STAGE SET

Evening Star, Issue 23110, 9 November 1938, Page 7

STAGE SET

GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS TO-MORROW COURSE IN FIRST-CLASS ORDER A. D. LOCKE MEETS OPEN TITLE HOLDER The stage is set for the New Zealand golf tournament at Balmacewen tomorrow. The course is at its very best, public interest is at its height, and all the players are keyed up tor a contest that will certainly be a battle among the giants of the game, not only in the Dominion, but further afield, for there is a star from South Africa—A. D. (“ Bobbie ”) Locke—competing, and also a New South Wales player. This is the third occasion that the championships have been held on this course, the first time being in 1913, and again in 1928. Since 10 years ago the course has been extensively remodelled, and now it ranks among the' real champiouship courses in the Dominion. The rain this morning would only have the effect of freshening the fairways and greens, and provided that there is nothing short of a continuous downpour before to-morrow morning the 100 players in the first round of the open championship, starting at 9 o’clock in the morning, will have .nothing to cavil about the conditions of the turf, which has been nursed for the past six months in preparation for the tournament by the chief greenkeeper (Mr D. M'Lean). This morning’s early shower kept many contestants from accepting the final chance of practising before the curtain is raised to-morrow, the course being closed this afternoon. Locke does not believe .in two practice rounds a day, and this morning he did not leave the clubhouse. A brilliant 67 was achieved by him yesterday afternoon, and it represented the best score since the course was remodelled. He was playing in a foursome with N. H. Fuller against B. M. Silk, the holder of the amateur title, and G. Watt, the Wanganui professional. Locke and his partner won. 3 and 2, and for the first occasion he really managed the “ feel ” of the greens, sinking two or three 15ft putts. LOCKE’S SHORT STAY. Locke leaves Dunedin after the open, and will not be taking further part in the championships after Saturday. He is flying to Wellington on Sunday, and is scheduled soon_ after to play a challenge match against Alex. Murray at Auckland, this game coinciding with his twenty-first birthday. During the practice games this week he ivas still shaking off the effects of a bout of ptomaine poisoning, which kept him in bed for five days in the North Island and reduced his weight by half a stone. However, by yesterday he had made a comolete recovery, and will be thoroughly fit for his tilt at the open title. . 1913 AND 1928. It is interesting to recall that when the championships were held here in 1913 the present professional champion, E. S. Douglas, the Otago professional, was the open titleholder then. This is a brilliant record. The amateur event was won by B. B. Wood, beating Dr K. Ross, who had hot long been out from Scotland. Wood has since

retired from the game, but both Douglas and Dr Ross will be playing tomorrow. When he won the professional event in 1928 Douglas had just returned from England, where he had been professional to the Robin Hood Club for some years. In 1928 Sloan Morpeth woiD the open, his figures being 76, 78, 76, 73—-303. A. J. Shaw was runner-up with 76, 80, 73, 76—305. J. D. M'lntosh was third placed, his aggregate being 306. This player will be competing to-morrow. The professional title was won by Shaw, who beat M'lntosh 6 and 5. The amateur event was won by J._ H. Horton, an absentee on. this occasion, who beat JJ L. Blair 1 up in the final. TO-MORROW MORNING’S DRAW. The first pair in the initial round of the open championships will leave at 9 o’clock. Thirty-two amateurs will qualify for the amateur championship and 16 professionals for the professional championship. The South African star A. D. Locke, whose preliminaries during the week have created so much interest, will meet J. P. Hornabrook, the holder of the title, and the veteran A. D. S. Duncan on the second day. The following is the draw for the morning round, with an asterisk for the professionals:— 9 a.m.—B. V, Wright and *E. S. Douglas. ' 9.5 a.m. —D. C. Collins and *N. H. Puller. 9.10 a.m.—J. A. Secular and *T. S. Galloway. 9.15 a.m.—B. H. Menzies and *A. Dyke. 9.20 a.m.—A. D. S. Duncan and *Alex. Murray. 9.25 a.m.—l. A. Ewen and *K. C. Williams. 9.30 a.m.—A. Gibbs and *C. Sherriff. 9.35 a.m.—A. R. Kitto and *H. R. Blair. 9.40 a.m.—J. W. Jackson and # A. J. Shaw. . 9.45 a.m.—T. B. Ferguson and * James Watt. 9.50 a.m.—K. Ross and *G. Watt. 9.55 a.m.—J. L. Bair and *C. C. Clements. • JO a.m.—J. P. Hornabrook and *A. D Locke. • ' 10.20 a.m.—P. G. F. Smith and *J. Forrest. 10.25 a.m.—D. C. Bennie and *B. J. Smith, jun. 10.30 a.m.—B. M. Silk and *J. Lambie, 10.35 a.m.—W. B. Reilly and *R. C. Butters. 10.40 a.m.—A. G. Sime and *J. A. Clements. 10.45 a.m.—R. F. Kitto and *J. Galloway, 10.50 a.m.—R. H. Gladding and *John Watt. 10.55 a.m.—J. P. Mortland and *A. E. Guy. 11 a.m.—S. J. Hines arid A. N. Haggitt. 11.5 a.m.—J. T. Dodgshun and R. Hay M'Kenzie.

11.10 a.m.—J. N. Sams and T. C. Tyrrell. 11.15 a.m.—J. G. Dick and J. H. MacDougall. 11.20 a.m.—P. Quinn and W. D. Wood 11.25 a.m.—W. H. Dillicar and F. H. Hughes. 11.30 a.m.—J. W. M'lntosh and *G. W. Melvin. 11.35 a.m.—J. E. Nicolaus and *C. Bryant. 11.40 a.m.—B. W. Caulton and R. Deacon. 11.45 a.m.—J. A. Dunning and G. A. Ussher. 11.50 a.m. —M. T. Houlihan and A. Thom. 11.55 a.m.—J. S. Park and J. Shelly. 12 noon.—R. G. Holland and H. J. Pollock. 12.5 p.m.—D. H. Butcher and D. S. M‘Lean. 12.10 p.m.—J. W. Logan and F. W. Dixon, 12.15 p.m.—D. B. Stratmore and *H. M'Dougall. 12.20 p.m.—ll. B. Carr and P. F. 12.25 p.m.—J. E. Matheson and *R. K. Fowler. 12.30 p.m.—l. R. P. Douglas and S. E. Field. 12.35 p.m.—J. R. Laidlaw and # D. E. Milliner. 12.40 p.m.—A. H. Boyd and A. Lawrence. 12.45 p.m.—A. J. Black and D. J. Oliver. 12.50 p.m.—D. A. Ferguson and A. Lucas. 12.55 p.m.—J. B. Tunnell and *B. J. Smith, sen. 1.00 p.m.—H. ,H. Harris and B. Kiernan. 1.05 p.m.—J. D. Nash and *D. M. Boyd, 1.10 p.m.—W. W. Clayton and M. W. Wilson. 1.15 p.m.—H. W. Rogers and J. A. M'Lennan.