BRITISH GOLF

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 144, 20 June 1936, Page 9

BRITISH GOLF

THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

ROYAL LIVERPOOL CLUB’S GREAT COURSE

It would be safo to say that the cream of the golfing world will be in action on tho famous Royal Liverpool Club’s course at Hoylake next week, when the British amateur championship begins. The presence of Jim Ferrier (Australia) among the competitors will enliven interest from this far southern portion of the Empire, where the game is as popular as in any part of the globe. America is not sending as large a representation .to contest the British title this year as last, but its strength is well up to the mark. Speculative minds believe, however, that tho odds are greatly in favour of the title remaining within British hands. The f

The World’s Championship.

present holder is A. Perry, professional attached to the Leatlierland (Surrey) Club. He will seek the running again this year, knowing full well that the honour of winning the title two years in succession falls but to the select few. He is neither a Walter Hagen, nor a Bobby Jones, good golfer as he may be. His effort last year resulted in a card of 253 for the aggregate over the four rounds, equal to the lowest ever made in championship. It is true that he had a touch of luck here and there, but what golfer has not had such in a tournament of that type. If luck were to desert him rigidly he would have small chance. Critics predict that Perry should do well on the long and testing Hoylake course. He is a dashing player and can hit a good ball. It is freely suggested, however, that he is not the player likely to win the crown two years in succession.

Eyes on. Padgham.

To A. H. Padgham, Britain will look for the form which is to hold the title within the British sphere. He has made almost a clean sweep of tournaments in England this year. He was runnerup .to Perry last year and should turn the trick this time. Henry Cotton, who was regarded two years ago as almost unbeatable, has disappointed his public so often that they have lost confidence in him. It will be a pleasant surprise to his friends if he repeats his success of two years ago. None of the amateurs can be expected to win, but great interest will be taken in tho scores of Hector Thomson, amateur champion of Britain, Jim Ferrier, amateur champion of Australia, and Bobby Locke, amateur champion of South Africa. It may bo recalled that last year Lawson Little, at that time British amateur champion, made the best score in the British open ever returned by an amateur, with the singlo exception of Bobby Jones. He gave Messrs. Thomson, Ferrier and Locke a mark to aim at.

A Great Course.

Hoylake is one of Britain’s greatest courses and one of the greatest in the world. It lies among sandhills on a windy coast near Liverpool. At many holes it is terrifyingly easy to get out of bounds, so that the player who hopes to score well must be straight, and great length from the tee is as necessary as direction. It is in every sense of the word a masculine course, a fit battleground for the giants of the game. Bernard Darwin speaks of “this flat, historic expanse of Hoylake, blown up by mighty winds, breeder of mighty champions.” And again he says: “Surely no other course possesses a finish so tremendous, so punishing, so insistent on length as well as straightness, as is provided by the last five holes.” Well, long and difficult as Hoylake has always been, it is this year longer and more difficult than ever. In an effort to meet tho ingenuity of the ball manufacturer and the club maker .the Royal Liverpool Golf

Sarazen Will Be There,

FAMOUS TOURNEY TO BEGIN NEXT WEEK

Club has lengthened Hoylake to over 7000 yards, and the winning score will

bo awaited with much interest. The weather will have a lot to do with it, for if “the mighty winds" blow there will be some scores of the 72 holes that would almost satisfy an Australian eleven in a Test match. The open championship has been played at Hoylako sis times, and the winnsrs and their scores were:—

1807, H. H. Hilton 314 1902, A. Herd . . .... 307 1907, A. Massy 3jo 1913, J. If, Taylor 304 s 1924, W. Hagen 301 1930, B. T. Jones 291

Since 1930 both the club and the ball have been improved and championship scores have come down, but with the addition of 300 yards to- the length of the course it will not be easy for any-* body in the field to get under 290, especially if the weather is unfavour* able.

Some doubt has arisen in recent years as to whether the British open tournament could rightly lay claim to being the world's championship. American ascendancy over British golfers and the fact that the American open drew entries four times as numerous as the British suggested to some that the United States tourney automatically took pride of place. It was difficult to refute world status to America a year or so ago, but first Henry Cotton and then A. Perry disposed of the long held mastery which'Americans enjoyed over Britishers and although the United States event certainly draws a greater number of- entries, .the British championship has behind it a wealth of tradition and its character is de< finitely cosmopolitan.

This is what Gene Sarazcn has to say of it:—“ Since my prolonged jaunts through South America, the South Sea Isles and the Antipodes, many people have asked me if I think the British open championship still ranks above our own national open tournament. I havo always answered in the affirmative, not only because that is my honest opinion, but because in most parts of the world the winner of the British trophy is looked upon as tho outstanding player of the year, a player of undeniable international stature. The reasons for this belief, universal except in the United States, are manifold. The British open has an. historical background laden with tradition and prestige, running through centuries. It has produced 'many cele* brated masters of the game like John Ball, Harold Hilton, Vnrdon, Day, Braid, Herd and, by no means least, J. H. Taylor. It always has a distinct international flavour; in fact, its scope is widely cosmopolitan. When you win

tho British open, you not only have to defeat some of your own ambitious Americans but the greatest players of England and Scotland, Spain, Italy, Germany and France. The American open, on the other hand, is, for the most part, purely American. Golfers of other nations rarely compete in it. Nono of them ever come here expressly to play in our t urnament.”

Sarazen went on to express satisfaction that the long run of American successes was broken by Cotton in 193-1 and that Perry carried on the victories in their own land,” wroto Gene, “were happy interruptions of our many successful invasions because they have promoted a better international situation. England’s own are * now on their toes, confident and sel-f assured. They will not be easy to take any more.” Sarazen, as it happens, will be in the field at Hoylake this year, and, as always, a formidable contender.