Canada Cup In Tokyo A Memorable Experience

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28938, 4 July 1959, Page 5

Canada Cup In Tokyo A Memorable Experience

In the final article of his series, HENRY LONGHURST writes of the Canada Cup matches in Tokyo, and of a plucky woman golfer.

VO far distant event in my own experience caused so much curiosity at home as the Canada Cup in Tokyo and the astonishing victory of Tokarichi Nakamura by eight shots over Sam Snead. Nakamura looks like one of those bouncy little acrobats who, after a series of “allez oops,” finishes as the base of the family pyramid. His swing is in two distinct pieces, and he sways a good deal, but he was a living proof of the theory that if you drive down the middle, not necessarily very far, and hole every putt of six feet and under, and a fair number of long ones for good measure, you can beat anybody anywhere. The two Kasumigaseki courses, reached from Tokyo after two hours’ persistent hooting and shoving, were lovely Each hole has a winter and summer green—-seventy-two in all—and for upkeep of the fairways they have 250 women and girls, who advance on their knees in line abreast, each armed with a little kitchen fork for the extraction of weeds —an idea which I present gratis to club secretaries ,at home for the solution of the green-keeping problem Uniforms The smartest of the girls were chosen as caddies, each with blue peaked-cap, red blouse embroidered with their player’s name and country, blue trpusers and white shoes. They were the prettiest things you ever saw, and Snead threatened to pack his tn his enormous golf-bag, into which she would easily have fitted, and take her home. Four of us also made a trip down the exquisite Riviera-like coastline to the Japanese Gleneagles at Kawana I reflect that my onerous way oi life has taken me since the war to golf clubs in Ceylon, Singapore. Hong Kong. Shanghai, Australia, New Zealand, Honolulu, Canada, Mexico, America and the Middle East —to say nothing of many in Europe !and at home. But the place to which I should most love to return is Japan.

Women Perhaps till now I have been paying too much attention to the professionals, and certainly to the men, so let me pay a tribute to the women, who in their quiet way have gone on winning or retaining the Curtis Cup, and in particular to one of them, Mrs Frances Smith, who used to be Miss Frances Stephens. In 1956, at Prince’s, she came up the eighteenth hole all square with Miss Polly Riley, with the whole match depending on it. I forget which hole it actually is, as they were playing a selected 18 out of the 27. At any rate, she drove up the middle, hit the most beautiful iron to the heart of the green and won the match. Last year they played at Brfie Burn, Massachusetts. Shortly before, she had suffered a shattering -

domestic upset in the loss of her husband In a flying accident She turned out again at the last moment, and here she is, once more, coming up the last hole with Miss Riley, one up this time, in the last match of the day, needing a win to retain the cup—which neither amateur nor pros had ever done in America. Another drive right up the middle; a full shot with.a 3 iron, uphill to the terraced green, which nearly hit the stick—and another win for Britain. The best finisher I ever saw Selections Perhaps I may conclude with some other “bests." The best golf course, for ipstance. Beyond compare, in my opinion, with any in the world, is the Old Course at St. Andrews —but, like any other great work of art, in music, painting, sculpture, writing or the rest, why expect to appreciate it fully at first acquaintance. The best inland course—with the same proviso—Mildenhall. The best winter course. Rye. The best single hole, the fourteenth at Kt. Andrews from the championship tee. f The best striker of the ball, Cotton in the thirties. The best putter, Locke—by miles. The best individual performance—well, perhaps Harry Bradshaw at 15 stone and 7300 feet, winning the Canada Cup in Mexico City. And the best job in life? Thatwhich takes you to all these lovely places in the company of all these pleasant people. (Concluded)