OPEN GOLF TITLE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 176, 25 June 1935, Page 7

OPEN GOLF TITLE.

FIRST ROUND MATCHES. NEW COURSE RECORD. Received June 25, 12.5 p.m. LONDON, June 24. In the open golf championship Mac-Donald-Smith leads in the first qualifying round with 66, beating the GulInne course record by Savnor (68). Other Gullanc scores include: Lacey, Alliss, and Mahon, 70; Padgham, Oke, Brows, Kenyon, Hartley, Davies, J. J. Busson, and R. Whitcombc, 71; Ball (the American), 72; Hodson, Holland, Denny, Easterbrook, and Ezar, 73; J. H. Busson, 74. On the Muirfiehl course, Burton (70) leads Lees and Cotton, 71 ; Kirkwood, 74; Dailey, 75; Nolan, Gadd, and Jarman, 76; Mitchell and Pickard (the American), 77; Little, 78; Herd, 80; E. R. Whitcombe and Garnett, 82. The American, MacDonald-Smitli, who. has “knocked at the door” of the British open championship for the past. ten years, had the most brilliant first qualifying round. His 66 was ten under the scratch score. His driving and approaching were so accurate that he only twice faced a long putt. He had only two fives, one two, six threes and the rest wore fours. Occasionally ho found the rough, but recovered superbly. The 70 of Alliss was convincing, as it was attained despite several visits to the rough. Lawson-Little, the holder of the title, drove a terrific distance. Nevertheless, he had to work hard to keep below 80. He runs some risk of not qualifying. Burton, who leaped from obscurity to fame in a. single season, is purely a self-made Lancashire golfer who began ns a caddie and is now one of the longest and most accurate hitters in first-class golf. Ho had the best score over the actual championship course. Cotton gave an impressive display and was only one stroke behind, along with Lees, the Yorkshire champion.