GOLF TOPICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19349, 9 June 1926, Page 18

GOLF TOPICS.

ITEMS FROM OVERSEAS. CHIEF EVENTS IN ENGLAND. EX-AUCKLANDER'S SUCCESS. It is a pity that Miss Olive Kay, the remarkable young golfer, who won the Auckland ladies' provincial championship on the Titirangi links last year, is unable to defend her title during the present meeting. Miss Kay is now living in Dunedin. For one so young —she is only 17— Miss Kay has a wonderful drive. According to the golf correspondent of the Daily Mail, one of the features of amateur golf in England this season has been the form of H. D. Gillies, the ex-Auck-lander, who has been playing as well as in any of those seasons, some 12 or 15 years ago, when he was always among the favourites for the amateur championship. His displays as leader of the Oxford and Cambridge team during the tour which they made in Lancashire and Cheshire surprised northern golfers. The tit-bit of the tour was his match at Birkdale against Samuel Robinson, runner-up in last year's English championship. The omission of Robinson from the British preparatory team for the Walker Cup match against the United States had been regarded in the north as inexplicable. Many sporting wagers were made at odds of 2 to 1 on Robinson that, with his knowledge of the course, he would beat the Walker Cup nominee. But Gillies, who went round in *74, in spite of two won by 3 and 2. His success is the more noteworthy for the reason that his work as a consulting surgeon gives him only occasional opportunities for practice on the links. A Remarkable Incident. There was a remarkable incident in the match between the Army Golfing Society and St. Andrews .recently. It was a fourball match, Colonel Howard and Lt.-Col-onel Buchanan Dunlop playing against J. Rodger and J. Mackie, hit full iron shots for their second to the 16th green. Each thought he had to play his ball first and, hidden by a bunker, they struck their shots simultaneously.

The balls, about 20 yards from the pin and five feet in the air, met with great force and dropped on either side of the hole five yards apart. Golf balls driven by players in opposite directions have been known to meet in mid-air, but this is believed to be the first occasion oil record of the balls coming in contact when hit by players going to the same hole,, Important Events in Britain.

The golfing eyes of the world are at present turned toward England, where all the Chief fixtures are taking place. In addition to the British open and amateur championships, many important tournaments are arranged. Among these is the Evening, Standard £IOOO professional tournament, which will take place next Friday and Saturday. Play will be over 36 holes—one round on the morning of each day—and a special system of awarding points for each stroke will be adopted. The afternoon of each day will be devoted to matches of exceptional interest. On Friday there will be a repetition of the famous England v. Scotland game of 1905, Harry Yardon and J. H. Taylor (England) meeting James Braid and Alex. Herd (Scotland) in a foursome, and on ; the following day C. J. H. Tolley, the amateur ex-champion, and Abe Mitchell will represent Great Britain in a four-ball match against Bobby Jones, the American amateur champion, and Jim Barnes, the Cornish-American professional, who holds the English open championship. Hazards at Titirangi. The position at the Titirangi course concerning hazards calls for prompt action by the controlling committee. Up to this year the rule has been clear: the list of hazards included the* Whau stream, the road across the line to the second and thirteenth holes, the hoise paddock, the gully across the line to the sixth hole, all scrub, rushes and fern in the rough, and all trees. Apparently, with a view to clearing up any doubt about some parts of the rough, the card this year has dropped everything in that list after the horse paddock and substituted "such portions of the course as are marked with white pegs." That is excellent as far as it goes, but it does not go far, for no- pegs have been pluced anywhere. The more experienced players are naturally and properly following the old rules until the pegs appear, but the long-handicap men, not so versed in the history of the course or the fundamental rules of the fame, are prone to treat nothing as azurd except the three restricted regions named on the card. The natural hazards of the Titirangi course contribute much to its excellence, and to permit a paretice tha't makes light of the difficulties presented where scrub, rushes and fern are growing is very foolish. It is really no kindness to the younger players to remit penalties for grouding in what others rightly treat as nazards, and the committee should either revert to the well-established rule or put in the pegs. . . R. A. ROSE IN ENGLAND. CHAMPIONSHIP PREPARATION General gratification will be felt throughout New Zealand at the initial success of R. A. Rose in the three miles scratch race for the Atalanta Cup. in Essex. Rose's time, 15m 18 l-ss, may be regarded as distinctly good, considering the circumstances, and, moreover, it shows that he has regained his "land legs" after a sea voyage which was something of an ordeal to him. The Masterton runner still has plenty of time to become us'ed to his new environment before the. British championships on July 3, and he should then be registering times quite in keeping with his three miles record of 14m 45 l-ss. A New York newspaper to hand contains an interesting letter wirtten by J. V. Scholz while he and L. Hahn were in New Zealand! Scholz is loud in his praise of New Zealand sport and sportsmanship, and after referring to his own efforts, adds: "There is a man here named Rose, who is the best distance runner that New Zealand has ever produced. Rose's real distance is three miles or over, but he has recently been training for the mile and has turned in some mighty fast times. Ho and Hahn have met twice. Lloyd won the first time in 4m 18 3-ss. and Rose won the second race in 4m 26 4-ss. "There was a heavy wind blowing on the second occasion which was all in Rose's favour, as he is a big powerful runner. They meet again to-moru-ow, for the third time, but if the conditions arn fair, Lloyd will not have the least trouble in winning. I will hold the letter open till to-morrow." As is well-known, Scholz's prophesy was not fulfilled. "Rose turned out to be better than 1 expected," Scholz adds in a postscript. "He won from Lloyd in a great race. Lloyd is very evidently not. in shape yet, but Rose, nevertheless, is a great runner and I am convinced is one of the world's best at a mile or over. ■ I believe his future performances will jusuiy a visit to the United States." .... mm:-