GOLF

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 284, 29 August 1939, Page 14

GOLF

: Important Year For New Zealand j | PROMINENT PLAYERS COMING Resumption Of Matches With Australia

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The present year will be the most important ever experienced by New ZeaApart 'from Bobby Locke, the famous South African, who is coming back to defend his title as open champion ot the Dominion, which ho won at Dunedin last rear, Norman 1 on Nida, Charlie Connors, and Other noted Australian professional players, will come, over for the centennial open tournaments in Auckland. Christchurch and Wellington which the New Zealand Golf Association has arranged, and the open tourney which the Wanganui Golf Club will stage. In addition to this invasion by oversea professionals, a large contingent of Australian amateur players will visit the Dominion in October, and remain for the New Zealand championships, 'rhe Golf Council of Australia has at last agreed to the resumption of matches between Australian and New Zealand amateur teams, and a All-Australian team of four players. with a manager, will come over to contest the match for the Pacific Cup. which will bo played in November about the time of the New Zealand championships.

Anonymous Donor. The Pacific Cup. which will take the place of the Kirk-Windcyer Cup, which was never popular in Australia, lias been presented by an anonymous New Zealand donor.

Who this good friend may be is a matter of conjecture, but it is no secret that the man responsible for the resumption of marches between Australia and New Zealand is Sir Alexander Roberts, president of the council of the New Zealand Golf Association, who recently paid a visit to the Commonwealth, and smoothed out the misunderstandings which had resulted in these important international matches being dropped. New Zealanders Must Prepare.

The presence of such players as BobbyLocke, Von Nida, Connors and Cremin will test the Dominion professionals to the limit, and Andy Shaw. Basil Smith, Alex Murray, Alf Guy, Ted Douglas, Jock Galloway, and Norman Fuller will have to get down to intensive practice to prove that New Zealand possesses professional players fit to hold their own with the world’s best. That New Zealanders are not. so very far behind was evidenced at Dunedin last year when Basil Smith and Shaw were only three strokes behind Locke's aggregate of 288 for the New Zealand open. Locke found the .historic St. Andrew’s links this year a bit harder than Balmacewan, as he took 296 strokes in the British open, six strokes more than the winner, D. Burton, the Englishman, but even then the South African was two strokes under Henry Cotton.

Ferrier Must Come. But the man New Zealanders will be most anxious to see this year will be Jim Ferrier, Australia’s outstanding golfer, who won the Australian open championship at Melbourne last week for the second year in succession. Last year Ferrier carried off both the Australian open and amateur championships, and if he performs this great feat again this year he will have established a record which should stand for many years.

Ferrier is a great golfer, as he has won the Australian open twice, and the amateur championship three times, and a few years ago was only beaten in the final for the British amateur championship by Jock Thomson, the Scot, who landed a magnificent second shot a few inches from the pin on the home green to take the title 'by the narrowest possible margin. Ferrier annexed the Queensland open amateur title in 1931, 1934. and 1937. aud the Queensland open championship in 1934 and 1938. He has also won the New South Wales open amateur title in 1931, 1934 and 1937, aud the New South Wales close title in 1933, 1935, 1936, 1937 and 1938.

Confidence Didn't Succeed. Even the supreme confidence of Norman Von Nida did not enable him to beat Ferrier for the Australian open last week.

Before (be open Von Nida was optimistic regarding his chances. “My putter is working again,” he said, “and that convinces me that the event is almost as good as over with ine as the winner.” Discussing Jim Ferrier’s chances, Von Nida said: “Ferrier is the only one likely to get ‘hot’ and burn up the course. If he does he might prove the winner.” Von Nida put up a great fight, as he and Martin Smith were only two strokes behind Ferrier.

