GOLF

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21329, 23 November 1934, Page 17

GOLF

NOTES OF THE DAY [By "I.OFTEK."] A feature of the Melbourne Centenary Open Golf Championship, which attracted a field unprecedented in quality outside Great Britain and America, was the success of the American professionals who made almost a clean sweep of the contest. After playing over the Metropolitan Golf Club's links, Sarazen estimated that an aggregate of 286 would win the centenary open. This total, however, was bettered by J. Thompson (California) described as the longest hitler in the world, whose sub par aggregate of 2S.'(, five under 4's, was a phenomenal effort. Ho is not a member of the official American Professional Golf Association's team, though lie accompanied them on the trip over in the Mariposa. Leo Diegel, runner-up, is the veteran of the American team, having been born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1899. lie won the American P.O.A. championship in 1928-29, and Iwico finished second in the United States open championship. He represented the United States against Great Britain in 1927-29-81-83. In the British open championship he tied fur second place in 1930, was third in 192!), and tied for third in 1938. He is attached to the Aqua Caliente Club in Mexico, .hist before the team left lie won the New England professional championship, and also the Walter Hagen testimonial tourney, in which most of the firstclass golfers of the United Slates competed. That Australia has unc or two professional players approaching world's class in golf would seem evident from the scores relumed in the Melbourne Centenary event. The respective efforts of Naismifh, McMahon and Richardson support this claim. The experienced New Zealand professionals, Shaw and Douglas, evidently found the conditions rather trying and I a trifle beyond them, and finished well down the list. Watt and Lambic (New Zealand) also found the pace too hot. Noboch' expected J. Shelly, a two handicap man, from a minor Wellington club, whose entry incidentally was first refused and later accepted, to be prominent. Neither was he. His display therefore was not surprising. The card of the Metropolitan Golf Club at Oakleigh. the venue of the Melbourne Centenary open golf championship, reads: Hole. Yards. Par. 1 480 4 2 145 8 3 440 4 . 4 470 4 5 400 4 6 lU 3 7 478 T) 8 297 4 9 5115 a Out 3287 3!! Hole. Yards. Par. 10 440 4 11 440 4 12 322 4 13 180 8 14 8.73 4 15 125 3 Ifi 474 5 i 17 4!54 4 ! 18 430 4 j in 8247 35 j Out 3287 8(5 J Total 6534 71 i features of the course—which is laid I out on a sandy district near the city—are the excellent greens and fairways which consist of strong, springy turf, and an abundance of trees and shrubs. Discussing th . course in the November i is-ue of "Golf in Australia," D. Soulcr stales that Oakleigh has long been famous as the show course of Australia. "According to modern golf architecture there are two weak holes, the eighth (297 yards) and the twelfth (322 yards), and there is hardly a hole which, in favourable conditions, cannot be reached in two strokes." The British women's 1985 championship meeting will be held on the Royal Coun'.y Down course at Newcastle from May 8 to 16. In order to sustain interest in competitive golf several city and suburban golf clubs, including Avondale, Christchurch, Harewood, Russley, and Templeton, have inaugurated summer programmes. At Shirjey on Saturday notable scores in a "fourball bogey competition were those of J. K. Davidson and M. K. Gray 7 up, C. Holds worth and P. H. Brown, J. T. Smith and W. H. Cowper, M. H. Godby and J. S. Connell—s up respectively. At Russley several outstanding scores returned in a stroke competition were those of A. M. Fowler 74-10-64, W. M. Ross 78-12-66, J. Binsted 78-11-67, and C. H. Johnstone 79-12-67. The October issue of "Golf in Australia" contains an interesting article entitled "Hints for Greenkeepcrs," by Sandy Tee, a well-known Australian authority. Although too long to reprint in this column, one important point (frequently overlooked on local courses) may be referred to, namely, the importance of a correctly cut and placed hole on the green. Frequently holes cut on. awkward slopes—which cause tricky play and which lead to unsatisfactory results—are encountered. The player is entitled to a fair deal respecting the conditions of the green near the hole. Surely the everpresent element, of luck "through the green" is sufficient at least, on most courses—without adding unnecessary problems on the green. According to English critics, T. If. Cotton's decision to remain another year with the Waterloo Golf Club, Brussels, will create a piquant situation, as he will continue to be ineligible to play in the Ryder Cup match in America in 1935: but, as captain of Hie Professional Golfers' Association, will superintend all the British team's arrangements, though it is unlikely that he will go to America, as the British open champion's plans for a match—described humorously enough as a world's championship match—against the 1934 American open champion. Olin Dutia, have fallen through. Mr Samuel Ryder, donor of the cup, in an interview, said that the Professional Golfers' Association had the right to alter conditions, and it would be advaniageous if it did so. J. H. Taylor, a former British open champion, said that it should be sufficient thai Cotton was English-born and taught, but the initiative to alter the residential rule should come from America, at whose request, it had been made-. The Ryder Cup was for competition between a team of British professionals and a team of American professionals, but in 1929 the original conditions were varied to confine the British tea in to British-born prolcssionals resident in Great Britain, and (lie American (cam to American-born professionals resident in the United States in the year of the match. At Miramar over the week-end J. If. Drake (1 up) retained his title as champion of the Miramar Golf Club when he defeated H. A. Black, a former New Zealand amateur champion, in the final at the thirty-sixth hole. The approximate figures in the morning round were: — DrakeOut: 5 4 3 3 4 3 4 4 4—3-1 In: 5 4 4 4 3 445 4—37 71 Blackout: 5 5 4 3 5 3 :i 4 ;>-.« In: 4 4 4 8 2 3 5 5 4-84 73 Drake's success in the afternoon round marked his third win in the Miramar chanipion.-iiip, an event H. A. Black- has not yet won. t

