Colourful Career Cotton a Dominating Figure

Evening Star, Issue 25956, 22 November 1946, Page 5

Colourful Career Cotton a Dominating Figure

[By Dobmy.]

No player of modern times has captured the imagination of the golfing world to the extent that Henry Cotton has, and some comments on the career of this “ prince of golfers ” may be of interest. .Refusing to carry the cricket bag while a junior at school, Cotton was dropped from the team, and there and then decided to concentrate on golf. He practised for hours on end driving a ball into an old mattress in his parents’ back garden, and it soon became obvious to his father that nothing would stop Henry from making golf his career. The determination and persistence with which he followed his bent brought its due reward, and today Henry Cotton is professional to both the Mid-Surrey and Monte Carlo clubs ; runs a magnificent (Rolls ltoyce ; has many business interests; and he can justly be called the prince of golfers

Cotton neither smokes or drinks, and will not allow any distraction to break his concentration while playing in major tournameuts. He will not speak to spectators at his matches, and objects to cameras clicking while he plays. Immediately he has finished his round he leaves tfie course in one of his highpowered care. This aloofness has brought him much criticism from his fellow professionals. It is. however, all part of Cotton's rigid self-discipline, and his whole life is so arranged as to give him maximum concentration on golf. The successes that have come his way are too numerous to need comment, and if lie has become rich he has also been extremely generous in offering his services to raise cash for others. During the war he earned over £73.000 for various charities and was justly awarded the M.B.E.

His most recent venture is the establishment of a golf school _at Monte Carlo, where, from a high plateau overlooking the Mediterranean, it is possible to drive a ball far out to sea, with distance posts to show the driver the length of liis shot and the crews of brightly-coloured dinghies to retrieve the floating golf, balls. Gibbs in Brilliant Form. _Thirty-six holes of stroke play at Balmacewen last Saturday proved to be a severe test, and the comparatively poor score of 171 was good enough to qualify for match play in the senior championship. Leading the field, Tony Gibbs (whose rounds of 74 and 75 were produced by sound golf) further enhanced his reputation, and his 73 on the following day at the Diggers’ tournament at St. Clair was probably one of the finest rounds ever played on that course. The purist would find little to fault in Gib'bs’s style, • and his careful play and obvious concentration could be studied to advantage by all young players. The consistent Jack Lemon, with; a total of 151. confirmed the opinion that he will be one of the most difficult to beat, while B. V. Wright, the ex-New Zealand champion, is showing signs of a return to form and recorded a steadv 152. The surprise of the day was the inability of A. H. Boyd to qualify, and it appears that this player has gone stale after his strenuous trip to Palmerston North for the New Zealand championships. Ex-Servicemen at Play. In spite of the unfavourable weather the Diggers’ tournament at St. Clair was a huge success, and some 90 odd troops faced the starter. As mentioned earlier, the outstanding performance of the day was Tony Gibbs’s round of 73, which, from his handicap of plus 1, gave him a card of 1 down. The trophy for World War I. players went to Drew Bayliss. who returned a card of 6 down, while Cyril Allcott, much better known for his activities on the cricket field, won the handsomely-plated tin hat for players from World War I. with handicap over 12. R. C. Torrance, another cricketer, player a useful innings of 18 down, and annexed the tyros’ cup for World War IT. players, and E. Johnson, with a modest 14 down, took a similar prize for World

War 1. players. A very happy day was concluded with much merriment in the canteen, and the R.A.P. was well patronised on the following morning. Veteran’s Sterling Effort. Andrew Laing, who donated the Laing Trophy to the Chisholm Park Club, and whose age is around the 60 mark, put up a remarkable performance to win his own trophy when he defeated E. Keen in the final. Playing from a handicap of 11, he defeated some of the club’s strongest players in the earlier rounds, and in a close finish in the final he demonstrated his tenacity by winning at the twentieth hole, after conceding five, strokes to the run-ner-up. An ex-champion of the Park Club, Andy Laing is one of the most popular members, and his latest success is worthy of hearty congratulations. Belleknowes Championship. W. Woodrow, who won his semi-final against J. Gooseman, will now play G. S. Thorpe in the final over 36 holes for the Belleknowes championship. The match is set down to be played next week-end, and the result is difficult to forecast, with both players showing steady form.