BRITAIN V. AMERICA

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 48, 19 May 1927, Page 11

BRITAIN V. AMERICA

The first overseas expedition of British golfers for the 1927 season will leave England soon for the United States. They are the nine players who have been selected to represent Britain in the United States open championship at Oakmont, Pennsylvania. The Americans will see in action the best stylists in British golf; the dapper Abe Mitchell, with the gift of stepping instantly into his stance and flicking the shot to its destination as a mere incident in a walk; the ponderous and pondering Archie Compston; the quick and upstanding Aubrey Boomer, Charles Whitcombe and Arthur Havers, all of the rising generation; mercurial, highly strung George Duncan; those bluff, easy-going and yet deadly earnest players, Ted Ray and Fred Robson;

Some men are ashamed of taking a wooden club for a shot which has proved to be within the iron power of an adversary; they would rather take a cleek and press and be short; even a miss seems to them more satisfactory, if only it be made with a metal weapon. But this is a poor conceit, and unworthy of the philosophical golfer; and no one should willingly allow himself to be influenced by this spirit of bravado into attempting feats which are unlikely to benefit his own chance of success.

and that cheerful master of an unorthodox swing, George Gadd. Of these, Mitchell, Duncan, Ray Compston, and Havers have previously played in the United States. Boomer has recently been touring in the Argentine. C. A. "Whitcombe, Crews Hill, a member of the professional team, won the Middlesex professional championship at Hadley Wood late in March with a return of 73, 77 —150. AMERICA’S DIFFICULTY The American team has not yet been announced. The Professional Golf Association is faced with the unrelished task of deciding whether only Ameri-can-born golfers will represent America, or whether those who have become American citizens are eligible. All that is known is that Hagen will captain the American side. MORE PLAYERS THAN ENOUGH America can raise two teams. For the home breds aggregation there is Hagen, Sarazen, Mehlhorn, Watrous, Farrell, Turnesa, Burke. Diegel, Espinosa, Kerrigan, Burke, and several others that might be included. For the foreign horn team there is available Barnes. Hutchison, McLeod. MacFarlane, Walker, Cruickshank, Armour, Ayton, Cooper, Hackney and others. “The problem of selection will be simplified if the P.G.A. decides to name home breds, otherwise who is there to say who shall be left off a team of eight selected from the combined list mentioned above?” states a New York writer. BAY OF ISLANDS Officers of the Bay of Islands Golf Club elected at the annual meeting were as follows:—President, Mr. J. A. M. Tabateau: vice-president, Dr. G. Frengley; club captain, Mr. R. Bridge; vice-captain, Mr. E. H. Blundell; committee. the above officers and Messrs. F. Miller, X. Munro and S. Smith: secretary and treasurer, Mr. L. C. Trigg. T. Chapman and Clements (pro.) won the 4-ball best ball scramble at Titirangi last week-end. A. J. Good and H. S. Keesing were next with 6 up. To play in Australian State championships the entrants must have a handicap of two or better.