SPORT HIGHLIGHTS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 175, 26 July 1941, Page 3 (Supplement)

SPORT HIGHLIGHTS

Lowest Marker Wins

The Auckland Golf Club's main handicap match play event of the season, the captain's prize tourney, was won by B. H., Menzies, who defeated J. H. Goyder in the final last Saturday. It was an excellent performance, as Menzies, now on 1, is the club's lowest marker. Goyder, in receipt of seven strokes, recovered well from a bunker to take the lead at the first hole, but relentless putting enabled his opponent to card one under fours for the next seven holes and win four of them. A net 4 at the long ninth by Goyder saw him reduce the margin to 2 down at the turn. Menzies commenced the inward journey with 3, 4, 3, 3, to become 4 up. Three halves followed, leaving Menzies the winner by 3 and 2. This is Menzies' best effort in match play for a considerable . time. In the two previous rounds 1 he was one or | two holes down § with only a few ito play, but he I won each match 1 at the twenty- | When he I first entered | into champion- I ship golf, Men- I zies' was recog- 1 nised as a better match than medal player, as he gave a good account of himself after having difficulty in qualifying. Later the position was reversed, and on a number of occasions he headed the qualifiers, only to be eliminated by players on higher handicaps. Since joining Middlemore in 1931, the year he won the Auckland provincial championship, Menzies has been a most consistent performer, and he has figured prominently both in his own club and in open events. He was runner-up for the provincial title twice, and on four or five occasions he reached the semi-finals, only to be beaten by the eventual winner. At the New Zealand championship meeting at Titirangi in 1933 he led the field in the open championship for the-first two rounds, his 71 on the first day being an amateur course record, which stood for a number of years. Menzies holds the amateur record of 70 at Middlemore, a score which he has equalled or beaten fairly frequently in unofficial matches. Query For Golf Council Golfers up North have raised a poser for the New Zealand Golf Council following the playing of the Northland championship at the week-end. During the last round one of the competitors, W. Hollings, incidentally the club captain, and one of the executive, altered the discs on a teeing ground because of the muddy condition, his action being obviously inspired by consideration for the convenience and pleasure of the competitors. He and those paired with him were among the early players in the final round, though there were some competitors preceding them. It Jiappened that Hollings posted the best score, but a protest was entered, it is understood by one of the players who also played off the altered teeing area. It seems quite clear that no player (or a member of the executive) could alter the course once that part of the course has been ■ played over. In doing so the winner obviously disqualified himself and those with him who were aware of the alteration. There does not appear to be any ruling on the position of the following players who unwittingly played from the altered teeing ground. A ruling has been given in the case of two players at the head of a field moving the discs. They were disqualified, but the rest of the field, who were not aware of the alteration, were not affected. There is the case, too. of a green being cut in the course of a medal round after some competitors had already played on it In this instance the competition was declared off. The Northland committee was unable to arrive at a decision, and sent the protest to the council. Paradoxical Matamata " ; ~'WThere are no hotels at Matamata, and the patriotic race meeting last Saturday was a non-tote one. Yet there was a bar on the course, and the tote was open with the ticket sellers exhorting the crowd to buy. In neither case was there an infringement of the law. Matamata is in a licensed area, but it has to wait until race day for a bar to open. As for the tote, it was sweep tickets that were being sold. Patrons purchased on the blind and sometimes got the horse they wanted. Some-' times they didn't, but still won.

