GOLF OVERSEAS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 112, 13 May 1926, Page 11

GOLF OVERSEAS.

RUSSELL'S FINE CARD.

PLAYERS 111 BRITAIN.

(By DONALD GRANT.)

iha other day m Sydney, Alex Russell, open champion of Australia in 19-2, returned two brilliant scores in a medal competition. His morning round wag 60, and his afternoon round 72, making the phenomenally low aggregate of 141 for 36 boles! The fact that in the same competition the professional Donald Thomson returned two first-class rounds of 75 each, and was nine strokes behind Mr. Russell in the aggregate, enables us to realise to some extent the excellence of the latter's play. It seems that Australia can send four of her outstanding players Home in order to compete in the amateur and the open championships, and yet retain other golfers to defend her shores most adequately against any one who would seek to lower her colours in the re:ilai of golf. AUSTRALIANS IN BRITAIN. Harry Sinclair, who landed in Britain some time ago, went straight to St. Andrews for practice. Fred Pop> plewell, open champion of Australia, Carnegie Clark, and T. E. Howard, are also in the old country as competi. tors in these t - '0 championships mentioned. Howard has had his baptism of fixe in British first-class golf. He took part in the qualifying rounds of the southern section of the "Daily Mail" professional tournament, of which the final rounds will be played on May 19 and 20 on the old course at St. Andrews. In these qualifying rounds, Howard, with a 79, equalled Mitchell and Duncan, who, with a number of others, tied for the four last places among the qualified. AN EXCITING TIE. That must have been an exciting tie to watch, when about ten first-rank professionals, including two pace-makers like Mitchell and Duncan, set out to play nine holes in order to decide which six of their number should be e_minated! No time for good golf: even par golf would hardly be good enough. Howard, unfortunately, was not able to rise to the occasion. He needed 42 strokes for the half-round, and dropped out. Mitchell and Duncan increased the reputation which they both enjoy at present, as favourites for the open event, by returning scores of 34 and 35 respectively, well ahead of the others. A CHALLENGE TO THE WORLD. Mitchell, by the way, some months Jicrn iaanpH a challenge to the World. He was ready to play any golfer in the world for 72 holes, over two courses in England, for £500. There can be no complaint of lack of sportsmanship in such a challenge, although Mitchell has not yet won his first championship. I remember the amateur championship of 1911, the last in which Mitchell played as an amateur. No player was observed more than Mitchell during that event. The powerful sinewy hands and the action of the wrists as he addressed the ball and began to swing for a drive remain vividly in one's memory. There were two men who with their second shots carried the wall at the fourteenth hole at Prestwick that year (I think it was the fourteenth). Mitchell was one of them. I do not recall who beat Mitchell in that championship, but I know that the ultimate winner was never able to get within 100 yards of that wall with two wooden shots. The lack of length, however, was amply made up for by wonderful accuracy, and the veteran Harold Hilton, then over fifty years of age, won that 1911 championship. PRESTWICK IN AYRSHIRE. Interesting further is the fact that Prestwiek was the scene of that championship; Prestwick, where Mac Smith. Scots-American, lost the open championship to Jim Barnes, Cornish-American, in the last eighteen holes, for which Barnes returned 74, while Mac Smith needed 82. On the same course in 1011 it- was an American that beat Australia's last hope. That was the match in whicr "Chick" Evans, of Chicago, beat Bruce Pearce. of Australia, after a tie. Boti these young players were immenselj popular with the thousands of specta tor?, who thronged the course and watched the game with the greatest in terest and knowledge; and the debonab American, who spoke encouragingly t< the ball, while addressing it, receivec quite as much favour from the crowd a! did the hefty young Australian left hander. WILL HAGEN PICK UP THE GLOVE! To return to Mitchell and the chal lenge he has thrown down, I may saj that there ia a very general belief thai Hagen is not the man to let the oppor tunity slip of meeting in single combal a challenging golne gladiator lik< Mitchell. As a matter of fact, Hager himself is a typical gladiator, and ai indomitable fighter, revelling in dull cultie3 and seemingly impossible situa tiona, while Mitchell is really weak it this respect. Weak, that is, as a per sonality compared with the unblushing and polished Hagen. For Mitchell is still, to a great extent, the quiet, un assuming gardener that he once was; only his uncommon, and even unique power over the material concerned ii the art and science of golf has changec his trade and his sphere. He has stil to learn how important for golf aw certain psychological qualities; or, I he has learned that this is so, he hai still to develop and to e_ttiv_te t_.es* qualities. "If I could hit the hall liki that," said Hagen, apropos of Matehell'f golf, "I would be unbeatable." Whei Hagea's prowess as a master-golfer coupled with his abundant force o; character, come up against the uniqu< qualities which Mitchell possesses as ' golfer, a wonderful duel should happen One already looks forward to a well written account of that contest. It wil i probably take place in June of this year