GOLF VETERANS

Evening Star, Issue 22890, 23 February 1938, Page 4

GOLF VETERANS

CHAMPIONS STILL 1H ACTIO! No game player is' as' fortunate the golfer in being able to carry on long without serious loss of - form. A Herd, on the eve of • his seventi birthday, is as active as ever as professional to the Moor “Park Cl playing almost daily, and not be afraid of entering into competit with those who have inevitably ta. his place among the prize . winners, has, of course, no hope of winning, ( he confesses that he is a little tired the end of 36 holes, but, watching 1 make the shots,, it is hard to beli that he is nearly; 70.. al playing for 60 years, his swing is t beautifully smooth and easy. Ai back in 1892 he was runner-up in British open, an event he won in 15 (Both James Braid, who won the o in 1901, 1905, 1906, 1908, and 1910,; J. H. Taylor, who won his first opens in' 1894, still hold their club pointments, but they do hot vent forth in the competitions. Taylor, fact, has gone into semi-retireme Edward (Ray, however; continues enter for all the ’ events; and l so d George Duncan. The latter is 57, he has changed little, and there d not seem any reason why he should play as well as ever. Duncan’s cat has been remarkable from every p( of view., I do not think any ot golfer has given the public so m enjoyment or so much to talk ab< He might “burn” up a course matchless brilliance, or squander strokes with the recklessness of spendthrift. Then suddenly his fiMM was tacked with a putting disease t wrecked his whole .game. Never • a golfer in such a plight. In dove! ing an apparently incurable habit cutting the ball, _he made it_ roll ii semi-circle, and it would, finish inc wide of the hole when it ought to h gone down. Ido not believe that vancing age has had much to do vi Duncan’s decline. It is simply that confidence has been underlined by inability to hole the putts. ■ A little younger, Abe Mitchell mains in the front rank, or near to In his case I am afraid ill-health caused him to lose Bis zest for •game. He has lost a little of his { digious length, but he _ still does suffer in comparison with his opr ents, and, though he is no longe: leading prize-winner, he can be pended upon to finish.fairly high the list. , \ —-age-!