HIS FINEST GOLF

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 128, 1 June 1935, Page 13

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 : .. ■ '',:. •'■.' "," -. " /