HIS FINEST GOLF
WITH AN INJURED ARM
PROFESSIONAL'S MEMORIES
It is' an amusing experience interviewing professional golfers, writes.J. C. Pignon in the "Daily Mail." First they, appear puzzled with a sort of "Is-this-a-catcH-question?" look !; in their eyer and then invariably; they tell me something entirely different from the story I expect to hear. W.. H.Davies, the sturdy little professional at Wallasey, who.has represented Britain- in two > Ryder Cup matches and won numerous; maj of <jompetitions, sprang, one of these surprises. After some consideration he said: "You. know, I think the.finest golf I ever played w^s during: the 'Leeds' Cup competition at Pannal, Yorkshire, in 1931." -.': ■ ; :•• '■■:. "'■■.:■.'. ■ ■■,■'■'..] "j "'. It seemed a strange choice when reviewing more than twenty-five years of tournament golf until Davies explained. "I went to that competition with no hope of winning," he said. "I did not know that I should even be able .to play thirty-six holes. For seven weeks I had not been allowed to swing a club. "Only the day before the competition the surgeon permitted me to play* During that time I had been suffering from a crushed i right arm, the result of a motor; accident^while touring in Canada with the Ryder Cup team. : : "I was particularly; annoyed about that accident because, I was playing so iwell until a driver who 'was,'; .in too much hurry lost control of thev car and threw us down a bank,and into a^telegraph pole, which probably saved our ■1ive5.,.,..-. ',•.••■/ -.■:■' •.•■•'..•" ...>.-.-v.'-;;--:'(;)V-.'■•■."*■• ;;;; "Our team had not done particularly well on that tour, but I thought I had a chance: of winning the Canadian Open, as I was the only British player to finish in the American Open and had won my match in •the, Ryder Cup ■'game'."..' ,•'.-' ;. .;• "'.. ; '■:.'■ ''; ' '■' >. :\.{s■■'■-: "But, as I say, I could not play at all in that.event.ojrany other until' I went :.v>''••'•.■■.■:■,■•■•'-■•'■■ :- :i::----i all after about two ndohths ~«nforced .rest, and especiaUyiwherfthereiis-dipfinite weak; ness' m' the rlght;Mni;^utfi>*pund that by swinging.' even* inorct ? slowly than usual ikcould keeji the, fcasin play and toh^xol'iit^r^-i'!^:'^;^"^':1 ■■. ;'■,) ;;-.•"•, '■#."$• returned,ai firstrpun'd^pf 67, which th'e'recbrd; and-though feeling a trifle - stiff and,;tired, went round in.; 70 in- the'afternoon, to win with ; 137; v' "The injury which I thought at ofae .time might prevent me /playing golf properly again had so fair,been mended that I'went/on to Lytham and..■;• ?3t. :Ahhes and ''won the Northern Cham-pionship-over (the same',course, with 289,:whieh,-I believe; is the lowest score for sgventy;two holes ever returned -in a professional i ■ competition -..; on. tois " course." .■•';'-'|^:'vv'.vj,j'.-.: fi >-'S;a;. *":..':V; r.'.-.'""-v;: v '■ - ■Dunfop^South^ort ■'tournament ■„ when ySu": wpri, a,t; Southport < and Ainsfiale /m^tv^^jregfusdedl.as :'saneT. -of ;:;ydur: ::be9t?"?.i)!asfcediV;" ;'>:-A-v^':>■.. K'-. , .A^^B^.>(ai|t'Wyiesi:"if does hot always happ^n^fjiafc » player- produces his best !g6w;;^he4t:he';^s;,i;ivv,t^:^''-iv-:-i:">/--i;'V">;:.:: ■i^lt^vast'M^^tp^yjScihly- fromjithe '^t^tjol^^ildf^lnningi but I do^riot ■.tb^rik^mjigg^jiwarrall;^ should have beeni that' tournament" <\\ oriie of the ■iMSfet(^dd'%'"my;;life/wheri;ll;i^as- , beaten'-'tevthe' Irish' Open ': Champion-' ■: ship,':;at*'C^;-^.;Alf'Padgha'ni; thiee yearstagcty-. -^'^ M >': ;.;.,' :;>-''"VV ■V : .