GOLF

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 1 September 1928, Page 13

GOLF

COMING FIXTURES.

Se)pt. 6—Australian Open Championship, Rose Bay, Sydney. Sept. 10 —Australian Amateur ObaanpionsiMp, Rose Bay, Sydney. Sept. 10—American Amateur Championship, Brae Burn Country Club, West Newton, Mass. Sept. 24 —American Ladies’ Open Championship, Virginia Hot Springs, Va. Sept. 27—N.Z. Ladies’ Championships at Mi'ddlemore. Oct. 32-20—N.Z. Open and Amateur Championships, Baimacewan> Dunedin.

LOCAL CLUB AFFAIRS

The championship and the golf ball ai e the events of the day in the Hawera clubs, and both are creating keen interest. The championships have been held up somewhat by one or two matches, but the final Jists should appear fairly soon, and then the last matches in both grades will be watched vita interest.

A strong committee from both clubs has taken up tlie question of the ball, and it is confidently expected that the an air will be as great a. success as last year.

rlaying last week at Lower Hutt, H. A. Black put up an amateur record for the course. Black’s achievement was in his semi-final match with P. u agg, whom he accounted for by 7 and 6. There was not a blemish on lus card, ixlack’s card read: 443244444, ; 243444345, 33—G6. The previous records for the course were held by it. \» agg and H. A. Black’s brother, J. L. Liaciv, now of Otorohanga, who each lias a 67 to his credit for last season. Black succumbed to liana Wagg in the niial, by 3 down and 2 to play. eighteen Handicap (practising swing and talking to his wifej : “My dear, n daisy heads were golf balls I’d be open champion.” A notable absentee from this year’s championship meeting at Balmaeewan will be A. D. 8. Duncan, wbo will take part in the Australian championships commencing on September 6. Duncan lias been playing remarkably well lately. Anotlier absentee from the aew Zealand championships will be the holder of the open title, E. J. Moss, who lias been far from well lately. A welcome addition to tlie competitors, however, will be the well-known Australian, Carnegie Clark. He hopes, ii at all possible, to bring tiiree other Australian proiessionals along with jinn. E. S. Douglas, winner of the Dominion open on more than one occasion, is now back in New Zealand alter having been in the Old Country lor some years. He will be competing at Balmaeewan.

H. H: Wylie, of Napier, and formerly of Hawera, is reported to be showing remarkably good form on his home linns, in a bogey round lie had no less than eight up in 18 holes. Wylie was veil-known as a Rugby representative in Taranaki some years ago. At one of Sydney’s seaside courses two well-known amateur fishermen were playing. Each was, perhaps, a little better at fishing than he was at golf. Three-quarters of the way through a more or less monotonous round one said to the other: “I got a nice fish yesterday near Long Reel—it was as long as one of your drives.” Hie other player merely grunted. “And so I threw it back,” lie concluded. it has been a wet winter in Sydney, ( says a Sydney golf writer. So accustomed by now are most golfers in the city and metropolitan clubs to playing on a soft course, with water lying about, and tricky greens, that when spring comes in with fine weather and consequent firm ground at the links they should be able to go around, in at least, a. couple of strokes better. Week-end after week-end has either been wet, or on the day previous rain lias poured. Last Saturday golfers were gleefully looking forward to a good game on good ground on the morrow. But though Sunday was fine, it poured during the night, and the courses were as soft as ever.

A remarkable golf match was played at Montrose, in Scotland, many years ago. It was between two good players, who knew the course well—Air, Cruickshank, of Langley Park, andi Lord KennedyL The match was for three holes, for £SOO each hole, to be played at night. It was quite dark and no lights were allowed, except one lantern at the hole and another carried by an onlooker, so that each player might identify his ball. boys were placed along the line to listen to the flight of the ball and point out where it stopped. The extraordinary part was that while in daylight 'the> would have averaged five or six strokes a hole, in the dark they took only six or seven. A Scotch saying has it that “it’s a\e the puttin,” meaning that when a match has been lost or won nearly always it is the putter that on the one hand was at fault, or on the other proved the player’s mainstay in the tight. Therefore, when we learn that a young golfer tied with Bobby Jones for the American open championship and then defeated the greatest of all ‘golfers in the play-off, and that his green work was the main factor in his dual victory, a description of this golfing phenomenon’s putting methods becomes a very desirable addition to the game’s literature. Johnny, said after the great battle was over: “1 have come to the conclusion that no one can win tournaments unless lie can putt.” The following are a few de-

tails of Farrell’s putting, which hasi been right through the season the most successful in the highest circles of American golf clem: “He- is orthodox in some of his putting methods. His eyes are over the ball, his weight well on his left leg, his stance, slightly open., and his right arm rests on liis right leg. Where he differs from most is in the grip. It is the reverse of the overlap in that the .forefinger of his left hand is now over the little finger of his right. He puts the tip of his right thumb on top of the shaft. Back of left hand toward the hole. Takes club back with left and strokes through with right. If Johnny wins it will be due to his ability to couple good drives and seconds with deadly work on and around the greens.”

N.Z. GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS. TIME-TABLE OF. EVENTS. The time-table published in connection with the New Zealand Championship meeting, to be held this season on the Balmacewan golf links, Dunedin, from October 12 to October 20, shows that the various events will be decided in the following order: Friday, October 12.—Morning: Open Championship—lst round, and concurrently first qualifying round of Amateur and Professional Championships. Afternoon : Open Championship—2nd . round, and concurrently second qualifying round of Amateur and Professional Championships. Saturday, October 13.—Morning: Open Championship—3rd round, and concurrently third qualifying round oi Amateur and Professional Championships. Afternoon: Open Championship—4th round, and concurrently fourth qualifying round of Amateurj and Professional Championships, and the O’Porke Vase (inter-club) teams match Monday, October 15.—Amateur champioris’hip foursomes. Professional championship foursomes. Tuesday, October 16. —Morning and afternoon:’ Professionals’ championship, Ist round, 36 holes. Morning: Amateur championship, Ist round, 18 holes. Afternoon : Amateur championship, 2nd round, 18 holes. First bogey 1 handicap. '| Wednesday, October 17.—Amateur , I championship, 3rd round, 36 holes. , Professionals’ championship, semi-fina' 36 holes. First stroke handicap. Prtf

fessionals’ handicap match. 36 holes, J stroke play. Thursday, October 18.—Morning: Second bogey handicap (for amateurs). Afternoon: Second stroke handicap (for amateurs). Also driving competition, open to amateurs and professionals. Friday, October 16.—Morning and afternoon: Final of professionals’ championship, 36 holes. Foursome handicap for amateurs. Saturday, October 20.—Final of the amateur championship, 36 holes. E. J. Moss, professional to the Auckland Golf Club, is the present holder of the open championship, and Sloan Morpeth, of the Maungakiekie Golf Club, is the present holder of the amateur championship.