League's Best Scorers

Jack Smith (North Shore) headed the League point-getters after last Saturday's play, with 69 points, comprised of 33 goals and one try. This performance illustrates what a stalwart he has been to the leading team in the championship. Biggest trygetter was A. Sayers, the Richmond winger, who crossed the line 14 times. Next to Sayers was the North Shore forward, C. S. Petersen, with 12 tries. Among the goal kickers J. Hemi (Manukau) has registered 30 for 60 points. 4. Kay (Ponsonbv). 23, W. Webb (Richmond), 17, and H Emus (Newton), 16. League Player Back From War Among the recent arrivals from the Middle East campaign is.Martin Hansen, captain of the Mount Albert Rugby League team in 1939. Hansen saw fighting in Egypt and was among the New Zealanders evacuated from Greece. "Marty," as he is well known to League fans, met some of the well-known players overseas. He saw a lot of W. Walker the Mount Albert and 1939 Auckland half-back. Of T. Bramley and L Mills, the Richmond players with the forces, he states they got out of Greece safely. Bramley had played outstanding football in Egypt and was a member of the successful New Zealand seven-a-side team. Hansen also met Noel Martin, the promising Ponsonby full-back, and Dan Klane, also of Ponsonby, in Greece. Both these men are now prisoners of war. Hansen did not actually see Jack Campbell Ponsonby and Canterbury threequarter, nor Ivan Stirling, North Shore half-back, but he understands they are both back in the Middle East. After convalescence in a Scottish hospital, which contained only four New Zealanders, Hansen was sent to another hospital, and had seen Walter Batty visiting Lieutenants Bullock-Douglas and W (Bill) Carson, both Rugby ' All Blacks, wounded in the Greece fight Hansen has to undergo an operation to an eye, and his many friends will wish him every success. Veteran's Winning Try In the Technical Old Boys—Army Rugby match in Wanganui on Saturday the decisive try was scored by a veteran footballer, S. Ambrose. A. former Wanganui representative three-quarter, he had not played regular Rugby for 12 years, and his last appearance was three years ago 1 p . r^ n i, he is coach: of the Techmcai! Old Boys' team, which position he has held for five years. His try on Saturday was a fine effort, and tif as , c g rrie d shoulder high from the field by enthusiastic supporters. • Praise for Ewert When Hutt Army team beat St. fatnck's Old Boys 34-19 at Athletic Park, many spectators voted the game the finest seen at Rugby Union headquarters for many yelrs, ?^ D -k J - F wert one of sharpest inside backs seen in Wellington in recent times. A prolific scorer by goal kicking, Ewert had not scored a try since he was captain of Rotorua High School Old Boys' XV., playiqWth£? j^ior competition of lyde, but in his new position at centre he crossed the line three times at Wellington last Saturday! Scott at Wellington Several footballers well known on Auckland fields were conspicuous in Wellington last Saturday. Two now m camp at Trentham played °ot Central League XIII., andmaterially assisted in that team's defeat of Eastern Suburbs 24—0 Verdun g?".[North Shore) a try and kicked a penalty goal, and H Mc(Mount Albert), in what a Wellington paper called a "surprise appearance," showed himself tobea first-class attacking full-back. Among the spectators at Newtown Park were two other Auckland senior Players who are at Trentham Q Morris and G. Welsh, both of City Rovers. They are eager to play in »ngton club footfcall, and w u turn out for Eastern Suburbs A Fn Ul T^nth f a ° ther League P la y ers " are in Trentham camp now, and there are prospects of a side' from the sSn? aying a game m cit y this Ken Will Go On Working Though Ken Kenneth has now achieved his ambition—to be able to meet visiting professional wrestlers, not only in the gym., but also in the ring as an equal—he is going to carry on working at the tvrl servicing firm where he is now employed. "Men are so hard to eet W 't s . aid . Kfn when he was asked about it, "and the boss has been so good to me, that I can't let him down. I reckon I should carry on, anyhow, doing what I can, seeing that I have been turned down for military service. • In any case it is n £ gopd ,, fo / a f ellow to be walking about all day with nothing to do /' That is like Ken, who has never spared himself or his time if he could do something worthwhile. It was somewhat amusing to hear him comment when reference was made to the fact that he has gone from 14st 121b to 16st" 41b in less than a year and gained strength with it. "Oh, I put that on in Sydney when I had nothing tp do except eat and train." But training to Ken is not merely a workout in the gym. With hie big frame he has had to battle to keep his weight down to junior standards during recent years. He achieved it in conjunction with his previous employment as a milk roundsman. He pushed a "jigger" containing the cans on his round—and he used to run most of the way! It was always 3asy for him to gain the weight if he wanted to, but it was not until this year when he went over to Australia "off his own bat" that he ot the chance to show what he :ould do. They billed him there as Art Shiska," and gave him Polish origin. As a matter of fact Ken's •eal name is Kenneth Schischka. He belongs to a pioneer family, his parents settling at Puhoi 80 years ago. He was born at Helensville 29 years ago. On Monday night at the Town Hall he will open the season in a bout with Joe CorbetU •