the British amateur championship, and it was there that I met my first major championship. In the practice I thought I would play pretty well in the match itself, but little did I thlnk I would get a 66 and win by the wide margin of 14 and 13. That was my first win and it really tickled me." "Rememberinp the British amateur

championship, could you make any comparison between the British and American golfers?" To fhig Lawson responded: 'The American golfer is a much finer player than the Britisher, because we in America take the game more seriously, and go into it in a more scientific way and do a great deal of practising. We usually go a large number of times to the courses and practise assiduously, while they in Great Britain pay more attention to playlng and they don't play seriously in Britain as we do here. They Omlt the perious element in favour of playing only." "Where are the best courses?" T like SL Andrews in Scotland. That tmdoubtedly k the finest course in the whole world and I wculd like to play on ?t as long as I could. i repeat there is no finer than St. Andrews. Of course, juoging from a scernc standpoint, I consider Pebble Beach and Cypress Point at Del Monte, California, are the two most beaufiful courses in the world." "What benefit did you get in seeing a professional tournament?" "When I was in the Oregon State championship tournament 1 very religiously followed the stars as they toured the course. Z was but 13 years of age at the time. I enjoyed their choice of shots and how thev

played to get on the greens. I tried to copy the rhythm in their swing, which is one of the main factors m successful golfing. Golf itself is how you address the ball, and I try to make my stance as natural as possible and not have any outside influcnce on my mind. You need every concentration at the time. Get all the power you can out of the muscles of your back and from the muscles of your legs in the turning motion which I favour."