REVIEW OF GOLF

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 32, 1 November 1932, Page 14

REVIEW OF GOLF

Eve of New Zealand Championships MANY CHALLENGERS (By “Niblick.”) Signs have not been wanting that the standard of golf in the Dominion is steadily improving, and this should be reflected at the New Zealand championship meeting, which is to open on the Heretaunga links on Thursday next, and will extend over nine days. Wellington is fortunate in that golfers and followers of the game will be privileged to watch the leading players of the Dominion in action daily for over a week. For those who have eyes to see, much can. be learned from closely observing the style of front-rank players, and when the cheering and shouting has died away, there should follow an appreciable raising of local form.

•The Foursomes. The national tournament will open with the championship foursomes. The late Mr. 11. C. Kirk, while chairman of the New Zealand Golf Council, Always attached great value to foursomes, as they made for team work. Golf has been called an essentially selfish game, because every man plays for his own hand, but in foursome play one has to study one’s partner. The holders of the professional championship are A. J. Shaw and J. Watt, and they make an ideal team, as Shaw is a mighty driver, and Watt a master of the mashie. However, they will have to be at their best to retain the title, with strong pairs like R. C. Butters and J. Mclntosh, B. J. Smith and G. W. Ritchie, E. J. Moss and F. Rutter, J. A. Clements and B. S. Douglas,. A. H. Dyke and N. Fuller, J. W. Ross and L. G. Ross, T. S. Galloway and G. Lambie, and G. Watt and J. R. Galloway in the field. The brothers, Jack and Harold Blaek, are the champion foursome pair of the Dominion. Both are in form at present, as was shown when they fought out the final, for the : Win ter .Cup. on the Hutt links on Saturday. Tn the first qualifying round, Jack Black recorded a brilliant 70, while Harold was only two strokes behind him.

They will have to meet strong opposition in T. H. Horton and J. P. ’ Hornabrook (Masterton). R. Wagg (Hutt) and. D. 0. Whyte (Wellington), Arthur Duncan (Wellington) and Dr. K. Ross Otago), I. Saunders (Wanganui) and A. E. Ekstedt (Manawatu), B. M. Silk (Wanganui) and J. S. Pym (Titahi), D. 0. Collins and A. 11. Warren (Wairarapa). J. Goss and W. B. Reilly (Wanganui), J. L. Petley and J. H. Drake (Miramar), T. R. McGregor and W; K. Cook (Hutt), and A. G. Sime (Westport) and B. V. Wright (Otago). This is a. great field, and it is certain that the winning pair will have to get full length with their woods, and make few mistakes round about the greens. The Open Championship. Much interest centres in the open championship this year. This searching test of four rounds of medal’play decides the outstanding golfer of the Dominion for the year. A. J. Shaw has won this distinction for the past three years, and many people consider that he is in a class by himself. Shaw has now won the blue riband of golf in the Dominion four times, but this only equals E. S. Douglas’s record, and Douglas will be on hand this week to contest the title. Arthur Duncan has won the title three times, the first occasion being in 1907, the year the competition was inaugurated. The Wellington veteran is a competitor this year, as he has been almost every year since 1907, and he is such a great player that his name may be inscribed once more on the Brodie Breeze challenge cup.

Another veteran who has won the open three times is J. A. Clements, and he, too, is having another tilt for highest honours. He took the title in 1908, 1909, and 1912.

A man who has always to be respected is E. J. Moss, of Auckland, and everyone will be pleased to see this finished player once again having a tilt at the national meeting. Moss won the open in 1924, and again in 1926. That he is among the very best of New Zealand players he proved by carrying off the professional championship three years in succession—in 1923, 1924, and 1925. This may be J. 'Mclntosh's year. He has been knocking at the door for some time past, and annexed the professional title in 1926 and 1927. . Still, New Zealand is fortunate in haring a number of professionals who can not only teach the game, but can demonstrate how it should be played, and it only requires one of them to strike top form to see a new name on the cup this year. There are a number of young professionals pressing forward, such as F. Rutter, N. H. Fuller, A. H. Dyke, ami GI Watt, who will have covetous eyes on supreme golfing honours. What of the Amateurs? It is a peculiar fact that only three amateurs have succeeded in winning the open championship of the Dominion. Arthur Dunean won in 1907, 1910. and 1911; E.. M. Macfarlane (Christchurch) carried off the honour in 1925 ; and Slon'n Morpeth in 1925. Why should not one of the strong contingent of amateurs dispute supremacy with .the professionals this week? Jack Black only failed by a stroke to take the open at Wanganui in 1923. and Dr. Ross had a glorious chance at Miramar in 1926. .

With sterling players like Rana Wagg, T. H. Horton, Harold and Jack Black, B. M. Silk, J. P. Hornabrook, Dr. K. Ross, B. V. Wright. D. C. Collins, A. E. Ekstedt, J. Goss, A. G. Sime, D. O. Whyte, Basil Smith, A. D. S. Dunean, J. L. Petley, W. B. Reilly, -T. P. Mortland, J. H. Drake, and W. O’Callaghan, there should emerge good enough figures tq challenge the professionals’ right to golfing royalty. Amateur King. There was a time when one could count the possible winners of the New Zealand amateur championship on the fingers of one hand. That- day has long gone by. The game has developed to such an extent, and the standard has so improved, that it. would be a bold man who would hazard to name the amateur who will emerge with the title for 1932.

.The open championship tournaments which have recently been decided proved that A. Ekstedt, of Palmerston North, is still supreme in the Manawatu, and defies any intruder to take his title from him.

W. O’Callaghan, of Hawera, rose to great heights at Wanganui recently, and carved his way through to the open championship in great style, his victims including H. D. Brinsden, of Auckland, who had previously accounted for B. M. Silk. The Hutt club's Winter Cup tournament last week served to show that Harold Black is playing as well as he did when he took the New Zealand amateur championship at Palmerston North by defeating his brother, Jaek Black, in the final. Many people thought Harold was lueky to defeat Jack on that occasion, but he repeated the performance on Saturday when he took the Winter Cup by beating Jack by 3 and 2 in the final. A. G. Sime, of Westport, was in good form early in the Winter Cup tournament. He defeated W. G. Fisher (Hutt) by 9 up and 8 to play in the second round. Sime went out in 38. and won every hole on the out journey. It is not often such a thing occurs in an open tournament, but Sime played great golf in the strong northerly wind, in which he controlled the ball admirably. Sime does not get much golf in Westport, and he appeared to be very tired when he met J. Black in the semi-final on Saturday morning, Sime was made to suffer a little of what he had meted out to Fisher the previous day, as Black outclassed him by 9 and 6. It does not matter greatly who carries off the honours, so long as golf worthy of Colonel Bogey is played. Let usl hope that sunny skies will prevail, and that both professionals and amateurs will establish new records. It -will indeed be a great achievement if A. J. Shaw's record of 67 for the best round in the open is bettered.