THE ENGLISH AMATEUR

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 129, 3 June 1933, Page 6

THE ENGLISH AMATEUR

HARTLEY'S UNLUCKY HOLE

One of the most exciting matches in the English amateur championship,'.when Erie' Fiddiltn, the holder, put out Kex Hartley, ended in a blazo of excitement at the twenty-first hole'after .a number of remarkable incidents. Both wore members of last year's Walker Clip team. At tho eighteenth, where the matcjh was all square, Hartley, after cutting his drive into Me rough, hit Ms .next shot up against a wiro fence guarding a sunken road, Near the ball was a. gateway which the referee permitted to be removed, and from this very awkward position Hartley played a miraculous shot over the wire, but a g»od way short of tho green. Meanwhile Fiddian, with an open shot to the green and tho lnatelt Vir* tually in his pocket, cut his iron shot away into a bunker on the right Of the green. This gavo Hartley new hdpe. Mo played a beautiful Tunning' shot to within sis feet of the flag, and holed the putt for a half in 5. This was a providential escape,' but an even more astonishing1 incident, and Oftd Which' Hartley will have'cause to i'eiitember for the rest of his days, occurred at tho twentieth. He had played a glorious second shot to within about fotir feet of the pin, while Fiddian. Was over the green. After Fiddlsii had played, his fourth shot, tho bail'stopping on the lip, the odds wore incaieuiablo that Hartley must win tho hole. He had two for it, but in some unaccountable way he knocked in FiddiSh's ball for a half in 4. There followed swift reti-ibuti&n, for at the next'hole Hartley hooked his drive into tho gorse, and watt never within sight of a half.It was a wonderful fight, first v one and then the other getting in a sli&.wd blow. Hartley, for example, squared the match With a 2 at the tenth, whore Fiddian kaddked Ilis opponent's bail milch nearer the hole. Fiddiah jjro^ft the green at tho fourteenth, a hole of 2SO yards, and won it in 3, but Hartley replied by holing a chip shot of twenty yards at the next for no. "eagle"!!. And so the match, a, desperate business iii all conscience, went on to its amazing, climax. Hartley had previously had a tough fight with Alaric de Forest, a brother of the British champion. After a very indifferent display in the outward half, Hartley was 2 down at the turn. , He accomplished the next eight holes .ill tile following remarkable figures: 3, 4, .3, 4j 3, 3j 3, .4. Even so hp only won thfije of them, and was 1 tip with the.ltist hole to play. Hero his lliashie flliot plunged over tile green into the heart of a gorsd bush ( ivhonco it was inipcis«ible to ■blay.the ball. Ho won, hoWr ever, at the nineteenth, where de Forest was bunkered from his drive, and took two shots to recover. ~. The weather on Saturday was agiinst good golf, bttt two Hlitt members Were very Steady. Eana Wflgg (plus 1) dicl a neat 78. W. G. Homo did a 77. The latter player is coming to bo recognised as one who can bo telied Upon to break SO frequently. His handicap has been ieducod from 4<3;to'3'2,