Locke’s Amazing Golf

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 55, 7 March 1939, Page 10

Locke’s Amazing Golf

THE TRANSVAAL OPEN TITLE When Bobby Locke, fresh from his overseas triumphs, played the first two rounds of the Transvaal open golf championship in the low figures of 66 and 69 it was thought that he touched the peak of his form and set a new standard of play in the Union. But remarkable as these scores were, he eclipsed them with another 66 and a positively astounding last round of 64. This gave him an aggregate of 265, which, on a course of 7031 yards, is probably not merely a South African record, but without equal in the whole history of golf on championship courses, says a South African paper. The significance of his extraordinary brilliance is tho fact that in a field of first-class players he won by the huge margin of 26 strokes, and that no other competitor managed to beat 70 in the whole of the four rounds. There was a time in world golf when Bobby Jones declared that level fours was good enough to w r in any championship. But the youthful South Afrecan Bobby has set a higher standard than that with his score at GJendower. This young golfing wizard from Brakpau was 23 strokes under fours lor the four rounds and 35 strokes under the standard scratch score. Merely for the sake of comparison it may be mentioned that W. Lawson Little set up a record of 271 in the Canadian open championship in 1936 which amazed tho golfing world, and Jim Ferrier did 266 in the New South Wales open in 1935, while listed among the outstanding American performances is Emmett French's 274 in winning the Ohio open, but that over a course only of 6400 yards in length. The South African record was Locke’s 277 in the South African open at Maccauvlci last Easter. Dominating Figure. From the first hole he played,, a glorious three at a somewhat easy par five, Locke simply dominated the championship, but remarkably as he played the first day ho showed later that he was capable of greater things. His play need not be described since it would merely be a monotonous record of flawless strokes. He kept swinging his club in that wide-grooved arc with the mechanical efficiency of a robot and had tne largo gallery spellbound with his length and his accuracy. The figures of his morning round ot 66 tell their own story better than any description of play can do. Ho played tho round with a two on his card, which is just about perfect golf —he had 31 putts. It was thought that this performance in the critical third round might leave him exhausted, in the home stretch, but so far from leaving him jaded it merely inspired him to greater heights. He strolled round the course, seemingly oblivious to tho hundreds of excited spectators milling around him, a stooping figure with his boyish features lined w r ith concentration. Only One Five in 26 Holes. From the second hole of the afternoon round, when outdriven some 20 yards from the tee by his partner, A. W. Rolfc, Locke took his shallow-faced spoon and hit the ball high in tho air sft. past the pin to hole his putt for a three at a 500 yards hole, everybody anticipated the sensational. He just failed to get his two at the short third and at the fourth (461 yards) ho used a five iron to hit tho ball at tbe flag with the accuracy of a rifle shot. He only had to hole a 4ft. putt for another three. Such was the amazing accuracy of his shots to the pin that he made putting easy, but he showed his delightful putting touch in trickling down a ten-yarder for a two at the sixth and at that stage was five under fours. He had his first five in 26 holes of play at the eighth, where he slightly pushed out his second into a drain at the side of the green at.this 520 yards

hole. Unruffled, ho chipped out to about 7ft. of the pit, and his putt fox a four hovered on tho edge of the cup. Locke was out iu 32 and started back with three fours, but after a superb second at the 490 yards I3th be holed a 12-footer for a three. Ho took a five at the long 15th, but two more threes were followed by his smashing a mashio niblick shot, his 63rd of the round, on to the green at the 18th (440 yards). With his usual deliberation he proceeded to hole the 9ft. putt for another three and a round of 64. Wonder of the Round. Locke had 29 putts in the round, which reflected exceedingly fine putting when it is considered that several more putts might have dropjjed. But the wonder of the round was the accuracy o l his shots to the green, which gave him so little putting to do. Great golfer that ho is and greater golfer that he may become, Locke may never again play four rounds in such amazing figures.