A Great Golfer: Another Scalp For Gene Sarazen

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 300, 15 September 1936, Page 14

A Great Golfer: Another Scalp For Gene Sarazen

(By

NIBLICK.)

VVHAT.a really, great golfer Gene Sara* ’ ’ zen is, he proved at Adelaide on Saturday, when he walked away with the 72holes Centenary open championship with the brilliant aggregate of 283, ten dear strokes ahead of the runner-up. G. Von Nida. Sarazen, without question, is as great a player as there is in the game to-day. He first burst into prominence by winning the American .open at Glencoe with an aggregate of 288. Ten years later he proved himself the greatest golfer in the world by carrying off both the British and the American open in the same year —1932. At Flushing, Long Island, in 'taking the open title in 1932, he did rounds of 74, 76, 70, and 66. In taking the British open that year, he had an aggregate of 283. which has never been bettered in the long series of contests, which date back to 1892. when the competition Was extended to 72 holes. .■ Henry Cotton, in 1934, and Alfred Perry, in 1935, equalled Sarazen’s aggregate of 283 in taking the British open, but no player has eyer beaten these figures. In taking the Centenary open at Adelaide, Sarazen again did 283, which equaL 'led the Australian best score for 72 holes on a championship course. His rounds were 74, 70, 68, and 71, par for the course being 73. This is only one stroke more than Tony Manero took in winning the American open this year, and points to the fact that Sarazen may yet annex another American or British open before he lays aside his dubs. It is safe to say that we never saw Sarazen at anything like his best when in New Zealand a few weeks ago. This can not be wondered at when it is re-, membered that he and Miss Hicks motored from Auckland to Timaru in the short space of a week, giving almost daily exhibitions. To give an example, Sarazen and Miss Hicks played Jack Black and Bryan Silk on the Hutt ,links on a Saturday afternoon, proceeded to Lyttelton by steamer that night, motored through to Timaru on Sunday morning, and played an exhibition match there on the Sunday afternoon. Such rush tactics are scarcely conducive to record scoring. A Promising Youngster. Norman Von Nida, who was runner-up to Gene Sarazen in the Centenary open St Adelaide, is a golfer for whom the American predicts a bright future. In a £5O challenge match the young Queensland open champion finished 2 up on Sarazen at Eagle Farm, Sydney, on August 29. While this was Von Nida’s most sensational win to date, and a great feat, neither he nor any of his ardent admirers need permit themselves to be carried away by it (states an Australian scribe). Although Sarazen is one of the greatest golfers of all time, even he is not unbeatable on occasions. It might be added that Sarazen was mighty decent to accept the challenge, and give the talented young Queenslander a chance of showing his skill. Sarazen lost because of uncertainty on the greens. He lost four holes, beginning with the Bth. Sarazen then played four holes in one under par and wox three. Going for a “birdie” and a win to square the match,. Sarazen was bunkered, and lost the last. A Man From Troon. If anyone had asked me a month ago “Who is going to be the 1936 champion of Hawke’s Bay?” I would have promptly answered, “Russell Hobbs.” But one never knows, does one? The Hawke’s Bay amateur champion this year is a man who is a complete stranger .to New Zealand courses. He is H. J. Longstaffe, an Englishman holidaying in the Dominion, and he learnt his golf at Troon, that famous Scots nursery of the game. That he is a brilliant player he proved by defeating A. E. Kawhe in the final by as wide a margin as 8 up and 7 to go. He turned on a brilliant round of 71 in the final last week, which proven too much for Kawhe. Let us hope this English visitor will remain with us long enough to have a tilt for the New Zealand golfing honours at New Plymouth next month. His presence would. add interest to the amateur championship.

Finding the Champions. - Clubs in and around Wellington just now are busily engaged in finding the championships for the 1936 season. The final for the Waiwetu championship was played over 36 holes on Sunday. and as predicted in this column, resulted in a victory for J. B. Wallace, who outplayed N.’J. Sherwood to'the tune of B, up and 7 to, go. Though a 'blustering wind swept the links, and heavy rain fell in the afternoon,. Wallace covered the course in 77 and 75, which was good shooting under such adverse conditions. The champion’s short game was very sound. Sherwood is to be congratulated upon getting through to the final. This sue cess will spur him on tq further efforts. The Hutt Title. Bryan Silk got through to the final of the Hutt club championship -on Sunday by defeating Colin Armstrong by 2 and 1. Though the conditions were atrocious, Silk, who is rapidly regaining his best form, covered the course in 77. In another' game for the championship, Jack Pym apd Guy Horne had a stubborn tussle, which went to the twenty-first green before Pym proved victorious. Pym is an ex-Sydney player, and occupied No. 1 position for the Titahi club for a couple of seasons after arriving in the Dominion. He was deposed from the championship of the Titahi club by the rise of Max Moore, who. as a colt, played better golf . than he is producing to-day. Pym is a finished player, and • one of the most popular players in the game in Wellington. At Paekakarikj R. E. Kember, A. J. Craighead. K. G. TWiss and A. I. Murray came safely' through the first round of the championship on Saturday. Murray is playing very steadily this season, particularly round about and on- the greens. Shandon endeavoured to play a 36holes qualifying round for their championship on Sunday, but the elements had a word to say. After 18 holes had been played, rain came down in torrents, and the second round had to be postponed until Saturday next. , , W. G. Davidge,- who has come' back to'.form this year, headed the first round with a brilliant 71 on Sunday morning. He looks like the 1936 title-holder. Miramar Goes Abroad. It was unfortunate that the weather proved so churlish for the Miramar Club’s annual invasion of the Wairarapa last week-end. The weather was perfect at Rototawai on Saturday, when Miramar defeated Wairarapa at fourballs by seven games to one. J. R. Smith and V. E. Sutherland (Miramar) had a hard fight against D. C. Collins and W. H. Rowles in No. 1 position, victory only going to the Miramar pair by the narrowest possible margin. Masterton has long been renowned as a golfing stronghold, and the Miramar force met with a severe reverse when they arrived at Lansdowne on Sunday. Though T. H. Horton and A. D. 8. Duncan did not turn out for Masterton, the local players swept the board in the foursome in the morning, Masterton winning by ten games to nil, with two ■ games halved. Budd and Henderson (Masterton) finished all square with Harold Black and 1 J. R, Smith in No. 1 position, but C. 1 Pareloe and A. Marsden were the only other Miramar pair to avoid defeat. Heavy rain washed the singles out in the afternoon. A few games were finished before the deluge set in, and of these Harold Black (Miramar) had to , go his best to finish all square with H > S. Budd, the one-time Hawke’s Bay player, who is a sound performer with all clubs. A Hole in One. Mrs. C. R. Hornibrook, of the .Miramar Club, is.among the latest to join the hole-in-one club. She holed her tee shot at “Potiki” (106 yards) on August 25, and paid the penalty at the clubhouse on Tuesday of last week.