GOLF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19041, 11 June 1925, Page 6

GOLF.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. AUCKLAND MEN REGRADED. pLay and players overseas. Is the game of golf making progress* in New Zealand? Numerically, yes. The •majority of the clubs throughout the Dominion are showing greatly increased membership this season. The question of improvement in the standard of play i&> however, more difficult to answer. It is safe to say, at any rate, that the general improvement in play is not keeping pace with the number of additions to golfiug ranks. The number of plus men in pioportion to the number of players is far too low. The policy of tho Now Zealand Golf Council in inducing good professionals to come to this country is certain to have a beneficial effect,on the quality of the golf. -At tho present time however, too many golfers are contented to play a mediocro gamo without earnestly striving to improve it, The Auckland Golf Club has readjusted the handicaps of its members and us a re suit there are now no plus players in Auckland. H. B. Lusk, J. L. Ciark and G. -F: Colbeck are on scratch while E. V. Wright is on tho one mark. Hagon's New Ambition. Apropos of tho British open championship, the golf correspondent of the London Observer says that Hagen, the British open champion, is fired by a new ambition. He is credited with the desire, amounting almost to a passion, to compile a record in tho British championship that will equal, or even surpass, that held by [Vardon, who hr.s six victories to his credit, or, failing that, to equal the achievements of Braid or Taylor, each with five successes. This is a big order, so big, in fact, that I cannot contemplate, even in the wildest form of imagination, any other, man but Hagen believing in the probability of such a feat. It is not conceded that he is the world's greatest living golfer, but it can be admitted that he is the finest showman that the game haa ever seen. Ho certainly creates and surrounds hiinself with an atmosphere that produces the effect that he most desires, and if it deceives some people, more especially the opposition, that, from his point of view, is something gained. The evidence supplied in tho last three championships. two of which ho won, and one lie lost by a shot, showed pretty clearly . that his estimate of the strength of the enemy was not a very high one. His motto:. "I can and. will win," was never once lost sight of. > After the Council of the English LadiesGolf Union had made the draw for the ladies' opfch championship, thay considered the question of a competitor who had been disqualified for returning an incorrectly-marked card at an open meeting hold by the Dorset Golf Club, Broadstone. last October. Legal arguments were heard, and the meeting then proceeded to deliberate in camera. Later it was announced that the union had decided that the competitor had been properly disqualified, and that sho should be suspended for-.three years.. . .., ir : : Broieasionals vi Amateurs'. 1 r "* u

Iri a recent match -between the amateurs, aritl professionals of Victoria, the amateurs captured the first, third and fourth places. The event was a scratch one and the leading dozen scores over thirty-six holes were:—A. W. Jackson, 72, 78 —150; *W. L. Spicer, 72, 79—151; W. B Tuntiridge. 75, 77-152; Alex. Russell, 79, 74—153 A. Lo Fevre, 73, 81—154; ♦R. Jupp, 78, 76—154; 'W. Baldwin, 75, 79—1.54; "Rowley Banks, 79, 75—155; •W; 'lsles! 78, 7&—156; N. E. Lockhart, •80, .76—156; W.' S. Nankivell, 81, 75 156; *E. Wood, 77, 80—157. ("Denotes professional.)' M'iPlus fours are not restricted to tho men any longer on links. They are worn on tho municipal links by tall and medium iladies and to-day they ■ are 'said/to bo about to appear, on several t of the private courses. The following have been British ama- ' l>>ur champions since the resumption of the event at the tarmination of the Great y War:—l92o, C. J. H. Tolleyl92l, W. I. Hunter; 1922, Sir Ernest Holderness; 1923, R. Wethered; 1024, Sir Ernest Holderness; 1925, R. Harris. George .'Duncan and Abo Mitchell, the two professionals, beat Sir Ernest Holderness, last year's amateur champion, and T. A. Torrence," the Scots and British ' international player, by five and three in a 36-hole four-ball match at Sandy Lodge •recently. As the game was contested on level terms no disgrace attaches to the amateurs for the margin of their defeat. •Against; Britain's two best professional golfers the amateurs could hardly expect to win. As an experiment the match was exceedingly interesting, and attracted a large crowd, who' witnessed some wonderful golf on the, part of the two profes- , siohals and Sir Ernest Holderness. Mr. Torrance did not .produce his best form, othervvis3 the result would have been much closer. When Sir Ernest required assistance his partner, unfortunately, was not always there to help him, whereas in the case of the professionals one or other was always at hand in an emergency. The best ball scores in the morning were Duncan and Mitchell, 69, and the amatenrs 71, while in the afternoon the professionals' figures were 68, as against their opponents' 70. Sir Ernest Holderness' round in tho afternoon was 71, Mitchell bc.'ng 70. • Wonderful Golf. A brilliant round by a hitherto little known player, George M. Turner, who beat the whole field of champions with a • record score o! 71, and a display by George Duncan and Arthur Havers—who were coupled—that thrilled the biggest crowd seen for several years at a London golf meeting were outstanding features of tho Southern qualifying competition for tho Daily Mail £I2OO tournament, says the Daily Mail Turner, who has made his first big mark in golf by his success in this competition, is a native of Troon, Ayrshire, where he played almost exclusively until ho became assistant to Herd at Ooombo Hill, Surrey,' in 1911. Ho is now 33r—a sturdily-built Scot, who has lost none of his native vernacular by residence in the South. It was only two years ago that he became a full-fledged professional. He was appointed then to the Guildford Club. He has such obvious golfing qualities, especially in the playing of iron shots up to the hole, that it may be assumed that he would have eomo tc the front sooner but for the severity of his war service., He was in France * for ■ nearly five years and was badly wounded four times. The feature of his game on this occasion was tho boldness and accuracy o£ his approaching with the mashie and tnashie-niblick. Eight times in the round he placed the ball within three yards of the hole with one or other of tlieso . clubs. Iu short, Turner gave him■■.■'V self very littlo putting to do. Ho got down from three yards for a 3 at tho 7th ! a,nd from five yards for a 3 at the 9th, On the other hand he took three putts from 3 yards at tho 13th and missed a yard putt at the 16th. after laying his .rriashio shot within that distance of the hole. ■ PAPAKURA V. WAITEMATA. A match between the Papakura and Waitemata Clubs will be played on Saturday on the Wftiteraata links. Following is the dra<v, Papaknra players being mentioned first:— Bloomfield; Smith v. R. Porter; E. Williamson v. Chilcctt; Rice v. W. Graham: M. O'Neill v. Rudce; Pavitt "" v. BroUgfaton; Elliott v. Henderson: J. O'Nellt v. J- Pnme; Milne v. G. Jack- . iion:,Breeche3r v O Whlin; T. McLennan v. li' -W* Griffiths; Q. Smith v» Haryey. »