GOLF
lav !'BAFFT"I
COMING EVENTS. : July 2&—Doughty Memorial Cup (men's fourball). August B—Bogey Competition, at Miramar. August S—Medal Competition at Hutt. August 2G-29—Napier Ladies' Open. September. 3-s—Manawatu ladies' Open. September 6 — New Zealand Open ajid Amateur, at Middlemore. September 10-12—Wanganm Xadies' Open. September 18-26—New Zealand Ladles' Championships, at Hamilton.-
Recently there was a, controversy in Australia as to the propriety of playing games on Sunday, the unco quid folk having apparently been horrified at the fact that some visitors to Government House had been so abandoned as to engage in a set or two of lawn tennis on the first day of the week. As golf is played on the Sabbath Day even more extensively than tennis, the implication, of course, is that golfers as a class are -a specially reprobate section of the community, beyond redemption; in fact, that is to sayy in the eyes of a religious sect whereof the celebrated and still revered John Knox was once a conspicuous pillar and ornament: Now, strange to say, in the great reformer's day and generation golf, was not only tolerated on the Lord's Day, but actually encouraged, provided the player did not-absent himself from Divine service at the proper time. Thus we read in the records of the day that "David Hairt prenteis to Gilbert Bauhop, wrycht (carpenter) contest prophanatione of the Sabbath in playing- at the goff in the pai-S" of Stirling on the Sabboth aftirnone in tyme_ of preaching, and therefore _is ordenit to pay a fine of fourty shillings." Another case. John Henrie, Pat Bogie, and others were in the year 1608 ."accusit for playing the gowff on the links of Leith eveide Sabboth, the tyme of the sermonnes, notwithstanding oft admonitioun past before, were convict and fined 20 shillings ilk ane (each one) of them, and ordainit to be wardit (put in prison) until the same wer payit, and to find caution not to do the lyke again at na tyme - heirefter." -In;the century following it is plain- from the terms of the edicts of the Church (the Presbyterian Church, of course) that the practice of golf, though held sacrilegious on Sunday during the preaching, was at other times of that day considered a harmless sport. The rigid Sabbatarianism, therefore, of: which the recently published strictures on the lawn tennis players are an expression, is plainly of comparatively modern growth. In 1618 King James VL is chronicled as saying: "With, our own cares wee heard thegenerall complaint of our people that they were barred from all lawful recreation' and exercise upon the Sundayes afternoon, after the ending of all Divine service, for when shal the common people have leave to exercise if not upon the feundayes and holydayes, seeing' they must apply their labour and winne their living in all working dayes? "33id he rebuked the unco quid people, declaring his pleasure to he "that after the end of Drvine service our good people be not disturbed, letted, or be discouraged from any lawfull recreation, such as dauncmg, either men or women, archeries for men, leaping, vaulting, or any other: such harmless recreation." This was an em.inently practical, and common sense view of the qeustion, and one that is today more than ever before applicable to the conditions of modern city life, more particularly in regard to business men. Indeed, there is nothing that would be more likely to give an. increased healthytone to the lives.of our workmen than an opportunity for them to play -o-olf throughout the week-end. Will anyone who has the slenderest knowledge of the game's fascination for all classes of people doubt for a moment that, if proper -golfing facilities were afforded the people, there would be a gradually' but ever-increasing diminution of the crowds at present in attendance at football matches on Saturday afternoon. A similar movement is at present verymarked in American baseball circles. There a susbtantial transference of spectators from the 'ball.ground grandstands to the links has been noticeable for a long time, and every year it becomes more clearly indicated by the record of the turnstiles. i BRITISH TEAM FOB AUSTRALIA. I A few months ago the question of whether a British team of amateurs might not be induced to make a. tour of Australia this year had somo consideiatkm in golfiing circles here. It was thought the the coming of .an English cricket eleven would operate favourably towards the project attracting players who might otherwise regard th trip as holding out insufficient inducement when compared with the magnitude. and the expensive nature of the undertaking However, as there seemed a strong possibility that such a team might consider th etrip worth while, Mr. J. W. Trumble wrote-to-the Hon.' Mitchell Scott requesting his assistance in the matter, and inviting an expression of opinion as to the prospects of the movement taking practical shape. Mr. Scott' expresses himself as personally very keen to visit Australia again, and thinks there is a fair chance that he might be able to make the necessary arrangements if anything like a representative sido could be got together. About this he is not very optimistic, since nearly all the best men work as well as play, and therefore' might find the difficulty of leaving their business an insurmountable one. Mr Scott, however, says that he will do what he e;m, and has promised to t sound Hie leading players on the subject during the amateur championship week at St. Andrew's. After reviewing the prospects.in the event of an English team making the trip, an Australian writer waxes somewhat egoistical' in the following strain: "So would we rapidly reach a stage when a Walker Cup team might be chosen which would have at least a sporting chance 'of lifting that international trophy, in a triangular contest with Britain and Amer- i ica. A proposal in regard to the' Walker Gup is.already in the hands of the AusUttlian authorities. ■ It come from South' ' ] Alrka, uud suggests that a team rtyrs-
