GOLF Exciting First Round In British Open Title

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28321, 5 July 1957, Page 17

GOLF Exciting First Round In British Open Title

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

ST. ANDREWS, July 3. With records equalled and broken, there was an exciting first round proper to the British open golf championship on the old course today.

A burly Scot, Laurie Ayton (Ipswich) first equalled the record of 67 and was later joined by Eric Brown (Buchanan Castle), another Scot, and then R, F. Galloway, a London player, who is also a Scot, broke the amateur record of 71 by a stroke. Peter Thomson, Australia’s holder, played an unconvincing round of 73. His putting was not deadly, and his approaching was not up to his usual standard.

Arrears of six strokes might be a severe handicap, but Thomson, has never done the first round pace-making in the championships he has won. He can still fight back.

At the end of the second round, a maximum of 50 players will qualify for the final 36 holes. The Scottish professional champion, Eric Brown, missed a wonderful opportunity of spreadeagling the field today. Playing before a huge gallery of enthusiastic supporters, Brown reached the turn in only 30 strokes, and when he was eight under fours after 12 holes, he had the record for the old course at his mercy. But Brown ran into trouble on the thirteenth, and finished with a 67. His outward 30 was the lowest achieved in the championship, and equalled the besGever nine holes accomplished by Charlie Ward (Little Aston) at Troon in 1950 in the qualifying test

Thomson’s precision was missing today. It began at the first hole —he got a four—but an Untidy putt from a long way out made him have to sink a 15-footer.

On the fourth, his second shot was past the pin and finished off the green. He played a pitch tentatively and it left him with a seven-yard putt. He sank that, much to his relief.

He was in trouble again on the tenth when his drive went into the rough. He got out well and putted for four. Then came the twelfth. He drove into very thick heather and had to play out backwards. He got only to the front of the green with his next shot. His putt was 10 feet short. Then, to add to his misery, he missed it and ran up to 6. Crampton in Form Crampton began at a great rate. His second on the first hole was

within 12 feet of the pin and he put the putt down for a three. On the 567-yard fifth he hit two wonderful shots to be within 10 feet of the pin. Then he putted—it was dead in line, but a few feet short. He had twos at the short eighth and eleventh. Two days ago, Crampton was in danger of not qualifying when he had a 75, but he has fought back with a lot of spirit and deserved his figures today. Ayton, the other leader, is the man who nearly did not play. He had so many lessons to give at his Ipswich club that he thought he could not spare the time, but decided to come at the last minute.

Bobby Locke, as elegant as ever in plus fours and looking more confident each day, hardly did a thing wrong for his 69. Leaders at the end of the day were:

67: E. Brown (Scotland), I. Ayton (England). 68: B. Crampton (Australia). 69: K. MacDonald (England), Bobby Locke (South Africa), J. Hitchcock (England), Norman Sutton (England). 70: Osvaldo de Vicenzo (Colombia), Norman Drew (England), R F. Galloway (England), amateur.

71: G. Player (South Africa), 1. Smith (England), A. Cerda (Argentine), R. Moffitt (England), R. A. Knight (England), Eric Lester (England), J. Panton (Scotland), S. Miguel (Spain), W. D. Smith (England), amateur. 72: N. Coles (England),. G Middlecoff (United States), T Coop (England), F. van Donck (Belgium), P. Alliss (England). B. Hunt (England), T. Haliburton (England), W. Henderson (Scotland). 73: P. Thomson (Australia). R. Halall (England), D. Rees (Wales), H. Bradshaw (Englaiid), J. MacDonald (England), R. Angelini (Italy), T. Fairbairn (England). CHRISTCHURCH CLUB Denniston Cup (qualifying round). Draw for Saturday, July 6. 9 am.: G. Chapman, N. A. Boon. W. K. L. Dougall. 9.5: E. G. Keenan, H. J. Gosset, R. A. E. Brett. 9.10: W. G. Quirk. L. J. Mahar, R. A. Roberton. 9.20: H E. W. Roberton, G. W. Riley. D. W. Satterthwaite. 9.25: J. Forrester, R. Blunden, F. L. P. Sharp. 9.30: A. R. Mac Gibbon. J. V. Glasson. D. D. A. Reese. 9.35: D. C. Bennie. I. B. Cromb. L. A. Watson. 9.40: H. M. S. Dawson. J. J. Cuddon, R. S. Beadel. 9.45: W. M. Wilson, M. A. Johnston, W. D. Wood.

