BRITISH-AMERICAN

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 73, 30 March 1929, Page 19

BRITISH-AMERICAN

COTTON AND COMPSTON

RYDER CUP MATCH

(Written for the "Evening Post" by

Donald Grant.)

In spite of the overwhelming defeat oil eight British amateurs by.eight Americans in the Walker Cup match of August last, British golfers have been greatly heartened during the past seven or eight months by the play of one or two compatriots in America. The rivalry in the field of golf is as keen as ever between the two nations. The British golfers to whom I refer are T. P. Perkins, Archie Coinpston, and Harry Cotton. These throe, by their play in important golfing events in America, have done much to restore something of the prestige which had been taken from British golf. Spread over the past seven months or so their doings have kept alive the international rivalry which will find its fullest expression in the forthcoming match at Leeds for the Eydcr Cup in April.

BRITISH-AMERICAN RIVALRY.

Phil Perkins, the only amateur among the three, achieved his greatest capful of fame by defeating in succession four leading American amateurs in the American National Championship last September. Tho four Americans ousted by Perkins were Don Moe (hailed as a second Bobby Jones), Arthur Yates, Johnny Dawson, and George Voigt. In all these matches Perkins had to fight hard, and his rounds were every time close to par. Against Don Hoe's brilliance ho had to go to the twenty-second hole. These four victories took Perkins into tho final, where he met Bobby Jones. Not for seventeen years had a British player gone so far in the American amateur championship. ■

Archio Compston had delivered a characteristic blow in April a year ago, when he overwhelmed Walter Hagen in a 72-holcs match by 18 up and 17 to play. Hagen was certainly out of practice; but Compston, in that match, played a succession of brilliant rounds which would have beaten anybody. While Perkins was still in the States, last Soptember, Compston was in the midst of his tour there along with Aubrey Boomer. The latter performed well, and was in the prize-list of several open tournaments, but Compston did better still. Somewhat earlier in the year Compston had finished third in the British and second in the Irish open. In the American open ho was ten strokes behind the leader, in the Mid-American open he went up to second place with an aggregate of 292. Then camo tho Eastern Open, which Compston won with 287, and the Can^ adian Open, in which he was runnerup, equal with Walter Hagen and Mac Smith at 284. These are only the more important successes achieved by Compston in America. In exhibition and challenge matches, partnered by Boomer, his record is also good. All of which goes to support the thesis that this leading British player can hold his own among tho best of America's tournament professional golfers.

T. H. COTTON IN U.S.A.

T. H. Cotton's expedition to America is a more recent aifair. I suppose he is probably on his way back to Britain as this article is being read. Cotton, an English public school boy, chose golf as his career rather than one of the "professions." He made his name at tho age of twenty, when ho kept close to Bobby Jones in tho Open Championship of 1927, at St. Andrew's. More creditable still, he has kept himself in the front rank of British professional golf ever since. Now, at twenty-two, he is just concluding a three months' playing tour in America, during which he will have played in about twenty important open, tournaments. His first tournament in U.S.A. was at Sacramento, last December. Tommy Armour won it, and Johnny Golden was second. Harry Cotton was third. No doubt that good, start was encouraging to him, as it was to those who followed his progress. In succeeding tournaments ho found himself occasionally in the prize-list. One of. his

