GOLF

Southland Times, Issue 21097, 31 May 1930, Page 18

GOLF

(By

“Cleek.”)

LEADING FIXTURES.

June 14—English Amateurs v. Professionals at Blundellsands. June 16—17. —Open Championship Qualifying Rounds, at Hoylake and Wallasey. June 18—20.—Open Championship at Hoylake. July 10 etc. —American Open Championat Carnoustie. August 25 —England v. Scotland, Boys’ International match, at Fulwell. September 10—12—Girls’ Championship at Stoke Poges. September 22 etc.—American Amateur Championship at Merion Cricket Club, Philadelphia.

Second qualifying round at Otatara today. L.G.U. matches at Queen’s Park and Otatara during the forthcoming week. Stroke handicap and first round of Holloway Shield match on the Park to-day. Wednesday players will continue the match next week.

As was only to be expected the course at Otatara was on the heavy side on Thursday when the ladies’ flag match was played. The senior match was won by Mrs Tansley, who holed out at the 17th with her last stroke. Mrs Garrett won the junior match finishing her stroke allowance on the 17th green. A sealed hole match for Mrs Georgeson’s prize was played by the Queen’s Park ladies on Monday and was won by Mrs Stalker. Golfers are reminded that the entries for the Invercargill Golf Club's King’s Birthday tournament at Otatara will close with the secretary P.O. Box 91 to-day. It has to be recorded that J. N. Deal, who had the audacity to do a hole in one on the Park some weeks ago, paid the full penalty for his transgression before a large attendance of club-mates at the pavilion on Saturday. The members of the Queen’s Park Clubplayed a four-ball bogey match on Saturday under fair conditions. As usual the poor old “Colonel” came off very badly, no fewer than nine pairs finishing all square or better. Three pairs finished four up which was good going under the conditions ruling.- The best scores were: H. Ritchie and J. R. Sutton, four up; A. Wilson and M. B. Scully, four up; T. H. Mills and C. Colley, four up; W. J. Brooke and H. D. McHugh, three up; P. Fougere and R. Scott, two up; R. Miller and A. McCurdy, one up; G. R.-- Baxter and W. G. Tait, one up; J. R. Deal and A. R. Alington, all sq.; A. J. Milne and W. Tait? junr., all sq. /

The third of a series of talks bn golf rules afid etiquette was held in the Queen’s Park club-house last Tuesday, when about twenty players were present. As usual the interest was maintained throughout and at the conclusion of the talk a Series of rulings given by the Royal and Ancient Club, of St. Andrews in connection with questions sent in from all parts of the country provided subjects for very' interesting and helpful discussions. , It is reported that the Invercargill Golf Club and the Queen’s Park Golf Club have all preparations complete for the tournament to be held on their respective courses on Tuesday next. Country golfers may rest assured that a good day’s sport awaits them at whichever course they decide to patronize, atjd it only remains for the weather to be on its best behaviour to ensure an enjoyable day from all pointe of view. The assertion recently made that golf is an old man’s game was tested on the West Hill course, Surrey, by Major C. O. Hezelt, his wife, Miss Molly Gourlay, the English champion, and Mr A. P. Garland. They, used pedometers, worn on their stockings.' Major Hezlet went round in 75, two under bogey, and walked 4 2-3 miles, while Mr Garland walked 54 miles. Miss Gourlay walked 4J miles, and Mrs Hezlet 54 miles. The conclusion was that a scratch golfer walks something like 10 miles in two rounds, and that if an old man plays the game he must be fit enough to walk about 12 miles and play about 200 strokes during two rounds of golf, because his errors make the extra distance.

The final of the South Canterbury ladies’ open championship was contested by Mrs J. C. Templer (Waimate) and Miss M. Beadel (Christchurch), the former winning by 2 and 1 after an exciting match. Although the medal scores were not brilliant, the figures were good as regards match play. Mrs Templer held the honour all the way to the Poplars and was there 4 up. From then on, Miss Beadel hiade a wonderful recovery, and reduced her opponent’s lead to 1 up and two to play. Mrs Templer then took the Gap, thus winning the South Canterbury ladies’ open championship 2 and 1. In the final of the St. Clair Club’s Junior Cup, H. S. Ross registered a somewhat decisive win over R. H. Rawlinson by 3 up and 2. Both players have shown up to advantage in their previous matches, and as a result, the final was watched with interest by many of the younger players. Rawlinson, who has the reputation of being a good match player, was finding trouble with his putts, and this no doubt was of advantage to Ross who, though only a young player, kept his head down to it and produced steady golf to win. (Ross, it will be remembered, was a competitor in the Southland amateur championship at Easter time, and he won instant popularity with the local players during his visit to Otatara). The matches for the Campbell-Hosking Shield (singles) and Hanmer Shield (foursomes) were played on Balmacewen links last Saturday between teams representing the Christchurch and Otago Golf Clubs, reports the Otago Daily Times. Christchurch, although having a fairly strong team, was not at full strength, while Otago had practically its best team. Both shields were held by Christchurch, and the matches played on Saturday resulted in Otago winning both shields, in the case of the CampbellHosking by the narrowest of margins—seven matches to five.

