PULLS AND SLICES

Rotorua Morning Post, 28 August 1931, Page 5

PULLS AND SLICES

"Foozler."

GOLF NOTES.

By the

The effort to interest Rotorua golfers in a bogey match last Saturday proved unsuccessful, remarkably few cards being returned", and those that were were certainly nothing to write chome about. Rotorua's interest in mirior matches seemed to fade out with the approacb of the big event, the Rotorua Golf Club's Amateur Open Cliampionship and Thermal Challenge Cup set down to eommence on Wednesday last. The elimination rounds on Tuesday attracted 74 entrants and out of this number two groups of 32 ' each were drawn, leaving only ten rabbits without a cup to compete for. The elimination was played on handicap, the best 32 to contest the Ope.n Championship and the second best 32 the . Termal Cup. These rounds brought to light several surprises. Several players, expected to be in the first group, were found among the bunnieS, and others, considered out of it, squeezed in among the first class. The actual contests which commenced on Wednesday, also showed some surprising reversals of form. Rotorua contestants, at the time of writing were discovered to be practically a minus quantity after the second round, C. Kusabs being the only one remaining in either division. Among the lower handicap players, G. Brinsden and J. Goss had returned the best gross scores. Following are the figures of their best rounds - up to Wednesday: — Brinsden. — 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 2, 5, 4, 3.-33; 5, 4, 5, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 5.-35. Total 68. Goss.— 3, 3, 4, 5, 4, 4, 4, 6, 3—36; 5, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4.-33. Total 69. Both are excellent rounds and can be *taken as an indication of each player's merit, for neither has been far above these figures. Another excellent score, this time returned by a Rotorua player in the bogey handicap on Wednesday, is that of S. E. Carr, of 3, 3, 4, 5, 4, 2, 4, 4, 3.-32; 5, 4, 6, 4, 3, 3, 5, 3, 5.-^-38. Total 70. He was also three up on the Colonel.

H. Hamilton did a miracle during a round last week-end which possibly either stymied or bunkered him at the nineteenth at the conclusion of his match. He simply made the Colonel look ridiculous by sinking in one at the second hole. Dr. Macknight did about as good on Wedensday by holing in two at the Lake. The doctor seems to be making a habit of this sort of thing, for it is not so long ago that he sunk in one at the sixth. Billy Burke, the national open champion of America, is 28 years old, prfessional at the Round Hill Club in Greenwich, Connecticut. It took 144 holes of golf to decide the event at Inverness. Burke had tied yitb G. von Elm with 292 for the 72 holes of the championship proper, and they tied again in the first 36 hole play-off with 149. The second playoff was in doubt till the last three holes. The deciding shot was a 35foot putt, which Burke placed within six inches of the cup for an easy par 4 at the sixteenth. Yon Elm tried for a 3, overran the hole by 15 inches, and then missed the putt, the third of less than a yard that he had missed in the day. Burke played his irons magnificently throughout. He took three putts on the last green, but nevertheless won the longest game in the records of that championship by two strokes. The temperature of 105 degrees at the American Open Championships was too high for the British players, who were prostrated by the sudden contrast to the chill winds of Britain. Abe Matchell felt siek and dizzy, and George Duncan, after finishing a morning foursome round, collapsed in the club house, and asked to be relieved of his singles match. "This is worse than Africa," he said. "We cannot stand such stokehold temperatures. We gulp ice water, and that makes most of us ill, but ordinary water is warm in the tap." The heat compelled C. W'hitcombe to withdraw from both the Open and the Ryder Cups. During the Ryder Cup matches the British players wore green eye-shields. They carried towels and had sandpaper to roughen them club grips. The bunker sand was like hot iron to touch, and the greens steamed like a Turkish bath. With golf almost a religion with American professionals, they are in an excellent physical condition to withstand the heat. "Few drink alcoholic beverages, and few smoke, but all train like athletes for championship contests. Even the Americans favour asking the English authorities to change their championship date from June to August. At present the date of the American National Championship is in July to avoid a clash with the British Open, which American professionals wish to attend. It was so hot in the American National Championships this year, it is stated, that the cores of balls were softened. A plea for larger holes is made by an American golfer, who maintains ''that the small hole makes putts a matter of luelt, besides taking up time on the greens. "If it is necessary to make a course harder, it should be done in an interesting way and not at the expense of extra putts on the green." he says. "The hole should be large enough for experts to have a chance under the law of averages, to get down in one putt if they can approach within fifteen feet of the cup. One could take more of a chance too, and not fear to overrun the hole. Make the hole large enough so that skill will eount and not luck. The only way to eliminate the difference between moisture and dryness on greens, unseen footprints and obstacles and grass blown in various ways, is through proper consideration of the size of the hole." He claims the new ball is an ally. It will not go into the small holes, he says, unless it strikes the centre of the back of the cup. The old ball has that habit too.