Golf.

Southland Times, Issue 18840, 5 June 1920, Page 9

Golf.

(By “Cleek.”) Riverton Golf Club sent in a team of six ladies and eight men on Thursday to compete with the Queen's Park Golf Ciub. The day was perfect for playing and the visitors enjoyed the outing thoroughly. Owing to the Park Club having had very short notice that the Riverton players were coming, and also as they had a monthly medal match arranged for the same tiay it was agreed to play ladies against ladies and men against men, the cants of local players to count also for the medal march. The following are the results of the day’s play Mrs Bcrndtson (Riverton! beat Miss Pilcher G and 5; Mrs Willett (Riverton) beat Muss Stout 3 and 2; Mrs Stevens (Riverton) beat Mi.ss Campbell 1 up; Mis-s Collins (Riverton) heat Miss Lowe G and 4; Miss Southbnrg (Riverton) beat Miss Dyer 3 and 2; Miss Stevens (Riverton) beat Mrs Cochrane 2 and 1; A. E. Willett (Riverton) beat W. Smith 3 and 2; J. Instone (Riverton) beat L. L. Padget 3 and 2; C. A. Masters (Park) beat G. H. Gifford 4 and 3; A. Masters (Park) beat W. A. Mansell 4 and 3; T. W. Vickery (Park) beat D. C. McColl 4 and 2; S. Wootton (Park) heat --- Fraser 4 and 3; D. Berudston (Rivet ton) halted with N. F. King; H. F. Philp (Riverton) halved with W. S. Ayson.

Twenty members took part in the.monthly medal match. The best card handed in was that of B. Tangney, 91 —22—69; T. \v. Vickery. 87 —14 —73, was second. 'The members of the Invercargill Ladies’ Club had a perfect day for their match on Thursday and the course was in good order. The afternoon’s play under such conditions was greatly enjoyed. Two competitors tied for first place —Mrs R. J. Gilmour, 118 —25 —93, and Mrs A. B. Haggitt, 129 —36 —93. Mr A. S. MacShane, who has been secretary of the New Zealand Golf Association for some years past, has resigned the position. Mr G. O. Sutton has been appointed to fill the vacancy. The New Zealand Golf Championship tournament is to lie held on the St. Andrew’s links, Hamilton, from September 13 to 18, and it is anticipated that this splendid course will be in first-class condition for the tournament. Programmes and entry forms will be available very- soon and golfers who intend going up there can have accommodation secured for them by the lion, secretary' of the Hamilton Golf Club. 'the Christchurch team wrich journeyed to Wellington on Friday of last week returned last Sunday without haling played the Tuson Cup match against Wellington owing to tlie unfavourable weather .conditions, the Hcretaunga greens being unplayable.

The greatest match season in the history of professional golf is now in progress in Britain. Seven open tournaments, with prize money aggregating £31170 have already boon arranged. Karly in April Vardon, Taylor. Braid ami Herd gave the new North Foreland course a try out. This is. the course for which Abe Mitchell was recently appointed pro. at a salary of £3OO with a guarantee that his total earnings would not. he less than an additional £KtiK). The four first of all played a stroke competition which Taylor won with 75, Braid 77, Vardon and Herd each 80. Then a four bail match was played Braid and Herd (Scotland I against Vardon and Taylor ( Knplund ' and the Scots won 3 up ami 3. Some four ball this, for the players were the winners of 17 world's championshi[xs. The North Foreland Club, by the way, carted 1000 tons of sand from the sea bench to fill its bunkers. It remodelled 100 of the old bunkers ami added many more. Ane Mitchell has done his 70 on the course and is now after 69. THE FIRST GREAT TEST. ALL THE “GUNS” IN ACTION. The first great contest of what promises to die by far the most inti resting match season in big golf ever known in Britain began at Worplesdon, near Woking, on 11th April, when the pros, in the southern section began the qualifying test for the Daily Mail's £SOO tournament to be played a: Westward Ho on the Kith and 17th of this month. Altogether 100 professionals qualify for the final struggle, and the eliminating rounds are phyed in geographical sections, to each of which a certain number of places is allotted, as follows; — Southern 41 Northern 31 Midland 14 Western 6 SenUish (I Welsh 0 Irish 3 Eastern 3 Nearly all the great pros, are in the south of England, ns will be seen from the number of places allotted to that section, and immense intere.st was taken in the qualifying rounds. For (he 41 places there were 136 candidates and they included nearly all the men whose names are famous in (he annals of profe; donal golf. The competitors include:! - -Vardon. of the supremely graceful swing, who at present, holds the open championship ; Braid, with style that is the embodiment of power on the links; Taylor, the soul of determination; Herd, of the excited, exuberant waggle and resolute hit ; Mitchell, of the steel like wrists and the trusty “straight left.” which certainly guides his putter even as it lends strength to his lone name; Duncan, of the quirk decisions and lightning effects; Ray, of the mighty yet orthodox lunge ai the ball; and Arnaud Massy, t.he big Frenchman. of infinite bonhomie, whose golf is always crowded with inspiration. Arnaud Massy, a winner of the Open Championship, entered from St. Jean rle Du/., near Biarritz, and his famous countryman Jean Gassi at from Chantilly. Another interesting competitor was Angel de la Torre, of Madrid, champion of Spain. Hr is little, alert, dash'ng; a wondrous master of as short and light a set of eiuhs as ever was seen on the links. He is in the nature of a 'mall working mode! of Massy, with whom he spent a year. He has even* one of Massy's mannerisms, including even that curious twirl of the club-head at the top of the swing.