10.20 a.m.: H. D. Livingstone. G. M. Turrell, E. W. Turrell. 10.25: L. W. Baker, A. H. Vivian, W. J. V. Hamilton. 10.30: M. L. Taylor, A. B. Jarmey, P. S. Foster. 10.35: I. J. Campbell, M. F. Hobbs. S. E. Field. 10.40: R. W. Edgley, p. Williamson, N. F. Boag. 10.45: H. J. Barlow, W. C. Debenham. H. V. Rossi. 10.50: W. G. Scannell, A. J. Scannell, J. S. Connell.

u. 11 Ji.ni.: J. L. Davis, M„L. Page. L? Andersen. 11.5: W. A. Caldwell, D. W. Russell, J. F. L. Hartley. 11.10: A. J. Skellerup, J. K. Davidson, A. B. 8001. 11.15: R. D. Burdon, T. S. McMillan, E. R. Blakely. 11.20: B. R. Cook, B. J. N. Wilks. H. M. Minson. 11.25: L. R. Burt, J. D. Bull. G. P. Latimer. 11.30: E. S. Henderson. A. B. Edwards, P. F. Barkle. 11.35: P. C. Venter, H. W. Macfarlane. M. W. Simes. 11.40: J. D. Carl. L. J. Roy, E. J. Corcoran. 11.45: S. E. Boanas. J. B. Prendergast, D. F. Williamson. 11.50: P. Laffey. J. H. Hewlett. R. Ballinger. 12 nooh: A. L. Smith, H. D. Robson, M. D. Mercer. 12.5: K. W. Hobbs, G. H. Owen, J. Richards. 12.10: M. K. Gray, L. J. Moorhouse, M. Kunzli. 12.15: C. J. Ward, O. A. Y. Johnston, A. W. Robinson. 12.20: F. D. Jones, H. C. Smith, R. R. Livingstone. 12.25: W. McK. Cleland, N. J. Forward, R. D. Glackin. 12.30: W. L. Burns. F. F. Reid, P. Hall. 12.35: G. N. Francis, M. J. C. Robinson, F. W. Seldon. 12.40: W. D. Murie, C. T. Werren, N. R. Parkes. 12.45: A. E. Benzie, L. W. Fleetwood, C. L. Sturge. 12.50: P. G. Edgen, J. G. Scott, J. H. Scott.

1 p.m.: E. A. Cleland. L. A. Woodward. R. R. Bell. 1.5: J. R. Ward, M. J. Russell, F. P. Morrison. 1.10: J. Ramsden. I. McW. Harkness. R. C. Saunders. 1.15: G. R. Hunter. K. J. McMenamin, A. B. Mackenzie. 1.20 • O. C. Abbott. I. M. Baird, G. R. Burrowes. 1.25: G. W. A. Green, E. S. Williams. R. B. Lake. 1.30: C. G. Hamilton, F. W. Stevens, R. C. Chilvers. —Advt. TAI TAPU CLUB The' following is the draw for the second round qualifiers of the club championships:— • Noon: E. Jones, J. Cross, M. W. Parrott. 12.5: L. Woods, F. Davison, H. M. Brown. 12.10: W. D. Hamilton, W. M. Brown, P. Stove. 12.15: V. Wiseman, F. Smith, L. King. 12.20: J. Lang, R. Moren, N. R. Withell. 12.25: J. Hartnell, S. Dobier, L. R. Withell. 12.30: R. ,C. Blackmore, J. McKay. J. R. Waters. 12.35: R. Stoddart, N. J. McKenzie, G. Ware, H. Cox. 12.40: M. Consedine, R. N. Wood, S. H. Allom. 12.45: L. Kilroy, J. H. Pickles, W. Kortegast. 12.50. R. O’Schmidt, P. Amos. J. Jacobs. 12.55: G. Stoddart, D. T. Ager. G. M. Turrell. 1 p.m.: J. Amos, G. Legg, G. B. Suckling. 1.5: H. T. Cox, G. McKay. E. R. King. Would all players kindly adhere strictly to the times and draw. —Advt.