GOLF

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22443, 2 July 1938, Page 17

GOLF

TASMAN CUP TEAM CHOSEN

SOUND SELECTION

MATCH WITH AUSTRALIA IN AUGUST

[By THE RABBIT.]

In the unavoidable absence of Mrs G. W. Hollis, the team chosen to represent the New Zealand Ladies’ Golf Union against Australia in the annual contest for the Tasman Cup at Kensington, Sydney, during the championship meeting from August 12 to August 26, is the strongest that could be found. From the start, it seemed that the only doubt at all was the selection for one place, as four of the players were practically certainties. Mrs R. S. Ful-lerton-Smith, Miss P. Helean, Miss V. Fleming, and Miss J. Horwell were all obvious choices, but the selectors must have been worried before they decided on including Mrs D. A. Crombie, of Wellington,

Mrs Crombie is the only member to represent New Zealand for the first time, though Miss Fleming, was an emergency for the team in the match at Napier last year. She, however, represented the Dominion on the last occasion that a team went to Australia. Mrs Crombie has been near the head

of Wellington players for some years, and it probably has been her good short game that has swung the verdict in her favour. Two years ago she won the Canterbury title from a strong field, and though her match ‘experience then was not particularly good, reports from the North Island show that she has improved recently in this respect. Mrs Guy Williams, who has been chosen as non-playing captain and manager of the team, is a player with an excellent record and a wide experience. She has won the New Zealand title no fewer than five times, from 1907 to 1922, and in 1920 won the Australian title at Kensington. She has been a prominent member of the union for many years, and should be able to get the best results from the team. The other members of the team were discussed in these notes recently. The Tasman Cup matches will be played on August 19.

The Walker Cup

A very fine tribute to the standard of golf played by the English team in winning the Walker Cup for the first time was paid by Francis Ouimet, the American non-playing captain, after the event, according to the London correspondent of “The Press.’’ “All good things must come to an end some time or other, and, speaking for my boys and the American people at large, we are delighted you have won,” he said, after the match. “We did our best, but that was not good

enough. In the British players we have faced one of the greatest golf teams that has ever been assembled.”

The most remarkable upset in the series was in L. G. Crawley’s match against Johnny Fischer, former American amateur champion. Four up at the end of the first round, Crawley was finally beaten by 3 and 2. Fischer finished the match with six consecutive threes, and needed two fours at the last two holes for a 66, the best scoring of the series, as the par of the course is 73.

There was a great match between J. Bruen, the young Irishman, and C. R. Yates, the winner of the British amateur at Troon a short time before. Yates did the first 18 holes in 70, against Bruen’s 73, and was 3 up. Bruen led for the first and only time in the round when he put a long iron second within five feet of the pin at the third hole and sank the putt. They reached the turn in 33 and 34, and Bruen squared the match at the, tenth by nearly driving the green, well over 300 yards away. Yates took three putts at the seventeenth, when he had the match in his hands, but to make certain of it he sank a birdie three at the last hole. Hector Thomson had a sweet revenge for his defeat at the hands of Johnny Goodman at Pine Valley in the last contest, two 'years previously, but Goodman was only a shadow of his former brilliance. Thomson kept to threes and fours for a round of 69, while Goodman was round in 77.

As hard as C. Kocsis sank putts for birdies, C. Stowe, an “artisan” golfer, followed suit. He finished the match when dormy 2 by laying Kocsis a dead stymie on the seventeenth green. R. C. Ewing, a giant Irishman, also had a desperate struggle with Ray Billows, known as the “Cinderella Kid,” as lie used to go to tournaments in America in a car which cost less than the licence fee. Ewing was two up, with four to play, and though he lost the next two holes, he recovered the seventeenth and halved the last to win the match. Fi'ancis Ouimet also had unstinted praise for the play of Bruen. “Bruen is one of the greatest golfers I have ever seen. At 18 years old he is great, and that is the highest compliment I can possibly pay a player. On his present form he will go far. Considering his age, he is certainly in the Bobby Jones class.”

The British Open

The next important event in the golfing world is the British open, the stillest test of all, which will be played at the Prince’s course. Sandwich, starting on Monday. Unless the course has been drastically altered recently it is practically 7000 yards long, and has only three holes less than 300 yards long. The shortest is the third (154 yards) and the longest the seventeenth (516 yards). The card, according to latest information, reads: —

Out: (1) 382, (2) 484, (3) 154, (4) 416, (5) 217, (6) 436. (7) 391 (8) 453, (9) 408; total 3341. In: (10) 386, (11) 408. (12) 456. (13) 411, (14) 202. (15) 335. (16) 443, (17) 516, (18) 485; total 3642. Grand total 6983 yards.

