Golf.

Southland Times, Issue 18859, 26 June 1920, Page 9

Golf.

(By “Cleek.’’) Mixed foursomes will be played at Otatara to-day. Following is tie draw:—Mrf A. B. Haggitt and L. W. Douglas (6) play Mrs Handyside and A. B. Haggitt (3) ; Mrs R. J. Gilmour and E. Russell (3) play Miss Pilcher and R. J. Gilmour (2) ; Mrs T. M Macdonald and A E. Smith (12) play Mrs A. E. Smith and J. F. Lillicrap (8); Miss Train and G. Cruickshank (16) play Miss Snow and R. Chamberlain (18! ; Mrs Lewis and Lewis (6) play Miss Ewart and .1. D. Mitchell (16) ; Miss McCaw and A. Dickens (12) plays Mrs Gahites and M. H. Mitcheil (14); Miss Henderson and R A. Wilson (scr.) play Miss L. Henderson and F. A, Barclay (S) ; Mrs W, J. Hodgkin* and W. J. Hodgkins (10) play Mrs Cruickshank and H. R. Dundas (16); Mrs J. D .Mitchell and C. C. Jennings (18) play Mrs J. E. Cuthill and D. R. Campbell (16). The Queen’s Park Golf Club’s Saturday players in tlie Hag match must have taken fright on the 19th inst. when they saw the score put up by G. J. Bertinshaw on the Wednesday, when he placed his Hag in the 20th hole. No cards wore handed in on Saturday. The prize therefore goes to Mr Bertinshaw. It is worlhy of note that there were three 75 nett cards handed in for the match. On Wednesday, 23rd inst, a bogey handicap match was played. The cold day must have affected the players, as very ordinary scores were recorded, the best cards handed in were by S. L. Fadget, B. Tangney and W r . S. Ayson, all eight down to bogey. The links are beginning to assume a more businesslike appearance. The hazard posts have lately been put in by Mr Duff. The June monthly medal match will be played on Wednesday next, 30th inst., also on the Saturday following. The Invercargill Golf Club’s annual ball will take place next Friday night, 2nd July. Preparations for the ball are well advanced. A strong lathes’ committee is working with enthusiasm, and judging by the way ac ceptances are reaching the secretary the attendance will go very near (o creating a new record. 'lhe ht. Clair Club is deciding its club championship this year by four rounds oi stroke play. Two rounds have now been played and the posi ions of the leaders in each grade arc- as follows;—Championship— Irvine 166, Drake 168, Wight 172, Dick 173, Macbeth 178, Mooney 184, West brook 184, Amtimm ISS. Junior Cup—Dick 173, Cerutty 122. Hanlon 195, Clayton 200, Turner 202, W ynn? 202. Macdonald 203. Dr G. F. M. Barnett is now playing with the Christchurch. Club on the scratch mark. In ill? qualifying round for the club championship he equalled the best score wi hj an S'!. Cyril Ward qualified well and G. G. Burnes, who was in Invercargill last week, al.-o qualified. Pome of the leading pros, met in a stroke competition over the ITilford Heath course at Abington (England) on 6th May. G. Duncan (Hanger 11 ill i with a card of 75 led. Abe Mitchell (North Foreland) by two sfokes. In a four hail Duncan and Mitche’l Lea,’ J. bhcrlock (Stoke Toges > and J. H. Turner (Pril oni Kt-uh i 6 up and 5 to play. Harry Vardon (South Hert*•, George Duncan (Hanger llill l . James Bailey (London Hying Club) and A. Ashby (Letch-we-th i took tu-rt in a competition over the Lei chv. o: th course. Hertfordshire, on 9th Mev. Recent rain had made the course rather sob in narts, and the showery wen ther further handicapped the players to some extent. Vardon von the stroke com petition in the morning with a score of 72, Duncan was second with 73, Bailey third, with 75. and Ashby fourth with 77. The Tea-ure of the morn'ng round was the magnificent golf ( laved by Vardon on the homeward journey. The opening of the new course of the Bro'-kcnhurst Manor Club, Hampshire, on Sth May. was the occasion of an exhibition match between Abe Mitchell (North Foreland) and E. Ray (Oxhey). Although the werlher wa< showery, the course was in excellent condition, and a large crowd followed the play. The single in (he morning was verv closely contested-, and enc.ed ad square .’ Mitche'l won the first two holes, hut Ray look the fifth and sixth. They turned level, hut Ray again took the lead at the P2th.’ and cvenmally became dormy one.. Mitchell, however, had a brilliant three at the 18th, end won the hole and squared the match. The approximate scores were: — Rav.—Out.- 4, 6, 4, 4. 3. 4. 5. 5, 4—39. In, 4, 5. 3. 5, 5, 4, 5, 3, 4—38. Total 77. Mitchell.—Out —3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 3, 5. 6 3q in —4, 5, 4, 5, 4, 4, 5, 5, 3 —39. Total 78.' The programme for the New Zealand Golf Championship mee’ing, which will commence at the St. Andrew’s links, Hamilton, on Mondsy, September 13th, and conclude on Saturday, September 18th, has been issued by the Hamilton Golf Club. The principal event will be the amateur championship of New Zealand. This will consist of two qualifying rounds of medal play, and the 32 players returning the best cards will play off by match play over 18 holes. The final will be over 36 holes. H. E. Crosse, Napier, is the present holder of the title. The open championship of New Zealand, four rounds of medal play, will also be decided. The first prize is £4O. second £2O, and third £lO, or trophies of similar value

