AMATEUR GOLF

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20511, 30 May 1938, Page 6

AMATEUR GOLF

BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP WIN FOR AMERICAN O. R. YATES BEATB EWINQ (United Preae Aaan.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, May 28 In the final of the British amateur golf championship at Troon to-day C. R. Yates, a member of the American Walker Cu.p team, defeated R. C. Ewing (Ireland), 3 and 2. The Winner’s Career For the fourth time that an American Walker Cup team has visited Great Britain one of Its members has been successful in winning the British amateur championship. In 1926 J. Sweetzer was the winner and he was followed by R. t. Jones in 1930 and Lawson Little in 1934. Yates is in his middle twenties and he hails from Bobby Jones’ home club, East Lake, Atlanta. He won the Georgia State championship at the age of 17 and last year he was a finalist in the Southern championship. He was a member of the United States Walker Cup team in 1936, and in the singles defeated J. M. Dykes, the Scottish international, 8 and^T. R. C. Ewing, who is an insurance a*rent from the West of Ireland, is 28. He won the West of Ireland championship in 1920, 1922. and 1925, and he was the runner-up in 1928 and 1934. He has been a semi-finalist, in the Irish championship on three occasions. Defeat of Australia H. W. Hattersley (Australia) commenced his match with Ross Somerville (Canada) in the quarter-final with four 4s. against his opponent’s 5. 3. 4. 7, and was consequently 1 up. The fifth hole, a one-shotter of 180 yards, was halved in 3’s, but at the 580-yard sixth, Somerville holed a five-yard putt for a birdie 4 and squared the game. The Canadian took the lead with a birdie 3 at the next (368 yards) after a beautlßil approach. He had long consultations with his caddy ove** his approach putts and this was Justified when at the eighth (120 yards) he holed a 15-footer for a birdie 2 to become 2 up. Fortune favoured Hattersley at the long ninth (456 yards), where a sliced second ran through a bunker. He placed his third two yards from the pin and holed the putt; Somerville missed a four-yarder for a half in 4 and his lead was reduced to 1 up. The figures for the first nine holes were:— Hattersley: 4 4 4 4 35 4 3 4—35 Somerville 5 3 4 7 3 4 3 2 5—36 The scratch total for the nine holes is 37. A Good Recovery Although Hattersley was bunkered at the 10th he made a good recovery and was able to secure a half in 5 when Someville took three putts. Somerville was too strong with his second at the 11th, finding the bunker. and the Australian squared the match. The 12th hole of 372 yards was halved in 5; at the next, of 394 yards, Hattersley obtained the lead again with a 4. At the short 14th. however, his tee shot landed in rough heather and he lost, the hole to his opponent's accurate 3. Again Hatterlsey took the lead at the 15th when his ball ran round the cup and dropped in, the Canadian missing a six-footer for the half. In the rough with his third at the 16th (566 yards) Hattersley played a glorious chip shot to get the regulation 5. It did not save him. however, as Somerville holed another five-yarder for a birdie 4—all square. A Tragic Miss With two holes to play Hattersley lost the 17th (223 yards) with a 4 to Somerville's 3. Hattersley tragically missed a two-yard putt, wet sand adhering to the ball and deflecting it from the hole. This disaster left Somerville dormv. The end came at the 18th, where Hattersley's second was bunkered after just failing to reach the green. Somerville played the hole accurately for his 4 and took it and the match —2 up. It was hard luck for Hattersley to go off his game over the last two holes. The scores for the last nine holes were:— Hattersley 54544454 5—40 Somerville 55553543 4—39 Hattersley's round was 75 and Somerville’s the same, both being one over the scratch score of the course, 74. Previous Winners Winners of the title since the War are as follows: — 1920 — C. J. H. Tolley 1921 W. I. Hunter 1922 E. W. E. Holderness 1923 R. H. Wethered 1924 — E. W. E. Holderness 1925 Robert Harris 1926 J. Sweetzer 1927 — Dr. W. Tweddell 1928 T. P. Perkins 1929 C. J. H. Tolley •1930 —R. T. Jones 1931 E. Martin Smith 1932 J. DeForest 1933 Hon. M. Scott 193 4—W. Lawson Little 1935 — W. Lawson Little 1936 H. Thomson 1937 R. Sweeney, jun.