The Wrong Sort of Birdies

Yarrawonga, immortalised in song by Miss Ella Shields as the place where the singer wants to “linger longer,” is likely to win distinction of an unhappier kind if the breed of crow in those parts maintains its strength. Certainly golfers will not share Miss Shields’s tuneful ambitions. On a recent Saturday 40 balls were stolen by crows, whose ironic cawing chorus as their mates flew off with the pills was nearly drowned by the anguished cries of bereaved golfers. One player lost three balls to crows in a single round —a ball, a ball, a ball—so to speak It is reported that the committee of the club is seriously considering placing a price on the heads of all crows shot on the course. Courses in Sodden State The steady rain this week has left most courses in a sodden state, and it is unlikely that competitions will be played at any city clubs to-day. The Russley course will definitely be closed for play to-day and also tomorrow if the wet weather continues. Other clubs will probably make similar decisions. “Swinging Into Golf” Though all that there is to be said about the game of golf has been written time and again by masters at the game, and by oscure professionals as well, literature on the subject continues to be turned out by the presses overseas. Thus it is refreshing to find a book trying to tackle the problem from a new angle, such as “Swinging Into Golf,” by Ernest Jones and Innis Brown (Angus and Robertson, Ltd.) The authors claim that the book will help the great army of labourers at golf to become players, and thus get more enjoyment from their sport. The main part of the book is written by Ernest Jones, who goes back to the very foundation of the swing, teaching that it is better to get the swing properly founded, than try to correct the seemingly endless procession of faults that beset the duffer. This is axiomatic, or would appear so, but Mr Jones goes further, and with diagrams and illustrations brings out the essential points of his teaching with unusual clarity. This book may well replace half the library of the modern golfer for after all this Mr Jones, and not his namesake, is perhaps the most sought after professional golfer in the United States, and that he can number among his pupils Miss Virginia Van Wie and Miss Charlotte Glutting is surely evidence enough of the effectiveness of his teaching.

UNIVERSITY MATCH

OTAGO BEATS CANTERBURY ON DRENCHED COURSE

[THE PRESS Special Service.]

DUNEDIN. July 1. Conditions were far from ideal for the annual contest between the Otago University and Canterbury University College golf teams at Balmacewan to-day Intermittent showers, added to heavy overnight rain, left several parts of the course under water, and putting was particularly difficult in the morning. The weather improved in the afternoon, however, and some good golf was seen in the singles matches.

Otago displayed all-round superiority, both in the foursomes and singles, winning nine matches to Canterbury’s three. The leading pair, A. Gibbs and J. N. Falvey, combined well in beating A. J. Nicholson and R. B. Dagger in the foursomes, and I. O. Stace and G. Bridges played good golf to beat Davies and Dodgshun. The outstanding performance of the day was that of Falvey, who, by beating Dagger 6 and 5, recorded a round of 72, excellent figures under any conditions. Several players at different times, notably Dodgshun, had some difficulty and extreme discomfort in playing out of bunkers where water was lying, but generally the golf was thoroughly enjoyed. The following were detailed results (Otago names first): — Foursomes —A. Gibbs and J. Falvey beat A. J. Nicholson and R. B. Dagger, 3 and 2; J. Davies and J. Dodgshun lost to I. O. Stace and G. Bridges, 3 and 1; J. Fraser and J. Gosset beat G. C. Weston and A. C. Sandston, -5 and 4; J. Lemon and J. Sams beat J. M. Louisson and J R. Woodward, 7 and 5.

• Singles—Gibbs beat Nicholson, 4 and 3, Falvey beat Dagger. 6 and 5; Davies beat Stace, 5 and 4; Dodgshun lost to Bridges, 2 up; Fraser lost to Weston, 1 up; Gosset beat Sandston, 7 and 6; Lemon beat Louisson, 4 and 3; Sams beat Woodward, 4 and 3. Totals: Otago 9, Canterbury 3.

CHRISTCHURCH GOLF CLUB Owing to heavy rain making the unplayable, there will be no play Christchurch Golf Club’s links Saturday, July 2. course on the to-day, —6

Golf equipment to suit players on all handicaps in stock Use our net to help you select your clubs. Large range of caddy bags and all sundries. Bails from all the leading makers. If unable to call, send for catalogue. The Canterbury Sports Depot, 113 Cashel street (next Whitcombe and Tombs), _ . , r—l