The exceedingly cold wind, coupled with a heavy course, told its tale when the first qualifying round of the Invercargill Golf Club’s senior and junior championships come up for decision at Otatara last Saturday. When the leading scores in each grade are examined, it will be noticed that the general high standard in evidence at Otatara of late was well maintained, the conditions alone being responsible for the uniform drop of four or five strokes. The course is now getting on towards winter condition and consequently makes a difference of at least five strokes on the round. As stated before the cold tied players up considerably so that under the circumstances the scores may be regarded as quite satisfactory. As predicted the competition in the junior section was particularly keen, no fewer than eight competitors being separated by a margin of four strokes. J. P. Butler came right on to his game and headed the juniors with a very sound 89. It is reported that he followed this up by annexing the unofficial bogey match, finishing five upon the “Colonel.” If he can hold his place to-day, he should be in the firing line at the finish. Several others within two or three strokes of him are bound to improve on the first round tally and it would be a rash man who would endeavour to nominate the leader in the aggregate scores when the numbers go up this afternoon. In the senior grade C. A. Masters was round in 76, three strokes better than J. A. Mangan and D. Cochrane and, barring accidents, should head the list. With the exception of D. Blaxall’s 84 the other senior scores were disappointing. The best scores were as follows:—A grade: C. A. Masters 76, J. A. Mangan 79, D. Cochrane 79. D. Blaxall 84, J. E. Cuthill 88, H. T. Thompson 88, G. Tangney 91, A. E. Wish 91, M. O’Dowda 92, A. G. Seddon 93 B grade: J. P. Butler 89, E. M. Russell 91, A. H. Thomas 91, W. Yatee, B. W. Hewat, C. J. McHarg, C. J. Davies, J. S. Dick, all 93, A. F. Grenfell 94, R. A. Douglas 95, H. Smith 96, E. E. Broad 96, L. B. Hutton 99, A. E. Smith 99, W. A. Service 99.

The following are the results of the games (the names of Christchurch players being given first) :—

« Campbell-Hosking Shield. Christchurch. Otago. 1 H. B. Lusk beat K. Ross 6 and 5 — — R. T. Tosswill lost to G. F. Barnett 5 and 3 1 — A. R. Blank lost to N. G. Hay 5 and 4 1 1 H. W. Macfarlane beat D. H. Butcher 1 up . . .. — — W. D. Wood lost to J. G. Dick 3 and 2 . 1 — F. S. Avent lost to J. Spence 4 and 3 1 1 J. D. Lawrence beat C. T. Irvine, 2 and 1 . . .. * — — W. T. D. Harman lost to D. M. Irvine 5 and 4 1 — T. H. A- Richards lost to E. A. Reed 6 and 5 1 1 W. H. Cowper beat G. Henderson 4 and 3 .. ■ — 1 K. W. Robinson beat E. J. Hocking 4 and 2— — L. Bonnington lost to R. E. Hayward 7 and 6 .. 1 5 7 Hanmer Shield. —Foursomes; scored by holes. 0 Lusk and Macfarlane lost to Ross and Barnet 2 5 Tosswill and Blank beat Hay and Butcher 0 0 Wood and Lawrence lost to Dick and Spence .5 0 Avent and Harman lost to C. T. Irvine and Reed 4 5 . 11 An American writer has the following comment to make on Abe Mitchell whose match for £5OO with Leo Diegel provided such a sensational finish: —Mitchell’s technique is second to none, and he is master of every shot in the game, while the whole of his golf has abnormal power, though he is not now quite as prodigious a hitter as he was in his younger days. He has never won a British championship. When he was an amateur 20 years ago he was beaten by John Ball in the semi-final of the Amateur, who beat him two years later in the final of the same event; the match going to the thirtv-seventh. That was in Mitchell's amateur days. In 1920 George Duncan picked un 13 strokes to take the Open from him at Deal. “Of all the golfers in the world, there is no one, excepting possibly George Duncan, who is capable of soaring to such heights of brilliancy as is Leo Diegel, 30-vear-old homebred who is again the Canadian open champion and the P.G.A.-title-holder besides. Others like Jones, Mitchell, Farrell, Sarazon, Haeen, Von Elm, Macdonald, Smith, and Mehlhorn occasionally do prodigious scoring feats, but no one, no, not even Duncan, can rise to such Olympic altitudes gs can this nervous,* fidgety, ex-

citable professional. As a matter of fact no one’has ever equalled his 72-hole score of ,270, made in winning the San Diego open in 19J0, That represents jm average of 674 strokes. Nor has anyone ever accomplished anything in a major championship like Leo accomplished when he repeated his 1928 Victory in the Canadian open at Kanawaki in July with a score of 274. Par for the Montreal course is 70, and while a 70 isn’t particularly hard to do, especially over a course and one greatly on the short side since it has five par-3 holes, still four rounds averaging 684 in the strain of a championship test is quite a feat."

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