EYES ON ST. ANDREWS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 61, 9 September 1937, Page 25

EYES ON ST. ANDREWS

NATIONAL MEETING

A FULL PROGRAMME

Programmes for the New Zealand j golf championship tournament from September 30 to October 8, entries for which close on September 16, are out. No amateur with a stroke handicap exceeding 6 will be accepted for any event. At the conclusion of the second round of the Open championship, the leading 70 who have entered for the Open, including ties for the seventieth place, plus all those who have entered for the Amateur championship only, and whose scores are equal to or better than the highest score of the leading 70, will, play the third and fourth rounds. The opening Thursday will see the first round of the Open championship and the qualifying rounds of the Amateur and Professional championships, the second round of these events following next day. Saturday will see the third and fourth rounds of the Open and the qualifying rounds. Monday will be devoted to the two rounds of the Professional and Amateur championship foursomes, and the Amateur handicap foursomes over 18 holes. The first and second rounds of the Professional and Amateur championships, the New Zealand Plate (for the 16 eliminated in. the first round of the Amateur championship), flight matches, and a bogey handicap for professionals will be played on Tuesday. The semifinals of the Professional championship, the third round of the Amateur, further flight rounds, and stroke handicaps for professionals and those amateurs not in match, play, will occupy Wednesday. Thursday will see the final of the Professional championship, the Amateur championship semi-finals, and the final of the New Zealand Plate. Friday will be devoted entirely to the final over 36 holes of the Amateur championship. ' The .elimination .of the North v. South match, which will be missed by few_ competitors, and prevented those taking part in it from carrying on in the Amateur championship on that day, has shortened, the tourney commendably. : Bogey and stroke handicaps, in addition to the flight matches, will provide amateurs with plenty of pleasurable events for those who do not remain in the Amateur championship or the New Zealand Plate. : The holders of the various titles and trophies.' are as follows:—Open championship, A. J. Shaw; Amateur championship, J. P. Hornabrook (Manawatu); New Zealand Plate, J. L. Black (Titahi); Amateur championship foursomes, J. P. Mortland and G. B. Ward; Professional championship foursomes, A. J. Shaw and N. Bell; Jellicoe Cup (best single round in Open), A. J. i. xw; Bledisloe Cup (best four rounds by amateur in Open), B. M. Silk (Wanganui); Professional championship, C. C. Clements; Gibson Cup (best professional aggregate net scores in first and second rounds' of Open), T. S. Galloway; Myers Cup (best professional aggregate net scores in third and fourth rounds of Open),. John Lambie; interclub challenge vase, Hutt Golf Club (B.M. Silk, J, L. Black, R. Wagg, and F. Ke'mber). : . The .number, of amateurs who have been reduced to 6 handicap since the last national meeting will tend to increase the amateur entry, arid it will probably be a record of a greater number of men below 6 handicap. The standard of golf should be high, but one never knows how players will stand the strain of New Zealand's biggest golfing event- Nevertheless, it will not be surprising if a Wellington golfer, or, at least, a golfer who has played so long in Wellington that he is still regarded as one of the districts golfing family, pulls off the title. St. Andrews course at -Hamilton will not provide as. much hill-climbing as was experienced at New Plymouth, but if it is hot during the tourney some Wellington players will feel it after this equable climate.