No wonder the whole golfing world \va= aeog with eager anticipation in view of this meeting of the giants, and the great question was: How will the great three, Verdon, Braid and Taylor, come out of the ordeal ? Everybody remembered, how, at pnnning-on-Thames last autumn, Vardan, Taylor, and Braid failed even to quali fy for the News of the World Tournament. If, before the day, anybody had suggested the possibility of those long-time monopolists of professional honours finishing far down in the ruck he would have been deemed a very impolite lunatic. So the great three were up against it. They knew it and they had prepared themselves thoroughly. Worplesdon was a magnificant course for the test, which consisted of two rounds played on June 14th and loth, the 41 best aggregates to qualify. What it means to put through a competition of this magnitude may be gathered from the fact that the first pair left the first tee at 9.30 a.m. Thereafter the pairs followed at intervals of five minutes without interruption, but it was five minutes past three before the last pair got off—five and a half hours after the first pair. By a curious coincidence the names of Vardon and Taylor came out of the hat together in the draw

for the first day, and their starting time was 9,50. Arnaud Massy followed at 10 a.m., George Duncan at 10.5, Ray at 1.45, Abe Mitchell at 2 o’clock and James Braid at 2.so —in the last pair but three. Well then, what were the results of the first round? Without fuither ado I give the first three dozen on the list:—

Bert Seymour (Molesey Hurst) .. .. Vi James Braid (Walton Heath) 72 W. B. Smith (Hayling Island) 73 Abe Mitchell (North Foreland) .. .. 74 J Sherlock (Stoke Popes) 75 Harry Vardon (South Herts) 75 George Duncan (Hanger Hill) .. .. 75 Claude Gray (Beckenham) 76 Fred Leach (Northwoodi 77 Arnaud Massy (Nivelle, France) .... 77 E. Ray (Oxhey) 77 Rowland Jones (Wimbledon Park) .. 77 Alan Gow (Banstead Down?) 77 W. H. Horne (kite Durban. S. Africa) 77 J. Ockonden (Raynes Park) 77 Josh Taylor (Sudbury) 7S C. Ralph Smith (West Middlesex) .. 78 C. Jones (Purley Downs) 78 E. Bannister (Sandy Lodge) 78 F. C. Jewell (North Middlesex) .... 78 P. G. Wyatt (Arkleyl 70 C. 11. Kennett (Rcdhill and Reigafc) 79 W. L. Ritchie (Worplesdon) 79 A. S. Tingey (South Beds) 79 T. Trapp (Shirley Park) 80 H. C. Jolly (Foxgrove) 80 A. Boomer (St. Cloud, Paris) .. .. SO R. G. Wilson (Crohamhurst) 80 A. H. -Monk (Royal Winchester) .... 80 .Alec Herd (Coombe Hill) SO J. Heron (Worplesdon I 80 M. Bradbeer (Potters Park) 80 W. Nicholson (North Surrey l S9 C. Macey (Crowborough) 81 J. H. Taylor (Mid. Surrey) 81

G. Paroiudl (Hindhead) 81 There were twelve 81’s, eight S2’s, ten S3’s. ami nine 84’s. The 72nd man on the list was only 13 strokes away from the first man. Very heavy rains had fallen and the ground was soaking wet, hut the fairway, though sodden, was in good condition, and the greens Lust and true. The Professional Golf Association decided by a majority to adopt the Worplesdon local rule allowing balls embedded in soft ground to be lifted and dropped without penalty and balls on the green to be cleaned. No such latitude had ever been allowed in a competition of first-class importance before, and James Biaid was altogether against the proposal. The golfer who reported the meeting for the London Times condemned the innovation as '‘against tho best interests of golf” and hoped that the precedent would not prove “the thin edge of the wedge.” Most golfers will agree with that view. Now for some notes on the play. Says the London Times writer already referred to ; “The first couple to draw the crowd were Harry Vardon arid J. H. Taylor. The whole golfing world wishes to see how the

