New Era in Golf: Shooting In the 60’s

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 174, 20 April 1937, Page 14

New Era in Golf: Shooting In the 60’s

(By

NIBLICK.)

TT is plainly evident that the standard of golf in the Dominion is definitely improving. This is not at all surprising, considering the advantages New Zealand disciples of the game have enjoyed in recent years from the visits of such worldrenowned American professional players as Gene Sarazen, Walter Hagen, Joe Kirkwood, and Miss Helen Hicks. The visits of the British amateur men and women’s teams in 1935 also did much to show New Zealand .players that they had still some distance to go before they eould claim to be scratch players. True, Bryan Silk, the then amateur champion of the Dominion, rose to great heights in his match against Jack McLean at Heretaunga, in which he finished 'all-equare with the Scot, who, at that time, was regarded by many British critics as the best amateur player in the world.

Silk Himself Again. It is very pleasing to see that Bryan Silk has regained the form which made him amateur champion of the Dominion in 1934. In 1933, Silk astounded followers of the game in this country by recording several rounds under 70. He annexed several provincial titles, and everyone considered that he would be certain to win the New Zealand amateur championship at Titirangi that year. Strangely enough, the Wanganui lad, as he then was, went dead stale just before the championships were played, and performed very indifferently at Titirangi. The following year, however, he came into his own by winning the National amateur title at Whnganui. He was the outstanding amateur at the open tournament that year, and never looked in danger of defeat as he proceeded through the rounds to signally defeat J. P. Mortland, of Taihape, in the final. In 1935. Silk transferred from Wanganui to Wellington, and applied himself seriously to passing his final accountancy examinations. This did not permit him much time for extensive practice at golf, and he had to give way to that,brilliant young Masterfon player, J. P. Hornnbrook, who carried all before him that year. He defeated Silk in the Wellington provincial championships at Heretaunga, which he won, and then went on to annex the New Zealand amateur championship at Shirley. It only goes to show what an outstanding player Silk is when it is stated that he goLfhrough to the final in 1935, but found Hbrnabrook his master.

A Prophecy. In 1933 a leading New Zealand golfer remarked, “If Silk is once ’ beaten by Hornabrook, he will never win a match with Hornabrook again.” Was this strange prophecy true? Hornabrook, during the past, two, years, has been the outstanding amateur of the Dominion, while Silk showed disappointing form at the New Zealand championships at New Plymouth in October last.

A Dazzling 68. This season, however. Silk has come right back to his best form. He won the Wellington provincial championship at Miramar at Easter in convincing fashon, and followed this up by recording a brilliant 68 at Heretaunga on Saturday utternoon to defeat Morgan Duncan by 5 and 4 in the tussle between the No. I’s in the match between Hutt and Wellington.

Silk played masterly golf in this match. The only mistakes he made was to put his tee shot at the,short third into a bunker, and to push his drive off the eighth tee out among the poplars, the hole costing him 6.

Out, in even 4’s. Silk did a masterly home journey of 32. Keeping good direction off the tee, he showed sound judgment in the choice of his clubs for his iron shots, and his short work was marked by wonderful accuracy. His sound judgment was particularly noticeable at the twelfth. A long drive with the wind left him about 100 yards from the green. He took a No. 7 iron, and, with a perfect pitch, landed his ball five feet from the pin, to run down the putt for an eagle 3. We were all anxious to see Silk finish strongly at Heretaunga on Saturday afternoon, and he did not disappoint us. When he holed out on the seventeenth green, he wanted a 4 at the home hole for a 68. A perfect drive left him about 180 yards from the green. After surveying the situation for a moment, he hit a magnificent iron shot far and sure to the very centre of the green, and he would have got a 3 had not a truly-hit putt ran off a foot from the cup.

No golfer in the Dominion could produce better golf than Silk has played in Wellington this season, and, if he can maintain hs present form, even Johnnie Hornabrook may have to doff his cap to him at Hamilton in September.

