ON THE LINKS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 108, 28 July 1927, Page 9

ON THE LINKS

(By

E. C. ROBIESON.)_

fixtures 93— Uutt championship tourna—Glendowie medal handicap, post Entries, players choose own partners. h*r 2 and 10.—New Zealand men’s * P s£mpionships at Hamilton. preceding, New Zealand chant- • nahips; Manawatu tournament. K ~.r 24-27. —Glendowie open tourtem ber 27-30. —Napier tournament. beP 29. —New Zealand ladies’ seot *hamp«o nships at Palmerston North, u 13-15. —Hamilton tournament. October

;aT URDAY’S arrangements GLENDOWIE V. PUPUKE The draw for the match Glendowie v. Re at Glendowie on Saturday is as M. Howden v. F. Trice, I. ■ McKenzie v. N. Ching, F. H. Mingay L Goodwin, A. W. Clark v. R. R. •isalin*. Goldwater v. N. Hockin, F. , Riiddle V. R. H. Pavitt, D. R. Mowbray Edmonds, A. E. Burnett v. P. «rolls, W. Oliver v. A. K. Duthie, G. i Season v. J. O. Lilly, H. T. Gould r E Bradley, W. H. Spiller v. O. WolfPJS; following will represent Glendowie • Papakura:—R. Ralfe, S. Hunter, W. ;■ ni.en. R. Garrard, J. Hall, F. Lowe, In Willis H. Goodwin, 1.. H. Saunders, r Hutchison, 1.. Harrison. Papakura Club The Papakura. Golf Club will be l-epre-‘td by the following players in a match \.inst Glendowie, at Papakura on Saturday :—J- E. Elliott, Pavitt, Smith, , coencer, Chapman, Williamson, Gilj.™ Busing, R. Spencer, Robbins, McLennan, Jones, V. Elliott, Langford, Saylor, F. Page. Papakura Ladies’ Club The following team will represent the Ladies’ Golf Club againsst Fukekohe, at Papakura, next Saturday:—Miss White, Miss McLennan, Mrs. Elliott, Miss )[ Walters, Miss Rhind, Miss Rhind, Miss Wood, Mrs. Goddard, Miss Wilkins, Mrs. Busing, Mrs. Pavitt. \ medal round will also be played, players to choose partners. Akarana Club The following will represent the Akarana Golf Club at Everslie next Saturrav:—Brett, Budge, Jaggs, Vallance, Miller, Ballantyne, H. Brown, Wahlstrom, Barr, Wallace. Waitemata Ladies’ Club 'All matches arranged for members of the Waitemata Ladies’ Golf Club have been postponed until next week. FRENCH OPEN WON BY BRITON AMERICAN IN FINAL The 36-hole final of the french open golf championship—this event being decided by match play instead of the usual four-stroke rounds—was won by J. Mellor (Isle of Wight) by the narrow ma*gin of 2 holes from H. Van Brower (U.S.A.). Both are young players, Mellor being 26 and Brower 23.

The surprise of the meeting was in the fifth round, when T. A. Bourn, who played for Cambridge a few years ago, beat J. H. Tolley at the 21st hole. Tolley was favourite for the •vent. Bourn was 2 up and 4 to play, •nd then made a few mistakes, but a five-toot putt on the 21st eventually saw him put the favourite out. In the semi-final Bourn went out to Mellor by only one hole, while Brower beat D. Van Krimjin, champion of Holland, by 2 and ]. So while a young French woman visits England to take the British woman’s title, a young Englishman retaliates by taking the best French title to England. IN GOOD FORM MISS KAY DOING WELL Miss Olive Kay continues to show food form in the South Island events. In vtT, P^ n r a Balmacewan team she wei nvercar Sill- Invercargill ladies L lstinct l y superior, and won 18 • tches out of 24. In the singles Miss mv proved too strong for Mrs. Carr, at the to P of her form. As in h! s “ e was exceptional from the tee. *.,i 6 afternoon Miss Kay combined Mrs. Caffin. and the pair ’mo re i i -T the only Balmacewan win, 8 and 7.

