BIG FIELD OF GOLFERS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 228, 23 June 1936, Page 9

BIG FIELD OF GOLFERS

Qualifying Round For British Open COTTON BREAKS RECORD (Received June 23, 1.30 a.m.) London, June 22. An early start was essential in the British open golf championship owing to the necessity of getting over 250 entrants from all over the world to complete the first qualifying round today. It is being played on the two neighbouring courses of Hoylake and Wallesey. Competitors drawn to play in the earliest rounds appeared somewhat sleepy, as a great thunderstorm in the early hours of the morning prevented everyone enjoying a full night’s rest. Heavy Clouds and muggintws suggest more thunder before the long day’s golf is ended. Most of the British hopes and the chief American menace. Sarazen, are playing at Wallasey, which is shorter than but almost as difficult as Hoylake. Twenty-three scratchings include Sweeny, the American amateur, Rex Hartley and John de Forest, leaving 263 competitors. Ferrier went out in 40. Henry Cotton had a record round of 67. Ferrier started out in the middle of the morning at Wallasey, where, as at Hoylake, a series of thunderstorms prevented the balls running. Wallasey has been lengthened for the championship. New tees have been built among the sandhills and the walk from a green to the next tee is always over 100 yards. A. H. Padgham is a strong favourite for the championship. . Two qualifying rounds will be played at Hoylake and Wallasey for the first 100 places in the competition proper. The Hoylake course has been stretched to' 7100 yards, accompanied by a tightening up of some of the holes which, with the usually baffling wind, i$ regarded by some as too long and too stiff to be reasonable. Experts do not expect fantastically low scores. They consider that an average of fours for the 72 holes will be fine golf, but Padgham, while practising, had a round of 68.