“Triumvirate” has stood t.he test of intervening years; and it was felt that their meeting would furnish a good indication of their chances in the Open Championship. Kadi was palpably nervous—this is probably the first time either of them has. shown it in an important event. They both hit perfect tee shots at the first hole, leaving themselves simple iron shots. Vardon found a pat of mud on his ball where he must hit, it. He looked at it. remarked on it, ami then played it as if no mud were there. The result was a perfect shot and a putt for a three. Taylor’s ball was afflicted in the same manner, but tlie mu 1 was a nightmare to him, and after addressing his hall uneasily he pushed it out to the right of the green and took five. Front there to the turn the [day created the impression that each was uncertain am! struggling. Vanlon’s putting caused the spectators perhaps even mure uneasiness than it did the player. He certainly holed the short ones hut hurriedly ami with a stabbing motion. The feature of Taylor’s play was (he nnceitannly of his iron play, the last thing one would expect of him. Taylor was m;; in Ml), but coming home disaster overtook him. At the ilth hole lie got under his tec shot and hit one into the bunker. He look iwo t.o get out and required three, putts, making a total of S fur the hole. After more bunker work ar the 13th and 14th hole,, he finished in 3. ‘l. 4. showing a glimpse of the reel Taylor. This gave him a round of SI and called for a big ctTurt on the second dav. ’Trout the turn, \ anion improved, and a long putt for two at the 13th hole pul Join on good terms with him-elf, and thereafter he was the real Vr.rdon. His iron shots up to the hole were perfect, and he was hilling his pulls more evenly. He finished in 75, which was.a great recovery after his unconvincing start. Arnaud 51 ussy handed in a 77, which was made up of brilliant rdav, marred by a tendency to pull his iron shots. "George Duncan was the next attraction, and he gave a typical i :-;liibition of quick, graceful and brilliant cob'. ile was am hi 36 as a result of straight r.riving, accurate iron play, and perfect putting. At the 11th hole an incident occurred which luckily did not have the serious results it might well Dive had. Following a spectator through

revolving gate the handle of ms purler

••am'* in contact with t!i - mrnstil- and its head was driven ‘-handy agam-i the corner of hi? eye, cutting it rather badly. Hr took this unfortunate accident in the utmost good pail, and until the shmt IHi hj hole did not make the semblance of a mistake. Hare he duffed hU iron slim and Dv buried in a ■-■ mall bunker. After get ling out he wits short with his approach and look five. At the ISlh hole he iinderelubbad himself after a long drive, and left himself too much to do wirit his run up to gel a four but it. wits a great round of /5 and a [ lea.saire to watch.

"Sherlock came in next, and his 75 was the result of what lie described as •sound, steady golf.’ It really meant that he never took more than two putts on the green which is Fhcrlock till over. Shortly aftr he had finished, C. Gray, of Beckenham, handed in an excellent .score of 76, ami then 'ante the surprise of the day, a wonderful round of 71 by B. S, vigour. This is five strokes better than the competition record of the course. Even with this score he we? unlucky with several of his putts. His onlj mistake was at the 11th, where he* cut his approach shot badly .and took s ; x. The feature of It is game wa« the exception:)! accuracy id his iron shots up ; n the hole.

“Abe Mitchell had a long wait before he -■farted ju.-t before 3 o'clock. His golf was relentless in its accuracy. Driving a Inn" 'nigh hall, he followed up his tee shots with equally lofty iron .-hots rigid up to the pin. and his putting was as convincing as the ret of his game. At the I2rh bole he was lucky. His drive, slightly pushed, hit the trees ami came out on to the course, but he made up for it by playing ;t long iron shot over (he bunker and getting ;; four, and a! the 13th he ran down a six-yard putt for a two. His first mistake, and with it disaster, came at the long 15th hole, where he rook a hrassie for his second shot and missed it altogether. He pulled his third into a. bunker ami took i, but he finished in 74, a very fine performance.

"Then came Braid. He, like Mitchell, reached the turn in 37, holing a 10-yard putt at the 9th for a 3 and from there until the 15th he literally went mad. lie put a lone putt dead at the 10th hole for a 3, took the 11th in a perfectly played 5, tV 12th in 3, where he pm a full hrassi? shot on to the green from a heavily cupped 1C

and holed a five-yard putt. Encouraged bv this, he nearly holed the 13th in 2 and then dui the 14th, a hole 386 yards Ion" in 3.

“The loth hole, as with Mitchell, prove 1 a terrible stumbling block. A slightly pulled second shot with a brassie finished just off the course under a rost. Braid took endless nains, but even then only just moved the ball. His approach was short, but he holed a good putt for a (i. He played the 17th beautifully and nearly hided his ehip back. At the 18lh hole he slightly cut his tee shot for the first time and failed to reach the green in two, the hole costing him five. But his round of 72 was made up of perfect golf and was Braid at Ids best. He impressed one as having an immense reserve of power to call on at need and gave the most finished exhibition of golf seen.” Unfortunately the last mail brought don files down to April 15 only, so thmust wait for the next mail for the .

of the second round and the positions in ! which the champion? were placed. For my part I find myself hoping that Jimmy Braid, I grand, dour, rugged old fighter, repeated | that mighty effort of his and led them all ' home —indeed that the “Triumvirate” were I all in places of honour (Taylor despite his ; 81), and that in the finals on the 16lh and j 17th of this month and again in the still ; more important Open Championship at Deal on June 30 and July 1 (the first played since 1914) they will assert (heir preeminence once more, before, in the inevitable course of nature, Time’s mandate has to be obeyed and they give place to younger men. ®o®