INTERESTING POINTS

SOME MORE RULES INDICATING THE LINE Several interesting points in rules ave recently arisen in Australia. The first of them was in the Kirk-Winde-yer Cup matches. A player stood at the hole, with the flag raised at arm’s length indicating to another player the position of the hole, the flag being invisible to the second player when it u as in the hole. The flag was held up until the shot was played. Many of the spectators considered this a breach of the rules, presumably th^dfrT?? 6 4 (4) V which provides that the direction may be given to the player before the shot is played. ,„ It wa s held in Australia that as there Y'Jt'J? no limit to the length of the pin, and as the person holding the pin was merely a prolongation of the flag-stick occurred 16 lnfrin *? emen t of a rule MOVABLE OBJECTS In one of the Australian pennant matches a player was about to make a brassy shot, but seeing what looked like a leaf m front of the ball stooped 1® r ® 1 ” loye it- The object turned out to “e cry en< l °f a root, which was hxed according to the rules. The Player let it fall back to its original position. His opponent, having ll l e whole thing, insisted on i'n y ° f , a - s , troke - presumably under Sk e ,* l0 ’ ,' v : hlch ' however, imposes a penalty of loss of the hole. There was, however, no penalty, nothing having been removed. LENDING CLUBS On two occasions, one of them recent, the women have given decisions on the rule relating to accepting advice. In each case the “offence” consisted not in accepting advice, but in accepting the loan of a club. If any advice were given at all it was given by the player to herself. She reflected 'I ve broken my brassy. This shot is for a brassy. Obtain the loan of the opponent’s.” This was sound advice, and the acceptance of it constituted no infringement of the rules. Nevertheless, in the cases alluded to it was sought—whether successfully or not has not transpired—to deprive the person of a hole that she had fairly won or halved, according to the rules. Loaning a club was merely an act of common courtesy like giving a cigarette to a person asking for one. Not long ago the point was submitted to St. Andrew’s for decision. The questions asked were:—(l) Is a person justified in lending a player a club? (2) Would the player be disqualified for accepting it under Rule 6? (3) If the law does not forbid the loan, what is the etiquette in such a case? Answer: (1) Yes; (2) No; (3) A was not obliged to lend his club, but the loan of a club is a common act of courtesy. HERE AND THERE CLUB-ROOM GOSSIP When a nine-hole pitching and putting course was first laid out at Margate, England, critics declared that it would be too tame for the real golfer, and too difficult for the non-golfers who flock to the putting courses. The reverse has been the case, both species being interested in the course to such an extent that £BOO was collected in fees the first season. Another nine-hole course is now being laid out. Basil Smith, an Oamaru professional, has accepted a position with the Akarana Club, Auckland. Kapi Teraha is evidently in good form, as he headed the Napier Golf Club’s championship qualifying rounds with an aggregate of 156 for the two rounds. s The captain’s trophy at Middlemore is held up by the inability of Hr. Brown and Boddington to reach a decision. They have now played three matches, finishing all square on each occasion. In the first round Brown failed with a short putt on the last green. In the second he was three down in the first five holes, and had to put up a great fight to finish square. In the third try on Saturday, Brown was dormy one, but Boddington played the 18th brilliantly, and the pair have now to bear with each other over another round. R. O. Gardner beat W. Phillips on Saturday in the other half of the draw, winning on the 18th, after being one down and three to go, and having to concede a stroke at the 17th. * * * With talk of a municipal course in Auckland it is to be hoped that any venture will see proper control. We do not want to see in Auckland any of the deplorable conditions that rule at, say, Berhampore course in Wellington. The following from a Wellington writer rather boldly puts the position:— “Every year the question of congestion at the municipal course comes up, and it will continue to do so until there is a casualty that calls for the use of a spade.” The City Council takes the money of hundreds of people at Berhampore, and it is one of the few reserves that pay their way and show a profit, yet nothing is done to make things more pleasant for the public in the way of supervision, so that golf could be played with some semblance of etiquette during week-ends. * * * “Birdies,” “eagles,” and “albatross” are not sufficient for the needs of Invercargill golfers. One of them did ci bogey five hole in two the other day, so this has become a “moa.” Johnsonville Club, Wellington, has been forced out of its quarters, and one of the nicest little nine-hole courses in the Dominion has thereby been lost to the game. The club has secured a 50-acre lease on Gear Island, Petone, and hopes to establish a sporting course there with a bogey of about 37. When the new course was opened on Saturday, Mr. W. T. Strand, chairman of the Hutt River Board, who officially opened the course, was reprimanded by the president of the New Zealatid Golf Association. Mr. R. C. Kirk, for the statement that he was too old to play golf. Mr. Kirk, after alluding to the game as the finest ever invented, founded on the highest principles of honour and integrity, and available to young and old, instanced the case of J. D. Rockefeller, who at 79 was almost a dying man, but after taking up nine holes of golf a day had reached 84, and was still going strong. “Golf,” said Mr. Kirk, “has been described as a game of skill at which cannot be bought by the rich nor mastered by the poor, in which success can only he attained by much prayer, diligent' fasting, and much practice, and those who succeed at it should have the entry to the bine Elysian fields, there to play with silver clubs over perfect fairways, with golden - winged cherubs and fluttering ladies for caddiesJ* j