There was perfect weather at Balmacewan on Saturday afternoon, when the lirst round of the Otago Club championship was played. The match results were:—K. Ross beat R. F. Barr, 5 and 4; G. Gibson beat S. E. Field, 2 and 1; B. V. Wright beat W. G. Wight, t up; J. W. Mcintosh beat H. J. Dodgshun, 5 and 4; J. R. Laidlaw beat J. H. McDougall, 2 and 1; T. B. Ferguson beat H. J. Grayson, 3 and 2; J. G. Dick: beat A. G. Sime, 1 up; C. T. Irvine beat A. J. Scouler, 4 and 3. An interesting news item published in English papers recently is that the St. Andrews Rules of Golf Committee have brought the official volume of decisions up to date, and into line with the rules as revised a year ago. The work has taken considerable time, but it will be of much value. Mrs Stout registered her sixth win in the championship of the Wellington Ladies' Golf Club on Saturday at Heretaunga. Mrs Stout deserves the honour as she went through the competition iu decisive fashion. Miss Ward was runner-up. The annual contest between the champion players of. the Auckland City and Suburban GolC Clubs was held at the Maungakiekie links recently. The held comprised 13 champions, namely, J. M. Coltman (Titirangi), B. G. Thomson (Auckland), F. Trice (Glcndowie), D. G. Maci'arlancj (Maungakiekie), F. Ila/.elden (Aka-| rana), C. B. Thomas (Pupuke), W. B. Eustace (Otahuhu), H. C. Slovens (North Shore). C. G. Wardell (Manukau), R. N. White (Orakci), D. Coylc (Pukekohe). W. S. Colbcck (Waiuku), and J. Cooke (Papakura). The title was won by Eustace, with a margin of eight strokes. Detail scores were:— Ist Rd. 2nd Rd. TI. W. B. Eustace ..78 74 152 J. M. Coltman .. 78 82 160 V. Hazel den ..79 81 160 C. B. Thomas .. 81 82 163 B. G. Thomson .. 81 82 163 !F. Trice .. 8! 83 164 !F. Stevens .. 80 8! KM jC. G. Wardell .. 88 85 .171 IJ. E. Cooke .. 88 90 173 IW. S. Colbcck .. 90 84 174 R. N. White .. 93 90 183 "I like to see a pitching stroke that is smooth and unhurried, one that j strikes evenly through the ball and does not appear to accelerate too violently at and just before impact," writes R. T. Jones in "Golfing." "To my mind, the best pitching stroke in golf is that of Gene Sarazen. Sara/en from (he. shortest distances always spanks the ball lirmly up to the hole with plenty of backspin, yet his club always appears to float into the shot." "An improvement. many golfers would like to sec," writes a correspondent, "is less grass in the rough during the summer months. It took three hours to get round on Saturday through looking for balls in long grass." Perhaps a note in the suggestion book may lead to an improvement | in this respect. CHAMPIONSHIPS AT MELBOURNE iMCLKAN'S BRILLIANT WIN I ONLY ONIv HOLE LOST ! i (I'MIIF.I> l'ill'.SS AfSMi l.\ THIS ■- BY !'. 1.F.1 TRIG j TKI.E'IBM'II -COI'THIUin .) ! (Received November 23. 12.20 a.m.) MELBOURNE. November 22. ; In flic final of the amateur Ccn'u'.-'aiy j championship 11. W. Haltersley (New i South Wale.-) was completely demor'ali.sed bv J. McLean i Britain), who j won the" title by 11 and 9. McLean did the morniii'.:" round m '6B, not allowing'the Australian to win I a single hole. Against such devas- ' latitig plav Hattersley was only able • to keep tiie game alive to the ninth j hole alter lunch. McLean's strokes ! at everv hole from drive to putt were hit perfectly, and Hattersley, though not playing badly, was helpless against this merciless onslaught. McLean's brilliance kept the large gallery keenly interested in the game. i The best that Hattersley could do in the morning was to halve, and in the I afternoon, realising the hopele:sne.