best performances was at Hot Springs, Arkansas, at the end of January, when in a' pro-amateur event, ho returned a GO, throe strokes hotter than any other competitor. This round ho called "the best I have played since coming- to America.'' In the Texas Opsu again lib' did well. At ■ the ond of the second round his two moderate rounds of 76 and 75 left him in thirty-third place, mid-way in the championship. He followed that, however, by a 70 and a. 71 on the final day—a great day's golf, which enabled him to share thirteenth place with T. D. Armour, whose aggregate was also 292. Cotton's latest exploit worth recording was at Ponsacol;l, Florida. In tho pro-amateur event there he and his partner —Johnny Dawson, of Chicago, who was beaten by l'hil. PorJcius in the third round of the American Amatour Championship—scored a 66, and were second in the competition. Joe Kirkwood and partner won this event with a 65. Ed. Dudley and Gene Sarazen, Eyder Cup players, were (with the help of thoir partners, no doubt) 67 each". Thero followed the Pensacola Open Tournament, a 72-holes event. Horton Smith, the youngest member of the American Eyder Cup team, outdistanced all the other competitors there and won easily with 274. Bill Mehlhorn was second with 279, Gene' Sarazen third with 282, and Harry Cotton fourth with 283. It is interesting to notice that Bobby Cruickshank, Tommy Armour, and A. E. Espinosa tied at 284, one stroke behind Cotton. Only three others were under 290, namely, Densmore Shutc, Ed. Dudley, and Willie Burke. To my mind that is one of Harry Cotton's best achievements. Taken as' a whole, his record during the past three months in competition with tho most famous, professionals in America justifies the high expectations hold by many of his friends and supporters regarding his future as a golfer; it also shows that Cotton, even now, can hold his own with the best professionals in tho world. Tho climax of Cotton's golfing experience this - year will come when he meets an American opponent in the Ryder Cup match in April at Leeds. Following the Eyder Cup match is the British Open at Muirfiold.

RYDER CUP MATCH.

More- discussion, more comment, more surmises than ever before have been nvoked throughout the British and the' American golfing and golf-reading world by the forthcoming match between eight British and eight American professionals at Leeds in April for the Ryder Cup. Six months ago tho American team was nominated, and their British opponents somewhat later. Ten Americans will invade Britain for the occasion, but only eight will finally bo chosen. Walter Hagen, captain of the American team, will decide which two will stand down. For the British ten nominees who will assemble at Leeds, George Duncan, their captain, will exercise the same selective privilege as Hagen for the Americans. There will bo four foursomes matches on 26th April, and eight singles on the 27th, making twelve matches in all. ;; .

A good deal of the recent discussion of the event in British newspapers was concerned with the possible occupants of the. first three places in the British team. Most critics agree in putting C. A. Whitcombe there. His record in 1928, and the fact that he is profes-

sional champion of Britain, support their contention. Whiteombe halved his match with Sarazcu in tho Eyder Cap encounter two years ago in the United States. If he plays first man he T?i£ probably encounter the American open champion, Johnny Farrell. Les Diegel, American professional champion, in Wv pected to play second for America, and there are many opinions as to which Britisher will contend against him. Abo Mitchell and Archie Compston get the largest number of votes, while Duncan himself is also a possibility. Popular opinion, however, would like well to sec Duncan meet Hagen, and no Britisli player is so likely as Duncan to work up the inspiration necessary to achievo a victory over Hagen. That would be a classic match. BRITISH PROSPECTS. About the prospects of tha British team both Duncan and Compston, who know the American players as well as their own, seem to be thoroughly optimistic. While admitting that the American team is composed of "a bunch of crackerjaeks," Compston has said that the British team should "just about win." Duncan has expressed himself in similar terms. He is reported to have said that if No. 1 and No. 2 in. the British team play as well as th^y can play our team should win.

The American team will sail early in April for Britain. They will put in several days of practice, on the Moortown course at Leeds, before the match itself- takes place. In order to defray all the expenses of the American team, £2500 has already been provided. To supply the British team in the same way. and also to meet tho expenses of the 1931 Eyder Cup team which will visit tho United States, an effort ia being made in Britain to raise a special fund of £4000.

After the Eyder Cup match, the members of the two teams will travel to MuMeld, Edinburgh, in order to prepare for the open championship. Besides the Eyder Cup players from America, thero will be a number- of other leading professionals in Walter Hagen 's travelling party. They aim at a round trip which will include the open championships of Britain, of Germany, and of Francs, besides other tournaments.