SPORT

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 25, 2 December 1938, Page 16

SPORT

by

S. V.

McEwen

HE administrative body controlling the royal and ancient game of golf in New Zealand was under fire last week when it was claimed by delegates that the Council was out of touch with its constituents and did not fully represent the views of the golf clubs of the Dominion. The principal bone of contention was the Council’s failure to arrange for more overseas tous for New Zealand golfers, or for New. Zealand tours of prominent players from other countries. The outcome of the discussion was that an attempt will be made to revive international matches with Australia.

The Colf Council has made repeated attempts during the past three vears to revive matches with Australia, but owing to the fact that the controlling body, known as the Australian Golf Union, does not represent the full body of Australian golf, there has peen little co-operation from the Austra’ian Stetes, and no progress has been made. It is doubtful whether players desire the revival of the KirkWindeyer Cup series of contests, but golfers in New Zealand feel that something should be done to send a thoroughly representative and official New Zealand team to compete in the Australian championship tourxament. Before this is undertaken, however, the New Zealand Council will need to assure itself that. there will be reciprocity from the Australian authorities. Centennial Tourney THE Golf Council is planning big things for the centennial celebrations and _ hopes, with the aid of big prize money, to attract many overseas stars. Miramar links, which are divided from ite Centennial exhibition grounds only by the Rongotai airport, will be the venue. Originally it was intended to hold the 1939 championships in Auckland and the. centennial event in Wellington in 1940. ‘Ine Auckland Golf Club has corsented to a change of plans and waived its claim to the championships for one year, which enables the Golf Council to pursue its centennial plans in 1939 to coincide with the celebration period boewoen November 1939 and May

A prize fund of £1000 has _been set aside for the Miramar tournament, which will be preceded by open tournaments at Auckland and Christchurch. The greatest event in Australia’s golfing history was the visit of overseas stars to the centenary tournaments two years ago. A team of high-class American golfers made the trip and stimulated considerable public interest in the game of golf. Probably the game in New Zealand will benefit in a similar manner, but whether a bait of £1000 will attract star performers from farther afield than Australia is doubtful. Success At Last HILE on the subject of golf it is fitting to extend congratulations to Harold Black in achieving his ambition to win the Miramar Club’s_championship. ) Black won the national amateur championship at Palmerston North ‘in 1930 and, when a very sick man, .was runner-up to "Pip" Wright at Titirangi, Auckland, in 1933. But in 10. years’ striving he was never able to win his club cham-

pionship although he was a finalist on five occasions. This year his opponent in the final was Sid Hiddlestone, former Wellington and New Zealand represe ntative cricketer. Hiadlestone took up. golf O1.lV four

years ago and the secret of ‘his success has been tense application to the game and a natural skill for timing which was the feature of his superb batsmanship in cricke*. . Black should have won the Miramar title before this. I wel! remember the most exciting final he ever played, as I was his caddie on that occasion. Playing the Miramar: veteran J. H. Drake, Black was down all the way, but squared the game at the 35th. A superb and most courageous third with his niblick found him 15 inches from tr cup on the 36th

green, while Drake was also on in three but about 12 feet from the hole. Rain during the day had left the green wet, and we were amazed when Drake canned his putt. Thinking more of what. he would do at.the 37th than the job in front of him, Black ‘missed his 15-incher and thus the title eluded him for an- _ other year. Black did not. compete in the national. tournament this yearhis first absence since he reached the top flight of golfers. The

reason was that he won a trip to Australia by his success as an insurance salesman. The Greatest Ever [F the efforts of a business men’s committee in Christchurch sueceed, New Zealanders will have the privilege next Easter of watching the greatest trotting horse in the world in action. Overtures are being made to the connections of the American trotter Greyhound to come to New Zealand next autumn and engage in a series of match races with the Australian free-legged pacer Lawn Derby, the first horse outside America to pace a mile in two minutes or better. Prominent New Zealanders will also be invited to compete. Greyhound is the equine phenomenon of the age in America. Last month at Lexington, Kentucky, he broke the world record by trotting

a mile in imin 55jsec. which is the equivalent speed of about 33 miles per hour. This was ‘the . fifth time ‘Greyhound had trotted faster than two ‘minutes for the.mile in time tests or races; making him the greatest light-harness horse of modern times. Although acceptance of the New Zealand offer was cabled . from America last week, there are still many obstacles to be surmounted before .Greyhound sets foot on these shores, and I think .it very doubtful whether we will see him.

His connections have asked for 10,009 dollars appearance money for each of five races, which is. the equivalent of more ..1n £13,000 in New Zealahd money. Add to this the substartial sum which J, F. Maskenney, owner of Lawn Derby, will rightfully expect for his cut, and the outlay in appearance money soon s100ts into the realm of impossibility. It would be the greatest event in our horse-racing history if the American could be persuaded to come here, but American ideas of "money ~alues are rather elevated. The Wrong Idea ] MENTIONED on this page & few weeks ago the possi- | bility of sports promoting: organisations misinterpreting. the purpose of the Physical Welfare and Recreation Act. Last eek, in the course of a southern tour, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. H. Parry, who has sponsored and fathered the "fitter New Zealand" scheme, found it necessary to deliver a few well-chosen words to correct the impression that his scheme was aimed at equipping sports grounds. To an audience in Christchurch he preached the gospel of self-reliance, urging the sports bodies to do something to help themselves, pointing out that there was no bank to run to as many people imagined, and that the National Council controlling his scheme | did not exist solely for the purpose of handing out money to all and sundry persons and organisations. What the people should try te -comprehend is that this scheme aims at raising the standard of health in New Zealand. ~ It is not the idea to organise games on a national basis. The playing of games and improvement in playgrounds and equipment are incidental to the scheme. It will take years of organisation and instruction before the true benefits are felt. Meanwhile, the Minister aims at making the people health-conscious; making them appreciate the benefits to be derived from exercise out of doors in which they are all participants — as active individualists rather than as spectators. A_ Scapegoat HE vetirement of Harold Larwood from first-class crie-" ket in England has_ revived "memories of the most. bitter controversy in the history of international sport. Larwood was the greatest fast bowler of his time; and probably ane of the three best of all time. But he was the victim of trouble . that was not his own making.

A London writer, commenting on his ‘retirement in ignominy, says there is a yery strong feeling that Larwood and his 1934 captain, Douglas Jardine-who went out of | cricket bitterly grieved that he has been mis-judged-were let down by the M.O,C.: to: relieve the tension of a sitnation . which threatened the future of the game ‘n the two great cricketing countries, England and Ausralia. ‘