Big Things in Golf: Pam Barton and Jim Ferrier

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 204, 26 May 1936, Page 14

Big Things in Golf: Pam Barton and Jim Ferrier

(By

NIBLICK.)

GOLFERS tbrougliouC the Dominion j were delighted last, week when the news came through that Miss Pamela Barton bad won the British womens open golf championship, after having been runner-up for Hie title iu 1934 and , again in 1935. This wonderful .•lehievciucnt stamps Hie Royal mid-Surrey girl as one of the greatest women golfers in the world to-day. It is no mean feat to qualify for the right to take part in the British womens championship, as the entry comprises the cream of players from Europe, America, and other countries. z\fter qualifying a player has to meet a champion in every round until she reaches the final. sct this is wli.'it this wonderful English girl player did in 193-1, when she was just over 16 years of age,, and she repeated the performance in 1935. When Mrs. Holm, Hie Scots player, defeated Miss Barton in the final, she said: “Pam played like a champion : it will not be long before she wins the title.” ' Mrs. Holm proved herself a good prophet, as, after reaching the final in 1930, Miss Barton took the title last week by defeating Miss Bridgett Newell by 7 and 5 in the final. A Prodigious Driver. New Zealanders were privileged last year to see this wonderful English girl player in action when she toured the Dominion with the British women’s team, and everyone was amazed at the phenomenal length of her driving. Unfortunately, she was off her game when, she reached the Dominion, and was slicing her wooden shots into the next county. On the day the British team arrived in New Zealand, Mrs. J. B. Walker and Miss Barton played fifteen holes against Bryan Silk, the then New Zealand amateur champion, and Arthur Duncan, on the Miramar links. Driving off the mens tee. Miss Barton was pin high with her second shot at the first hole, the length she got making the gallery gasp. At the fifth bole, the Surrey lass sliced her drive up the hillside, played her second out of the tiger country piu high above the green, and then nonchalantly chipped her ball downhill into the cup for a birdie 3. No doubt this was Hie brand of fireworks she turned on last week to make herself supreme woman golfer of Great Britain. < Let us hope it will -not be many years before a British women’s team again visits these shores, and that Miss Pamela Barton will he with them. Those British women did more to raise the standard of golf in this country than anything which had previously happened. Every golfer in New Zealand would delight to again welcome Mrs. Walker, Mrs. Greenlees. Miss Jessie Anderson (New Zealand champion). Miss Phyllis Wade, and particularly Miss Pamela Barton, at the top of her form. The Silver Tassie. Another cause for rejoicing by golfers on both sides of the Tasman was Jim Ferrier’s success in carrying off the Silver Tawiie tournament at Gleneagles on Saturday from R field which, the cables told us. has been unequalled for years for size and class. The young Sydney giant produced hi s best Australian form to win the tournament with rounds of 72 and 68, his aggregate of 140 being the lowest with which the Silver Tassie has ever Iwen won. So impressively did the Sydney youth jierform, that the cables stated: “Ferrier is regarded as one of the likely winners of the open championship.” Golfers beneath the light of the Southern Cross will hope that the blue riband of golf in the world will fall this year to the young Sydney player, who

has had the courage to make the great pilgrimage. How it would stimulate interest iu this country if . Alex. Murray, J. P Hornabrook, and Andy Shaw, were in England just now. Ferrier owes much of his success to Gene Sarazen, the famous American Professional. When the British team visited Australia, Jack McLean, the Scots’ champion, beat Ferrier every time he met him. Then Sarazen happened along, aud took the Sydney colt iu baud. This year Ferrier was a different player. He started to break 70, and kept ou doing it. He did it again at Gleneagles on Saturday, and let us hope he will do it once or twice in the four rounds of the British open next month. Two Great Rounds. It, is pleasing to see that A. .1. Shaw, r.x-open and professional champion of New Zealand, and who. until dethroned from both titles by Alex. Murray, of .Auckland, at. Shirley in October last, was the Dominion's outstanding player for so many years, has struck form early this season. He scarcely made a mistake on the Waiwetu links on Sunday, when he covered the course in 69 in the morning, and broke the course record in the afternoon with a 68. Now, Waiwetu is not an easy course to score on, as the fairways are I narrow, and there are numerous artificial bunkers waiting to trap the unwary. If Shaw can keep up this standard, Alex. Murray will have to look to his laurels at New Plymouth in October next. Shandon’s Success. Shandon’s performance in defeating Waiwetu by 8J games to 3J in the Watt Cup match on the Shandon links on Saturday shows that they will be strong contenders for the cup this season. Reg. Hayward, the Shandon champion, did wonderful work with his mashie niblick in defeating R. G. Holland, the Waiwetu champion, by 3 and 2. Though Holland usually outdrove his opponent, Hayward invariably pitched his ball to within a few feet of the cup, and usually ran down the putt. The Shandon No. 1 was very sound in his approach putting, while Holland was at sea on the. greens. The fact that he had scalded his right hand with steam while nt work last week, no doubt handicapped him. W. J. Davidge scored a good win over Alee. Clelland. The Scot was 4_up at the seventh, but Davidge did a brilliant home journey of 34, to take the match by 3 and A player who shows signs of climbing the golfing ladder is E. J. Kretschmar. Shandon’s No. S player. He rose to great heights on Saturday, when he went out in 34. No wonder E. C. Swinson was S down, and had to submit to defeat by 9 aud 7. When Kretschmar steadies down, and plays as he showed he can. play on Saturday, he will be among the elect. The Crawford Crescent. Some good golf should bo seen on the Heretaunga links on Saturday, when the Wellington nnd Hutt senior tennis will meet in a match for the Crawford Crescen t.

Tile -nmo betvoox the No. Ts. Bryan Silk (Hutt), and Ellis Toogood, should provide n great tussle, as Toogood is playing really good golf just now. Another young Wellington player who is in form is Miles Watson, who is back to the standard he revealed two years ago on' his return from England. When this player has his temnerainent hardened by experience he will beat more players than will beat him. The B teams will meet on the Hutt links.