TOPICAL TATTLE

Evening Star, Issue 23657, 17 August 1940, Page 1 (Supplement)

TOPICAL TATTLE

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fixth Golf Title. John Burke, British Walker Cup golfer, won the Irish native golf championship for the sixth time recently. Burke has created two records in Irish golf. His 31 for the first nine, holes in a match in one of the early rounds was the lowest recorded in a national amateur event in Ireland, and his feat in winning the title six times has -not been equalled since the institution of the event in , 1893. Burke has altogether won 16 championships, 'including successes in the south and west of Ireland events. Wealthy Tennis Body.

The Lawn Tenuis) Association of Australia is one of the three wealthiest governing tennis bodies in the world, in spite of a drop from £14,158 1 to £11,089 in the accumulated funds of the general account, as shown in the latest balance sheet. The only associations with sounder finances are those of Great Britain and the United States.

Killed In Action. News has been received by Mr Frank Campbell, chairman of the Council of the New Zealand Football Association, of the death in action of Mr A. H. Woolcock. one of the goalkeepers of the English amateur Association football team which toured New Zealand in 1937. Mr Woolcock made many friends in Wellington and Christchurch. He was 25 years old at the time of his death, and was serving with the Royal Air Force. He captained the Cambridge University Association . football team and played for the Corinthians, Casuals, and Brighton and Hove Albion, as well as keeping goal for England against Ireland. Cricketer and Footballer. Not a little interest-in the tph r College Old Boys-Hptt , seSMit fihgby match fFcehtStj*-centred hi tne appearance for Old Boys of J. R. Lamason, former club and Wellington provincial captain. A one-time firstrate loose forward, Lamason took matters easily (his lack of condition made this pretty imperative), but he initiated one move which resulted in a try. New Zealand representative cricketer and former captain of theWellington Phmket Shield eleven, Lamason will almost certainly be appearing in cricket nest season, provided, of course, there is any. He made the provincial eleven last summer, though he was rather fortunate (says a Wellington writer).

May Turn Professional. That Bobby Riggs, American and world No. 1 amateur tennis player, is likely to turn professional after this year, is mentioned in a letter to Harry Hopman, Australian Davis Cup captain and manager, of recent teams, from Donald Budge, who discusses the professional game in the United States, and the business he has been doing lately. “ I have been doing some promotional _ work for my sporting firm all the winter, conducting classes, playing exhibitions and lecturing,'’ writes Budge. “ There is not much doing in the professional touring exhibition line, so I intend continuing on this type of business until the tournaments begin, when I will broadcast most of the big tournaments. I really am enjoying »11 this tennis work, for I feel I am Jutting something back into the game am still getting so much from. I don’t think _ professional exhibition tennis is dying. It has just lapsed for a year. If Riggs does come over to our ranks 1 will be having another •big tour like my first year. I keep any one-stroke repertoire going. After all. it’s simple for me'to keep in shape. All I have to do is to bat a few backbands over the net and my game is right. It is so much easier having only one good stroke than'being like you Australians, with your all-round games with so many strokes to practise.”

Southland Swimmer to the Fore. Staff Sergeant D. C. Bern - , who is with the Second N.Z.E.F. in Egypt, is managing to find time for competitive swimming in Cairo, where his prowess on the back stroke has already won veryfavourable mention. Doug. Berry is well remembered in Dunedin, for while •till at school he represented Southland in the national senior swimming championships held here in 19.‘16. and he was rated one of the most promising performers in the free style distance •vents. Later, however, he turned his attention to back stroke swimming and returned times that approached New Zealand record figures. In 1939 he was runner-up in the New Zealand 400 metres back stroke championship, and only recently in Egypt he defeated the national champion, Zaky Eldin, over 100 metres. At a carnival, held at the National Committee Baths. Cezira, in July, the tables were turned. Zaky winning the 100 metres back stroke event in Imin 16 3-osec. which was one second outside the record. Berry finished second. hut was disqualified for turning on to his stomach ton soon. An Egyptian paper stated: “ Berry- proved his worth, for, despite the unaccustomed heat and rnilitarv clnt’Vs which leave little time for training, 'e still manages to be a serious rival. He lias now arranged to train with Alexander Ferennaffv. the national coach, and until the Cairo championships, which will he held around the second half of August, he will be milling surprising times.” Staff Sergeant Berrv, who is 22 years of age, Is a son of Mr L. Berry, of Milton.