HUTT WINTER CUP

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 114, 4 August 1927, Page 9

HUTT WINTER CUP

H. A. BLACK WINS BEATS BROTHER 1 UP Harold Black, who has become a thorn in the side of his better-known brother, J. L. Black, won the Hutt Winter Cup, after beating J. L. Black in the semi-final, and by beating D. C. Collins in the final. The first three holes in the game between the Black brothers went to H. A. Black. From the seventh to the 12th the holes were halved while the turn saw* H. A. Black one up. J. L. Black won the 16th, which put him one up, the only occasion on which he had a lead throughout the game. A. Black won the last two holes. The cards read as follow: H. A. Black —Out: 343435544, 35. In: 343745444, 38. Total, 73. J. L. Black—Out 454334544. 36. In: 343545355, 37. Total, 73. D. C. COLLINS WINS AT THE 20TH In the other semi-final game between Rana Wagg and Collins, the latter was one up at the turn. Collins took the 10th and Wagg the following two holes, thus again squaring the game. The 18 th still saw the game all square, while the 19th was halved in five, and Collins won the 20th in four. The cards were as follow: D. C. Collins—Out: 343344455, 35. In: 253355455, 37; total, 72. Rana Wagg—Out: 542445544, 37. In: 332444546, 35; total, 72. THE FINAL The final between H. A. Black and D. C. Collins provided a hole-and-liole tussle. Collins took the first hole and Black the second. The third, fourth, fifth and ninth were halved, while the next two went to Collins, who was 2 up at the turn. The 10th was halved, while the 11th went to Black in four. The 3 2th was won by Collins and the 13th was halved. The 14th, 15th, 17th. and 18th went to Black, who finished one up. The cards read as follow: IT. A. Black —Out: 554345654, 41. In: 344544444, 36; total, 77. D. C. Collins—Out: 464445444, 39. In: 353555356, 40; total, 79. Bogey at I-lutt is 73. ONE VICTORY WANTED TO REACH A CENTURY JOHN BALL FAILS Taking the pitcher to the well once too often is a human failing that, seemingly, cannot be overcome, and one of the latest victims of it is found in the person of John Ball, 63, of whom word came from Hoylake, England, on May 24, that he had gone down to defeat in the British Amateur Golf Championship at the hands of J. R. Abercrombie, a youth who beat him 4 and 2. Ball had eight times won the English classic amateur title, and it was his ardent desire to win it once more before retiring from the golfing game for all time. He needed that one more victory to give him the record of 100 matches won in amateur championship contests, but his fellow member of the Royal Liverpool Club decreed otherwise, and the veteran had to bow to the youthful ambition of his opponent. Immediately following his defeat, Ball announced that he would retire from golfing. It was a keen lot of spectators who watched the contest between him and Abercrombie. Ball played a brilliant game at times, and showed flashes of his former self now and* then, but he had difficulty in holing short putts. Several times, during the first seven holes, he ran chip shots to within a short distance of the cup with remarkable accuracy, but he fell down on the putts. All who witnessed the match, were in sympathy with him and wanted to see him realise his ambition to chalk just one more championship victory up to his credit. But their hopes, like his, were in vain.

BAD LIES A FEW GOOD POINTS A few good pointers that players might keep in mind: Remember that the worse the lie the more slowly and smoothly the swing should be made. Remember always, too, that a bad lie has the immediate effect of unsetting the player’s mental attitude, and that unless he schools himself against this the bad lie will penalise himself almost every time when there is no real need for it at all. When the lie is bad the player should understand that accuracy of swing is to be striven for, not distance with the ball. DOUBLE MISTAKES To seek great distance from a bad lie is to make a double mistake, when one mistake—hurrying the swing—should be one too much, and no mistake at all would be just right. Bear in mind that with bad lies you are apt to have in mind the fact that you are going to dig into the turf, therefore, you are very likely to lean toward the ball as you swing. Or if not that, you will have a tendency to bend too far over the ball in the address — which is the same thing in the end. Be easy and smooth, and swing the shoulders well around in pivoting. DON’T BLAME THE LIE If the average golfer would observe he would soon see that what happens to bad lies with him is this: —Invariably he tops them. Each time he does that he thinks that because the ball was in a depression he used his natural swing and didn’t quite get down to it. Actually that never happens. What really happens is that he thinks of so many things in connection with the job of getting the ball out and up that he lets his gaze wander away from the ball—and hence the top. When you look directly at the ball and the hurdle it is to take is so close to it, the gaze will go forward, and the club head swings forward. Therefore, look at a spot on the ground just back of the ball.—Chester Horton.

to a hard green, over a string of bunkers. He only had to repeat that and his two strokes margin was well on the way to extinction. He didn’t. Smack up to the pin went a mashie shot and he ran out a winner by two strokes, with four in a tie for second. That is what makes super golfers.