GOLF.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 144, 19 June 1926, Page 25

GOLF.

JOTTINGS FROM THE LINKS.

I H. L. Robson with net rounds of 71 j and 76 respectively, is the new holder of the Gardner Cup. His outward journey lon Saturday last was completed only | after a somewhat shaky display, a lost I ball and the subsequent recording of an 8 at the first hole being anything but | encouraging. Once turned for home, j however, he effected considerable improvement, eventually finishing the half lin 40. His victory was gained by the narrow margin of two strokes, the ultimate destination of the cup being lin doubt Tight up to the last hole. It. •L. Wilson had returned two good cards and actually as Robson stood to face the | eighteenth he had to hole a 5 to tie, but j of this fact he was fortunately unaware. I A good drive right up the middle was I the order, but a pushed out mashie in I i the direction of the bunker guarding the right of the green spelled disaster. Fortune, however, was on his side as the ball kicked clear and he celebrated his I let-off by holing a beautiful approach! for a 3. Robson is playing pretty well I this season—far too well for the handi-1 cap he has. As it was he who literally i threw away chance after chance, and \ even though it is recognised handicap ' men err in this direction his game appears too consolidated to allow of him! , remaining on his present mark. So far as his win is concerned it is a good one I and he is to be congratulated on a fine : recovery and victory in so important an event. I As mentioned above R. L. Wilson was 1 but two strokes away and he can be mentioned as a player rapidly improving in his game. He has had much experience to date, and when more conversant with the value of a reasonably straight left arm will develop his game considerably. If I may be pardoned for wandering from my notes on the cup, I may Bay that the use of the left arm versus the right, forms a very interesting study. The average amateur hardly uses his left arm to advantage as many of the professionals do, but in carefully watching one of the latter in action, particularly with his irons, I will defy anyone to say that the major portion of the "work" on the shot or on the "ball" is not accomplished by a direct hit "under" with the right hand. True it is that the left drags it through, but there is sufficient of the "push" in evidence to convince the most hardened disbeliever that the right is the governing factor. Take T. H. Horton, our present amateur champion. What does he get his main propelling power from? I agree, his left. Why, because he stands off the ball, not over it, and even goes so far as to put his right foot from his left, which action throws his whole left armament broadside to the ball. Pursue Horton's methods a little further and the answer to his method in placing his right foot to the rear of the

left, is to prevent his shots finishing in the rough to the left of the direction desired; not being pulled there, mind you, but directly hit there. Again why, because being one with a flat swing, if he were to adopt the ordinary open stance he would get about four inches "outside" the ball on the backward swing, consequently in coming through he would be swinging directly across to the left 'and finish there accordingly. Truly-"as ye -sow, so shall ye reap. I can speak with definiteness of a case of a player who previously had a distinctly upright swing and who hit the ball, as most upright swingers do, on the downward swing. He was for the greater part sorely troubled in a high wind, being one who made little use of his body and was plagued by a suggestion of a slice with his wood. Unconsciously during a season his style altered, a suggestion of flatness permeating his swing. No longer were winds so trying, and a rather raking low flighted ball from the tee resulted. Moreover the tee shots in particular, are hit distinctly on the "upward" through swing of the club and a hook, of which I can speak with feeling, is now the characteristic. To-day the stiff left arm is the exploding agency for tho shot, but it is useless if the right does not rip through and worse than useless when the right hand turns, over too quickly. Take H. B. Lusk, well known amongst us. Is not his tendency being one with an upright swing to hit his shots with an element of apparent back spin? If not, how is it that with his weight, natural timing, and powerful swing that he does not outdistance from the tee such diminutive players as for instance N. Bell and R. M. George. The answer lies in the fact that Bell obviously hits his shots on the round and upward- swing principle, as to a less degree does the latter, who is developing the trait, thus giving their negligible weight full effect and imparting considerable over spin and consequent run to the ball. Or again we turn our attention to G. F. Colbeck, who is liable to give one heart strain trying to keep up from the tees. Here is a' distinctly upright swing, with a clean follow through thai does not impart an ounce of top spin, ii anything a slight tendency to the opposite, but the carry and subsequent run is gained purely through hitting the ball plumb centre with no apparent preponderance of either hand, the shot appearing more the result of full use of height, and of concerted action. And now feeling that my critics are most heartily disagreeing with the views sei out in the foregoing I may say that foi myself I have no set belief in respect of the governing hand. If I harboui anything akin to a conviction, it is that the different types of swings emploj entirely different principles. The great moral to be drawn is surely that once a club is truly swung the hit element is conspicuous by its absence, the resound' ing crack and swish of the true swinp and follow through, being the result oi concerted action and the dominating feature -governing direction. And lastlj having drawn myself close to th< I theoretical side, of which I know but little and practice less, I shall leave the digest to my readers, as I perceivthis to be the spot where I get off. The ladies' provincial championshij hasgone to Miss Culling, who gained i most meritorious win over Miss M Payton. Miss Payton must, however, b« given credit -for playing really the besl golf of any present at the tournament and ultimate victory; would not hav< been misplaced had it been her lot. In th opening phases of the actual final, how ever, she failed to give of her best, ant here it is to the credit of the victoi that she punished her opponent's lapses Miss Payton valiantly made up her lee way to eventually carry the ma T «h ti the nineteenth, but here she was out

played by Miss Culling, who was not unduly perturbed by her opponent's gradual overtaking run. Miss Culling has fought grandly on numerous occasions for success in important fixtures, and her win is richly deserved. On the other hand we cannot fail to admire the polished and crisp manner in which Miss Payton hits her shots and it can confidently be looked forward to that she will again assert her superiority ere long. It was a most happy circumstance that representatives of the mother club an_ of Maungakiekie should meet in the semi-finals, and the presence of Miss Payton in the final as a dual member, gave just that added tinge of interest so desirable in a test for provincial honours. It was a grand game keenly fought and generously won, the whole sotting of the tournament being excellent and in accord with that usually attendant at Middlemore.

Four leading layers of New South Wales are visiting England to compete in the open and other championships. The supporters of the consistent T. Howard, the professional of the Concord Club, were first in the field with a proposal to enable the Concord player to test his skill against the* champions. Next .the Royal Sydney Club members decided to send Carnegie Clark, the club's professional, to represent them. Tlie open champion of Australia, F. Popplewell, was also included. Popplewell is the popular professional at the Australian clubs links at Kensington, and he has many brilliant performances to his credit The Moore Park Club sent -H. R. Sinclair, the brillliant amateur.