ONE THING LEFT

THE “HAT TRICK” WILL JONES ATTEMPT IT? Having won the British open championship, twice in succession, the only thing that remains is for Bobby Jones to perform the feat commonly referred to as the “hat trick,” and create a new record by winning the event for the third time next year. It is quite a possible feat for him, because he is in a class quite on its own. His latest feat, to lop six strokes off the British open record, forced him to overcome his natural modesty sufficiently to meet an enthusiasm such as has never previously been seen on a British course. Jones is quite as popular in England as in his Atlantic home, and is one of the vei'y few honorary members of the royal and ancient club. Strangely, his most brilliant efforts have followed defeat in each case. Last year he did not intend entering the British open, but his defeat by Jamieson in the amateur saw him change his mind, and he won the open. This year he played the worst golf recorded against him for several years in the American open, and then suddenly decided to go to Britain to defend the open title, which he had been intending to let go by the board. The result we know. WILD ENTHUSIASM There was wild excitement among the 12,000 enthusiasts who followed the game, and rushed the hero of the hour when the last putt was made. In again winning the championship this year Jones has equalled a feat performed 20 years ago by a professional. James Braid. That any player could produce the figures with such a concourse of spectators is quite beyond the comprehension of the average golfer here in New Zealand. Imagine yourself on Saturday afternoon in the centre of One Tree Hill ground, with 12,000 pairs of eyes

watching your every movement as you prepare to putt. It took three hours to complete one round, due to the excited people scampering across the course. How disconcerting! But look at the figures for this round, and one marvels how they could be got under these conditions. The outstanding feature of Jones’s game, acccording to the cable message, was his driving, which was stupendous. He averaged 275 yards throughout the round, and the straightness was all that could be desired. His first round score of 68 in the championship proper was the best recorded during the four by any player, and followed up with 72, 73, and 72 proves the consistency of the champion. His win was popular, and although I would like to have seen a British golfer at the head of affairs, I must confess that I admire the American “wonder boy” for not having ere this turned professional. He has other aims. The fact that Jones has been dabbling in law has not had any detrimental effect on his game. We learn from a New York daily that he has not been playing anything like as much golf as usual this year, the reason being that he has been making an earnest endeavour to get through a law course. He proved himself no ‘•dud” as a scholar by finishing one mark behind the leader in the difficult Emory University freshmen law course. t Nettlefold, the Tasmanian, did one good round, but was not in the picture. Kirkwood did better than anything he has previously done in big meetings, and his score would have won in many of them. CURIOUS SITUATION GREEN SUBMERGED IN AN EXCITING MATCH A very exciting match was played recently, writes the "Australasian’s” golf contributor, in the foursome tournament at present in progress at Sandringham for Mr. Eric Quirk’s cup. The sides were Barton Adams and Val Macdonald against J. Gray and W. K. Davenport. The latter pair, although in receipt of four strokes, were two down at the turn. The golf had been very good in spite of the continuous and heavy downpour of rain.

The match continued close, and the conceders of the odds were 1 up at the 15th hole.

Playing the 16th hole a very curious situation arose which required some thinking out, but was finally dealt with in a very sensible manner. The rain had formed a pool of considerable size and depth on the green which covered the hole so that it was all but impossible to propel the ball into the tin by the usual means. At first this looked jan impasse, spelling the abandonment of the match, but soon a way out was found.