-*.-;,.v,t i ; < - :'\ ;'?* bripke':th;e' record Jftin thelast; :|jrbiiind,•; but' i thj^j;wlßS■ V**t -stroke i;"Reajly;:l failed by three inches; I, had Started none too)well,,aiidt? ;h.ad taken" 23 for the first fiye holes. But I had the remaining vthirteeii holes; in four over an average o£ threes, : Which is not bad for a championship links, is •:>% '■':'iJ^%%'.W<jß^^BpOKl' '■ ;,! }:■■ ;.'' ""I wais tol4 on the sixteenth tee that .I::needed/*lirTO-inches;'^tte.;-f:l':put^aiii iron shot close to at the .sixteenth, an<i; got the'Ciree there, and iny second shot1 to the sevienteenth actually V stpppeii.threej inchps shor^: of1 the ■hole.""v'i.'■'■:■■ .^■'^■■:-,J:p-,:^ Vv:"';. '?I,also had one,of my highiist scores in Ireland, but then I rpteyijd golf I was proud about to hole the Portmar"ii^ick ■ cbw^e;-in 8P and ;81. :.:'-y^:: ;■'■"'; "i i '■ •■'"X^ferp>-'.jjirer^;"pniy;',-'two;-scb^l::under1 80/ th?t ,day;^in ;th6 Irteh -Open Champi^hip.AS;lt was vthe;(day ihe. Press /andrefi^bment marquees were Wpwii to pieces. .'-'-;■ ;'■;; .V,;' '■■ti-rf-V'' ';•• v?',v v.-i'--''1' "■:■ "Dq ; you .;!reriiember the .chairs .and" tables;! from them being blown' about the fairways like so'much'matchwood, and: the fragments of the marquees flying, like pieces of rag, no larger than a pocket handkefchief, ;otit;to !sea?" , , "Can you:recall- apy particularly brilliant shot ',■> you; hive played?" ;I said..'('-'.v.;';'. ; :•-;:..;■;■■•(■ ::'ax:C r...,^,v ' ■^.^^el^'tHere'-are-qui^^ChumTter^but' thevohe that gaye:me most satisfaction was not really a good golf shot; itfwas a sort of scuffle. I played it; of course; but if' was a' mean sort of golf shot.'. ■': "It was in the Ryder Cup 'fpursom.es. at Sbuthport. Syd Easterbrook and. I were dormie two on Paul Runyahtand Craig Wood, but it was a bad second shot of mine that lost: the; seventeenth .hole';for;us.."-' r L/- r^l"'- v;t '•■'■''; '':> ■■:.>■■ ;.:~ iL^Then, to my horror, I put my partnef in the sandhills with my-dnve. to the eighteenth holej and, though, he played a great shot out, we were 70ydS' short of the hole arid likely to lose it and not winthe match after all, as they were on the green ; iji two;; ', \ , "The putting green,wasjVas;slippery ■as glass and you can imagine my fe'el- ' ings when I knew I simply had to put ■ that-shot. dead to win 1.,■ f^l- L"\ ;i.;. „■>':■' '■':\ ;,-;-:' •■:■ •':^ had xo imti^sv'f} •: .'.'' in this desperate situation and now I rlud'-t6:'get''oiit:.'ei.itv''<t.;neverifelt}inpre miserable in my life, but J determined to run that ball up tlose to:the hole. 'i struck it; well, I thought, but I heard murmurs from the crowd,. 'He's short.' But I .Tyasn't. ' I had gauged that slippery green so well that, the ball finished less than eighteen inches of the hole, and Syd holed the putt for the, match? . : : ::.'v" "Cqnsidering the strain under which I played Ithat shot I think it'was the best I eveiy.'played. It is like'a nightmare recalling that shot. You remember Britain'won the Cup by one match; if I had not got that.shot near the hole our team might have lost instead of winning—I'don't think I would care to recall that shot if that had liapp'ened.";, : ~'.'.,-■.„■-;.. -i.-J : .. ■ '',:. •'■.' "," -. " /
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 128, 1 June 1935, Page 13
Word Count
940HIS FINEST GOLF Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 128, 1 June 1935, Page 13
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