BRITISH GOLF TITLE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 230, 26 June 1935, Page 9

BRITISH GOLF TITLE

Play in Open Championship Starts QUALIFYING ROUNDS By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright London, June 24. In the British open golf championship, which .opened to-day' at Edinburgh, Macdonald Smith (U.S.A.) leads in tlie first qualifying round with a score of 66, beating the Gullane course record. C. Sayner is next with 68, and other Gullane course scores include A. J. Lacey, I’. Alliss, and P. Mahon, 70; A. 11. I‘adgham. W. G. Oke, S. F. Brews, E. Kenyon. L. Hartley, W. 11. Davies. J. J. Bussoil, and R. Whitcombe, 71; W. 11. Ball (U.S.A.), 72; B. Ilodson. C. S. Denny, S. Easterbrook and J. Ezar (U.S.A.), 73: .1. 11. Busson, 74. On the Muirfield course R. Burton (Ilooton), 70, leads A. Lees and T. 11. Cotton, 71; J. Kirkwood (U.S.A.), 72; A. Coinpston, 73; E. A. Whitcombe, J. McLean, A. Boomer (France), and King, 74; A. Dailey, 75; W. Nolan, G. Gadd and E. W. Jarman, 76; A. Mitchell and Picard (U.S.A.), 77; Lawson Little (U.S.A.), 78; Herd, SO; E. R. Whitcombe and Garnett, 82.

Half the field played the qualifying rounds to-day at Gullane, and the remainder at Muirfield. The courses will be reversed to-morrow, after which the first hundred, and all those tying for the hundredth place, will participate in the competition proper, which will begin at Muirfield on Wednesday. The Gullane course measures 6600 yards and bogey is 74. Muirfield measures 6800 yards and bogey is 78. The American professional Macdonald Smith, who has knocked at the door of the British open for the past decade, had a most brilliant first qualifying round. His 66 was 10 under the scratch score. His driving and approach shots were so accurate that only once was he faced with fl long putt. He had only two fives and had one two and six threes, with the rest fours. He occasionally found the rough, but recovered superbly. Percy Alliss’s 70 was convincing, as it was attained despite several visits to the rough. Lawson Little drove a terrific distance, but nevertheless had to work hard to keep below 80. He runs some risk of not qualifying. Burton, who has leaped from obscurity to fame in n single season, is a purelj’ self-made Lancashire golfer. He began as a caddie and is now oue of the longest and most accurate hitters iu first-class golf. He had the best score on the actual championship. Cotton gave an impressive display and was only one stroke behind, along with Lees, the Yorkshire champion.