CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 23 September 1933, Page 8

CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF

BRITISH OPEN {TITLE LESSONS FROM AMERICANS. SUPREMACY IN EXPERIENCE. There is as "yet, no Indication that the American supremacy in golf is coming to an end. The British championshTp has been won :for the United States for the 10th year in succession* with five of her players in the first six places (comments a writer in an English paper.) While not wishing to throw cold water, on the British victory in the Ryder Cup match, I cannot help feeling that we: were just a trifle ■ lucky to win. Even the most fervent patriot will admit to Seeing vast difference in form of the' American Ryder Cup players after they had become acclimatised. The match was played four days after the team, five members of which were strangers to Great Britain,- had landed at ‘ Southampton—an interval much too short to enable the players properly to settle down. At least a week is necessary for players, some of whom had . travelled over 5000 miles, to recover their poise and balance, and to take stock, of their surroundings. As it was, America lost the cup only by a missed putt on the last green, the unfortunate player responsible being .the man who subsequently won the championship for. the United States.' Never was there swifter or fuller atonement. . All the facts go to show that,- once the visitors had found-their feet, not all the intricacies and the subleties of St. Andrews could check their triumphant progress. It is of the greatest significance that the two men tieing for the championship .jvere setting foot) on the famous links for the first time. Never before libs a' player making his first appearance on the old course, ever been in the running, not to mention winning the title.. SUPERIOR TACTICS. - Even in the case of the great R. T. Jones, the pldce was so* baffling that he tore up his card at the 11th hole in the third round. Six years elapsed' before he conquered the historic Jinks. The inference to be dra,wn from.. the latest American success is that her players are superior to ours, a conclusion which, I. think, adniits of very little doubt. They have an infinitely better conception of the tactics required for the 72 holes medal tournament, and, with the possible exception efi Mitchell, Padgham, and Cotton, they are better; and more, consistent hitters of the ball. , - .

Apart from the question of swing, which, generally speaking, is ; modther and better grooved than the British, the winning of championships is largely a matter of experience. 1 was told by-Horton Smith, one of the members of the United States team, that, in the circuit of winter resorts in California ancl in' Florida, the leading players took part in 20 1 riiedal-play events* of 72 holes each, run on strictly, championship . lines. This' card-and-peueil business becomes a habit with no more formality attached to it than the. lighting .of a cigarette. . Instead of the long procession of 72hole medal copmetitions they play in about a couple before the open championship begins and perhaps a; couple afterwards.. In comparison this is a totally inadequate preparation. In such circumstances it is scarcely surprising that the United States wins our championship year after year; in point of fact, it would be serious reflection if she failed. I feel convinced that if British players had the same opportunities as the Americans of competing in 'big money prize tournaments Great Britain would regain the championship'in the next three years; . - As it is, I see no reason why America should not go on winning the title just so long as she pleases, always provided,' of course, that a representative contingent of players is competmg. Densmore Sliute, the new champion, tells me that he will be returning next year to defend his title, and. as the championship is to be played at Royal St George’s, Sandwich,, there is every likelihood of Sarazen being there, and also Hagen, despite his declaration that he has finished with serious competitive golf. *' At St. Andrews, Hagen ■ confounded everybody by reason * of his inexplicable" collapse on the* last, day,- when the wind got up and blew most of the competitors out ■of the championship. As Hagen was leading the field by a stroke, I felt'convinced that lie would win by a comfortable margin, because lie appeared to be one of the few men capable of maintaining control of the ball in the difficult and trying conditions. Instead, lie blew up like any ordinary golfer playing in a Saturday afternoon medal competition. To those \vho, at Muirfield, four years before, Lad seen him. come triumphantly through much worse conditions,- his breakdown at St. Andrews was the most surprising features of the championship. GENERAL COLLAPSE. "In that fatal last round the collapse was pretty, general,and, Jn view of the circumstances, it' may- be as well to recall R. T. Jones’ famous aphorism, “Championships are won mainly between the ears.” Of all courses, especially in a wind, St. Andrews demands thought of the player before a shot is attempted. At each'and every hole there is a strategic line, and, curiously enough, it is rarely to be found down the middle of the course; In addition, there is to be taken into consideration the factor of the wind, which is constantly changing both in ('direction arid in strength. I In. the last desperate scramble between about 10 players,' each of whom had a chance of winning, the hole which wrought more, havoc than all the rest combined was the long ,14th. It is 530 yards iii length, and is besetwith difficulties, the chief of which is the famous “Hell” bunker, with its satellites, “The Devil’s Kitchen” and “The Grave.’ ’ I will take the case of Easterbrook, the player of all others as it turned out, who had the greatest chance of winning the championship for Great Britain. * Against > a hea yy cross wind blowing from left- to right, the hole became a three-shotter, the strategical route being to the left- with both the drive and the brassie shot, ' and then a third of sorts back to the right. By this route you- escape. “Hell” bunker and' the rest. Easterbrook, however, elected to drive straight down the course, and after many adventures took seven for the hole, and virtually lost the championship. If Easterbrook had said to himself as he stood on the 14th tee, “This hole is a five, and I must play it as such,” he would in all probability now be the champion. It is a bitter lesson which, I feel sure, will serve its purpose. By reason of his achievement in the Ryder Cup match and in the championship, Easterbrook has climbed considerably higher up the ladder of fame.