Spur to Amateurs. The success of Ferrier, who is only 24 years of age, should spur New Zealand amateurs to scale the heights as he has done. In the history of New Zealand golt the open championship has only been won six times by amateurs, and three of these victories were claimed by_ Arthur Duncan, whose years were 1907, 1910 and 1911. E. M. Macfarlane (Christchurch) took the honour in 1925; Sloan Morpeth, now secretary of the Royal Melbourne Golf Chib, was successful in 1928; and. J. P. Hornabrook (then of Manawatu) won the championship in 1937, after a play-off with the professionals A. J. Shaw (Wellington) and E. J. Moss (Auckland). This was the year that Alex. Murray (Auckland) returned the best figures, but was disqualified for taking a practice putt on a green in the fourth round. What a triumph it would be if a New Zealand amateur could win the Dominion open title this year against noted professionals like Locke, Von Nida, Connors, Cremin, Shaw, Murray, Fuller and Guy, and such a world-famous amateur as Jim Ferrier. That New Zealand has youthiuJ ('layers who are knocking at the door was proved at Dunedin last year when A. Gibbs (Otago) returned 292 in the open, only four strokes behind Locke, and one slroke 'behind the professionals, Andy Shaw and Basil Smith. Tan Ewen (Hutt) was only one stroke further back, with 293, including a glorious 68 in the second round, which won for him the Earl Jellieoc Cup for the best round in the open.

A .Coming Cliampion. The strong entry fur the Rotorua open amateur championship last week, which resulted in R. IL Glading, the young Hamilton player, going right through the tournament to take the title by defeating M. D. Carr (Rotorua) 6 and 4 in the final on Friday, only goes to prove that Glading is a coming national ebainpion. Among tin- entrants were Pax Smith l New Zealand nmatcur eliampion). David Graham, Wellington (North Island cliampioil). H. D. Brins-deii (Titiraugi). E. S. Toogood ami C. H. Wells (Gisborne). H. P. Dale (Te Aroha). and F. C. Hutchison t Wanganui). Pax Smith was put out through slicing his shot off the last tee into the pines, and David Graham, who could only do two 78’s in the qualifying rounds, was also eliminated early.

Glading proved bis worth at Djinedin last year by recording rounds of 79. 72, 74, and 73 in the open, and then pulling out A. R. Kitto f Wanganui l by 2 and 1 in the first round of the amateur cliiimjiionsliip, aud accounting for J. A. Scouler (Otago) in the second round by 3 and 1. lie then ran into W. B. Reilly 1 Shandon) in the third round, ami was beaten 3 and

Tin's is tlic second open title (Hading has wn (hi.- season, anil ho is’un(|iiestion ably a lirst-class player. After the build of I loriiabrook. be is ti stylist, and should go far in the game. Players who proved their worth al

Rotorua were 31. D. Carr ( Rotorua), who contested the final: C. H. Wells (Gib'Lorne), who reached the semifinals; and J. E. Stedman (Maungakiekie), who 'yas also a semilinalist. The qualifying rounds saw '' ells ami Brinsden head the list. the. former doing 75 and 72. and the latter 76 and 71. Not So Easy. Rotorua is probably the most popular course in the Dominion. Many New Zealanders make an annual pilgrimage to the Arikapakapa links to enjoy a spell of golf under ideal conditions. Perhaps because the links are always in such good order, ami there are .several one-shot holes, many people have gained the mistaken idea that Rotorua is an easy course, to score on. That this is by no means the case was proved by the fact that 79 was never broken in the qualifying rounds for the open last week. F. C. I Inteliisoii (Wanganui) did a 71 in Ihe first round, and Brinsden equalled these figures in the second round. Only three 72’s were returned. Self-Taught Golfer. Hamilton Mc.lmilly defeated Heeto:Thomson by 6 and 5 in the 36 holes final oi" the Scottish amateur golf championship at. Old Prestwick to gain liis second Scottish title in three years. When MeJ.nally won the title nt Burassie two years ago he was an unknown, and had taken a week’s holiday from his work as a coal miner. He is now employed as a loader in an Ayrshire explosives factory. Melnally. who is 28 years of age, lias never had a golf lesson 411 his life, and learned the game by knocking golt balls iibout. on football pitelies near his home at. the Ayrshire village of I’artenludine. Though not a slylisl he is a nariirnl golfer, and I lie only theory he holds on the game is Io go up aud hil Ihe ball as ha rd as he can. By winning the title twice lie has proved his first win was no tluke and 011 July 29. slates Ihe “Sunday Times,” Im decisively beat one of the foremost, amateur golfers in tne gaum. it was a ease of puncher versus swinger Thomson being regarded as having the most perfect swing of any amateur—and the punehei- won. Melnally played superb golf, his iron (day and short game being the features of his success. Thomson, who won the title in 1935. and was amateur champion in 1936, failed to produce bis best golf, and was always struggling against :i wry coillid-' >H. opponent who wash'd no time on frills. The winner was "Illy I wo 01 el- lour for the .’IJ holes of the match, which represented great golf for :i I'li.'impioiiship