-s of ! the position, he crashed badly all I along until the seventh, which was the only hole Ik; won. I After leading the amateurs in the Centenary open championship with a score of 294. which placed him seventh in the list, and won him a gold 'cup, McLean has .had a brilliant run jin the amateur tournament. In the I first round he beat Mick Ryan, a I prominent Victorian amateur, by 5 (and 4, in the second round he put out I H. R. Payne, of Vicioria, by 12 up and Ml, and in the semi-final played on | Wednesday he beat R. Smith, of Vic- ! toi'ia, who had put out Jim Fcrrjcr in lan earlier round by 10 and 9.1 I | PROFESSIONAL I TOURNEY SEMI-FINALISTS ALL AMERICANS I). SHUTE EQUALS COURSE RECORD (■Received November 22, 11.45 p.m.) MELBOURNE, November 22. The quarter-finals of the professional section at the Centenary golf championships resulted: Leo Diegel (U.S.A.) beat Martin Smith (Victoria) 7' and 6. Craig Wood (U.S.A.) heat. L. J. Thompson (U.S.A.) 2 and 1. Densmore Shute (U.S.A.) beat Paul Ruuyan (U.S.A.) 4 and 8. Joe E/.ar (U.S.A.) beat If. Cooper (U.S.A.) at the thirty-seventh. The best golf in the professional championship so far was .played by Shute, who, with a brilliant morning round of 66, was 8 up on Runyan, captain of the United States professionals. Shute now shares McLean's record on the Metropolitan course. The contest is left now among the United Stales pirofessionala, as (he only Australian, Martin Smith, lost to Diegel through faulty driving. Thompson, the winner of the open championship, was favoured for the j professional title, but he was beaten by Craig Wood. Thompson was 2up lat the end of (he first nine hole in I the afternoon, but the match was squared at, the twenty-ninth. At the thirl.y-fiith Wood brought the match to an cud spectacularly by holing his second shot from a bunker-after he had duffed his first attempt. E/.ar had a great struggle with Cooper. They were al square alter flic lirst 18. and in the afternoon round I hey fought it out to the thirtyseventh. MANNER SPRINGS (LIB The following is the draw for the bogey match to be played on November 25: R. O'Loughlin plays B. Bradshaw, Miss C. Burns plays K. Elisor, Miss Mclbom plays Miss Penney, Miss Henshaw plays D. Stark", L. Anderson plays E. Rutherford, Dr. Tovey plays Mrs Dawson, D. Stavert plays Miss Murray, Mrs Tovey pJays E. N. Smith. J. B. Graves plays Mrs J. Ross, Miss E. Parsons plays P. Cross, J. Lahniert plays J. Manson, G. Gavin plays C. Lahmcrt, R. Kennedy plays D. M. Lewis, Miss Jameb plays E. W. Cartel 1 , T. Mcnzics plays M. Egan, D. Roach plays A. Reid, Miss Maher plays Miss Sutherland, Mrs Cross plays J. Ponton, L. Laplhorn plays marker.

RUbSLEY LADIES' CLUB In the Slableford bogey competition played yesterday, there was a tie between Miss V. Fleming and Mrs Knowlcs. Miss Fleming won the count back over the last nine holes. A scaled holes match will be played next Thursday, players to arrange their own partners-