Wellington’s Waterloo. It is many years since Wellington suffered such a severe defeat as was inflicted

by Hutt in the match between the A teams at Heretaunga on Saturday. Of the twelve matches, the best Wellington could do was to halve two games. Wellington has been weakened this year through G. T. Dawson leaving for Australia, and G. A. Mills being on his way to England. P. G. Whitcombe, who was in Auckland, was another player who was missed.

Hutt has a very strong side, and every man played up to his handicap on Saturday.

Victories for Hutt were scored by B. M. Silk, W. J. Daviflge, W. G. Fisher, J. S. Pym, F. Kember, G. P. Roberts, W. K. Cook, I. A. Ewen, R. Chandler and J. N. D. Macdonald. The only Wellington players to escape defeat were the brothers Watson. Miles Watson played No. 2 for Wellington, and did well to square his game with Guy Home. R. B. Watson occupied No. 10 place, and finished all square with Colin Armstrong. Wellington fielded a younger team than usual, S. G. Longuet, J. B. Graham and the Watson brothers being players who will mellow with experience. A Good Shot.

Hutt also promoted some colts in this match.- R. Chandler, who hails from Sydney, was taking part in his first major inter-club match, and he justified his promotion by defeating N. H. Smith by 2 up. Chandler possesses excellent temperament, and revealed this at the last hole. Dormy one, he hooked his drive into the rough off the eighth tee, leaving himself stymied by the chain of bunkers guarding the green ou the left. “I will have to play a good one here,” he remarked to “Niblick”; “come and watch me play a good shot.” The eolt shaped up to his ball, and, with a perfect swing and nice follow through, carried the bunkers about 'l9o'- yards away, and landed his ball five feet from the pin. This is the spirit that wins matches.

.Shandon’s Strength. Like Hutt, Shandon on Saturday proved that they have a very strong team this year by defeating Manor Park by eight games to two, with two games squared, in the Watt Cup contest, and outplaying Manor Park by seven games to three in the Ranish Cup match. Freddie Page, Manor Park’s youthful No. 1, once again proved what an able player he is by defeating W. R. Tustin, on his own links, by 2 and 1. Neither player was at his best, and were troubled by the strong southerly wind. Both made the sad mistake of pressing against the wind at the long sixth, and naturally both were penalised. The stronger the wind against you, the more care you should take to swing smoothly and give the club head time to come through, old golfers impress upon us. Tustin and Page both pressed for all they were worth off the sixth tee at Shandon on Saturday, with the result that Tustin won the bole in 6 to 7. Tustin failed to produce the fine form he had been showing recently. He skied his drive off the twelfth tec, nnd badly duffed his drive off the fifteenth tee. No doubt because they are sheltered in a sunny alpine valley, the Manor Park players never seem to do well away from home when conditions nre on the side. Manor Park rarely do well at Titahi when the stormy winds are raging. Similarly they were not at home in the strong southerly at Shandon on Saturday. * '

The only Manor Park players to record wins in the Watt Cup match were F. W. Page and T. Wagg, who heat W. R. Stuckey by 4 and 2. A. W. Cloutson finished all square with R. G. Hayward, and J. Ogilvie. Manor Park’s sole selector, also squared his game with E. J. Kretschmnr.

J. Logan, the Scot, made a first appearance in a Watt Cup match, and notched a win 'for Shandon by beating D. Butler to the tune of 5 and 3.

All Square. The first Mary Alward Cup match of the season on Saturday had a happy ending. The contest was played on the Manor Park links, and saw both Manor Park and Shandon each record five wins. Manor Park’s new No. 1, Miss McColl, played well to defeat Mrs. Mantell by 4 and 2. but Miss Hodgins (Shandon) evened matters by outplaying Miss Fairbrother by the same margin in the game between the No. 2’s.

Wins were also registered for Manor Park by Miss Davidson, Miss Jones, Miss Murtagh and Miss Hogg, while the other successful players for Shandon were Miss Robinson, Mrs. King, Mrs. Hipkins am) Miss Vallanee. What a pity all golf matches cannot end in this amicable fashion.