in the case of amateurs. winning a prize. E. S. Douglas, Wanganui, won this event last year. The professional match consists of 18 holes match play, the first prize being £2O, and the second £lO, W. McEwan, formerly professional to the Auckland Golf Club, and now of the Heretaunga Golf Club, of Wellington, is the holder of the professional title. The inter-club challenge vase, presented by Mr E. D. (TRorke, will also be competed for. This will be confined to teams of four, and the aggregate gross score of each team in the second qualifying round of the amateur championship will decide the event. In addition there will be a bogey handicap, medal handicap, and a foursome bogey handicap, of IS holes each, open to amateurs. American files to hand cover the British Women’s Golf Championship played at Newcastle, County Down, Ireland, in the middle of May. The reports give attention chiefly to the fortunes of four candidates from America, but some particulars of general interest can be gleaned from them. The United States sent three representatives in Miss Marion Hollins, of New York, Miss Caverley. of Philadelphia, and Mrs Clarence A. Vanderbeck, also of Philadelphia, while Canada was represented by Miss A. C. MacKenzie, lady champion of the dominion. In a stroke competi ion played before the championship began Miss C. Leitch headed the list with a good 83. Of the American contingent Miss Hollins and Mias Caverley were the nearest with cards of 95. In the first round of the championship Miss Leitch beat Miss Jean Alexander 7 up and G to play. Two of the Americans went out in the first round. In the second round Miss Leitch defeated Mrs Hezlet 9 up and 8. Mrs Hezlet is well up in the 60’s and the mother of the Hezlet girls whose names have figured so conspicuously in British women’s golf. In the third round Miss Leitch defeated Miss Bastin 2 up and 1 to play. This marked another of the frequently contested golf duels between the present champion and one of her most persistent rivals. Time and again these two women have met on the links, and, although many of the ba'tles have hinged on the narrowest of advantages, Miss Leitch nevertheless has a considerable superiority. One of their most famous meetings was in 1914 at the French women’s championship. In winning the final round and the title Miss Leitch defeated Miss Baetin on the thirty-sixth hole. After the third round only Miss Hollins of the Americans was left in. In the fourth round Miss Leitch came to grips with her old rival Gladys Ravenscroft, now Mrs Temple Dobell, and Miss Leitch won 7 up and 6. In the semi-final Miss Leitch defeated Miss Doris Fraser 4 and 3. Miss Molly Griffiths put Miss Hollins (New York champion) out very decisively 6 up and 4, and then reached the final by beating the Irish champion, Miss Janet Jackson, 1 up. In the final Miss Leitch defeated Miss Griffiths 7 up and 6 to play and retained the title she won in 1914. At the end of the first round Miss Leitch’s stroke score was 80 as against Miss Griffiths’s 86. Miss Griffiths was playing in her first tournament and had not previously played a competitive match over 36 holes. She showed great pluck, skill and resourcefulness, but Miss Leitch's experience stood her in good stead. It was Harry Vardon’s 50th birthday on 9th May and he is still a force to be reckoned with in first-class professional golf. James Braid, it may be noted, was 50 last February; J. H. Taylor, the other member of the famous ‘‘triumvirate,” will not reach that age until next March. Many golfers of the very old school still contend (says a writer in the London Times) that young Tom Morris, of St. Andrews, who died in 1875 when only 25 years of age, was incomparable. Morris won the Open Championship on four successive occasions wi'h the old gutta brill. Vardon won his first championship at Muirfield in 1893, with the gutta ball, and was again successful in 1808 and 1899. It was not until three years later that the rubber ball made its appearance in the form of the Haskell ball. Vardon again won the championship in 1903, 1911 and 1914, and as the event has not been played since 1914 he is still the official champion to-day. Altogether, a unique and wonderful record of success. There is one rather remarkable fact about Vamon s golfing career—he has never won a championship at St. Andrews. He has scored three successes at Sandwich, two at Prestwick, and one at Muirfield. Vardon won the American Open Championship in 1900 at Wheaton, Illinois, and the German Open Championship at Baden-Baden, in 1911, but during the many years in which he took part in the French Open Championship he never won that distinction. In addition to the Championships Vardon has won numerous tournaments in which the highest professional talent has been engaged. He was the hero of (he memorable match with Willie Park over North Berwick and Canton in 1898. It is generally accepted that Vardon was at his zenith in the seasons 1898 and 1899, when his gulf was quite two ' sirokes a round better than any other professional. Then, for a number of years, Vardon had to strike his flag to James Braid, and occasionally to .1. 11. Taylor, but tie effected a return to his bor-t form in 1911, and has been able to hold his own, rno-e’ or less, ever since. Vardon's game today, however, is quite four rtrokes a round worse than m his best days. He is now a weak putter, but there is still that beautiful rhythm of swing and picturesqueness in his shots through the green.