Already drenched to saturation, and therefore immune to further inconvenience from the wet, and getting down

to it these four hardy golfers, using their arms oarwise, gradually swept so much of the pool aside that only about a-quarter of an inch of water covered the tin. Then Val Macdonald played his pitch. It was rather overhit and the ball pitched within a yard of the cup, but it pulled up dead lame on the soft and still submerged green, and staggering on just fell into the hole for a 3. That ended the match, for what was the good of the regulation two putts against a 3 at a par four hole with the tin under water? So Adams* and Macdonald passed into the next round with clinging clothes but with flying colours. TRAGEDY FOR A SMOKER A tragedy enacted at the fourth hole at Riversdale is recorded by the same scribe. The dramatis personae were W. S. Reid, the captain of the club, and R. Huddart. Huddart’s drive was a good one, but pulled into the rough. Reid topped his, and the ball travelled only a short distance. In the meantime Huddart was well ahead searching for his errant ball. Reid got on to his second shot very cleanly, but with a pull, and that directed it toward his partner—straight for him, in fact, since the ball hit Huddart very hard on the leg. Huddart, a confirmed worshipper at the shrine of my Lady Nicotine, had both his pipe and his cigar-ette-holder in his trousers pocket. The flying ball hit these a glancing blow, putting both out of action—smashed them both utterly; in fact, although, strange to say, without injury to their owner, apart from his amour propre as a smoker.

PROFESSIONAL GOLF MATCH AT LEEDS By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright LONDON, Tuesday. The leaders in the first qualifying round of the tournament for the Yorkshire “Evening News” prize of £I,OOO. which is being played at the Headingly course, Leeds, are as follow:—Melhorn, America, 68: C. Whitcombe and Compston, 71; Ockenden, Babboltz, America, and J. H. Taylor, each 72; Johns, 73; E. R. Whitcombe and Vardon, 74: Havers and Duncan, 75.—A. and N.Z. FRUITFUL SPELL BIG DUNEDIN SCORES During the past few weeks most of the clubs in the Dominion have been .suffering from weather conditions, but Dunedin, with the course under snow, was the worst off and its members were forced to take two weeks’ holiday. The spell proved most fruitful, however, as the first competition saw a lot more of the Dunedin players than usual hitting the Colonel hard. F. Thropp and J. R. Laidlaw, both on the 14 mark, finished 9 up, and but for bad short play at the last hole would have been 11 up, which is remarkably good scoring on Balmacewen. The failure at the last green allowed R. S. Brown (18) and IT. J. Lousley (15) to tie, 9 up. The latter players were 10 up at the 17th and also failed at the last hole. Several pairs finished more than 5 up, including pairs in which H. Butcher, D. M. Irvine (both 2), and Dr. Ross (plus 2) were playing. BRITISH GOLF MORE PROMISING PLAYERS Britain continues to produce young players who, as time goes on, may be expected to try and hold up some sort of opposition to the American successes. Just at present, of .course, America holds an absolute lead both in amateur and professional circles, and the fear is that they will maintain the present supremacy long enough to rob the British open championship of its present reputation as the world’s foremost golfing event. Just at present the American open, although not held up as in opposition to the British open, is really the greater golfing event, and the players are the better. However, to return to new players coming into prominence, Stewart Burns has just recently, for the second time become champion of Scotland, the home of golf, and is a young player, a professional, who appears to have a good future. A short time before the Scottish title event he led the Scottish qualifying section for the “Daily Mail” tournament. J. Mellor, a young Isle of Wight man, has just won the French open title from a good field, in which he displayed fine match-play ability. A week or so ago I mentioned some details of new figures in the English close championship, and now the “Bar” tournament has been won by another outsider, P. Davison, aged 24, who has attained his present position without belonging to any particular club. and. in fighting his way through to the final of the law event, after being granted a handicap of 11 strokes, beat Vivian (1) 6 and 5, Copping (18) 7 and 6, and. in the final Walker (8), 6 and 5. He was doing scores very little worse than level 4’s. This habit of just arriving from no club in particular appears to be gaining. It will be remembered that a young American, E. H. Haley, who belongs to no club, put Cyril Tolley out in the British amateur.