GOLF ON SUNDAYS
AN AUSTRALIAN CONTROVERSY
NOTES FROM ABROAD
senting the. Southern Hemisphere might be organised to contest the cup. which corresponds to the Davis Cup in the .realm of lawn tennis and the "Ashes " in that_of cricket Although Australia will of course, do South- Africa the courtesy o f . givill g {ull COES i deratson to this proposition, co-op eratioa in it would hardly be in accord with this nation's sporting traditions or achievements in the field of other great games. We have won the "Ashes," the Davis Cup, the Ji.olapore Cup (rifle shooting) on our cwn, have held our own, too, on the tootball field, in rowing, swimming, and, m fact all along the line of athletics, for more than a generation past. Indeed, it rather indicates in the South African gok authorities a lack of knowledge of this country's sporting history, that they should make such a'proposal at all. Certainly there is no likelihood of our falling in with it, more especially as any South African team is likely to be largely composed of not true South Africans, but of English or Scottish golfers who have learnt the game at Home, and subsequently made their homes in Cape Colony, Natal, or the Band." BEITISH TOURNAMENTS. English papers fo hand during the week^ contain reports of the great finalDaily Mail" £1000 tournament. ■ For this tournament the United Kingdom -is divided into a number of districts, in' each of which qualifying rounds are played, and those who survive these eliminating tests' meet in the final which like the open championship, con.sists of four stroke rounds. By this means absolutely the best professionals in th 0 game at Home are brought together_ in the final, and as the scene of operations this year was the f amo"a championship course at Deal even mare interest than usual was taken in to event. The outstanding feature of it was. of course, the marvellous play of C. A.. Whitcombe (disqualified in the open for. playing the wrong ball), of XaW downe, Bath, who began with a 70 tin* knocking one stroke off/the record W start, with. He was. not ,«o steady in the second, round, for-which he took 76 •■ but 74 was a rattling good opening foithe second day, arid by way of.mnkir-' assurance doubly sure, lie knocked alvother stroke off the record in the fnal round with a magnificent 69. This travo him 3. total of 289,' or one over 4's" for the 72 holes, and he came in a winner by mo less than nine strokes from L. Holland, who was second. Whitcombe was fifth.in the open championship hi 1922 and sixth.in 1923, but' it was his brother, E. E. Whitcombe, of Came Down, -who was narrowly defeated in this year's open championship at Hoylake,' finishing second with 302, one stroke behind the redoubtable Walter Hagen. In the "Daily Mail" tournament E. B. Whitcombe finished seventh. There is_ another brother, R. A. Whitcombe, in this remarkable family of golfers, and he was tenth at Deal. The triumph of George Duncan (now 40 years of age) in the big 1000 guineas Gleneagles Glasgow "Herald" tournament was strictly characteristic- of this great and picturesque. golfer, whose genius for the game has from time to time blazed out with a splendour that has easily eclipsed, the greatest deeds of hia contemporaries, be they British, American, or Australian.. The dashing Aberdonian's forte lies mainly in his amazing ability to convert forlorn hopes into the most signal victories, ■ and that on the greatest occasions. Take his wonderful win in the open championship four years ago. His present/ victim in the final at Gleneagles, Abe Mitchell, was the outstanding golfer that year, and on the first day played so magnificently that his final victory looked a foregone conclusion. The North Foreland professional was six strokes ahead of the field, of which Duncan was an inconspicuous unit no fewer than 13 strokes behind. But the indomitable George stepped on to the links on the se.cbnd morning with the frenzy full upon linn, and playing from start to finish ! with incredible elan actually . finished j four strokes up on Mitchell and two ' strokes ahead of the bewildered field. Two years ago at St. Andrews, in tho "Daily Mail" contest, he was in the ruck again with but 18 holes to go. Ho l-heii flashed out in a Wonderful round of 68, arid finished an easy winner by four strokes. Again, the year before last, with the honour of his country at stake, for the great Yankee Walter Hagen's position at the head of tho field seemed unassailable, Duncan was: faced with the necessity of repeating that score to tie with the invader—and there was half a gale blowing'! Ho had taken 81 in * the morning. The draw had placed him absolutely last on. the list, and before ho went out the board showed tho lamentable record: I—Walter Hagen (U.S.A.) 300 2—"Jim" Barnes (U.S.A.) . ...301 3—"Jock" Hutchison (U.S.A.) .... 302 As already stated, George needed a 68 to tie. A small, hopeful band of admirers followed him, and they had to do it at the trot, for Duncan-has ; raking strike, and eschews preliminaries. Such golf as he played was never seen. He had missed three fatal putts at the first three holes— the rest of his round, right up to the last green, was an unbroken chain of super strokes. At the long holes he banged his full iron shots right up to the pin, and was putting for one below par. ■ Ho arrived on tho last1 tee, wanting but a par four to fulfil his mission. A great drive and iron shot, and .the ball finished just in the rough on the edge of the green. He . was , woefully short with his run up—it was his first real mistake, but he nearly ' holed the putt. His great adventure had failed by two inches, but it was a failure of absolutely unique ' magnificence. ■ ■ • .
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 17, 19 July 1924, Page 18
Word Count
1,987GOLF Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 17, 19 July 1924, Page 18
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