GOLF TOPICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19947, 16 May 1928, Page 16

GOLF TOPICS.

AUCKLAND CLUB MATCHES. CAPTAIN'S PRIZE TOURNEY. MANY INTERESTING CONTESTS.

Conditions for golf on Saturday were very similar to those prevailing on the previous Saturday; the sky was often overcast, while an easterly wind increased as the day went on. The members of the Auckland Golf Club took part in the first round of the captain's prize tourney, handicap match play, which is without doubt, the most popular competition of the season. The links at Middlemore were in firstclass order, and on the whole favoured the long-handicap player. Later in the competition, when the course is almost certain to bo heavier, the scratch men—if any of thsm survive—will have the advantage from the point of view of length and also from the nature of the shots required to be played, which will be more difficult than at the present time. With the exception of one or two, the matches were fought to very close finishesPerhaps the outstanding event of the day was the sound defeat administered to J. P. Aldred by A. W. Gillies. Although Gillies has beeu playing good golf lately, it was not expected he would so convincingly defeat Aldred, who was one of the favourites. However, these things will happen, another case being that of R. D. Wright, who went down to G. R. Palmer. Stymie on Last Green. Perhaps the most keenly fought match was that between R. O. Gardner and H. P. Richmond. From the outset, both players produced their best golf, Gardner going round in 75, to win on the last green, where a stymie robbed Richmond of an almost certain chance to even up matters.

H. A. Joyce struck a formidable opponent in V. W. Wilson. Playing very steady golf, Wilson reeled off a succession of six fours on the way home, which proved too good for Joyce, who was not playing up to his form, of the previous Saturday, when he finished 4 up on bogey. Dr. Brown v.-as not playing np to his usual form, with the result that be did not run J. E. Russell as closie as was anticipated. On the other hand, Russell was on his garie, and taking the lead at the first hole, was never headed. The match finished on the 16th green, 3 up and 2. If Russell can maintain his present form, he has a fine chance of going through to the finaL He will meet B. C. Hart in the next round.

The Bartleet-Colbeck game was not productive of good golf. On the way out, the players took turn about at winning holes, <md the match was all square at the 9th. Bartleet won the 10th, but his lead was short-lived, for the exchange of holes continued until the 16th. Here Colbeck missed a comparatively short putt, which ultimately cost him the match. The next two holes being halved in 5, left Bartleet a winner 1 up. W. Geddes is always an unknown quantity and he lived up to his reputation on Saturday. Although he made his first appearance on the links this season he successfully accounted for P. J. Western. The players finished all square the first time round, and the game had to be played again, Geddes winning, 2 and 1. Of the 96 players who entered in the competition, 48 now remain. After next Saturday, when the competition will be continued, the number will bo reduced to 24. And so it will go <on, until the last two left fight out the finaL

Notes Prom Glendowie. The Glendowie links have improved greatly this season, and as a result the standard,of play has advanced accordingly. Among the junior members some good talent is noticeable and it is only a matter of time when the Glendowie Club should be able to place a fairly formidable team in the field.

✓ The standard set by the senior players is not very high compared with that of the other two leading Auckland clubs. However, something better may be expected in the future as the result of a 12hole putting green, which has just been completed, affording players an opportunity to practise. Thanks are due to Mr. Hall, a member of the committee, for his services in the construction of the putting green. Of the seniors Trice, Kissling. Ching. Goodwin and Allcott are showing good form at present, and appear to have equal chances for the championship honours. The present holder is R. R. Kissling, who defeated M. Ching in the final Tast year. Last Saturday a four-ball bogey competition was played and resulted in a win for F. Trice and Dr. Horton, 4 up on bogey. Ching, without the aid of a partner, finished 3 up on his own, a very fine performance.

TENNIS IN ENGLAND. SERIOUS DECLINE EVIDENT. England has slipped from her higb place in the tennis world and many regrets have been expressed and many reasons attributed as the cause. Be these right or wrong, a clear picture of her decadence in man's tennis is shown by the final eight players at the Wimbledon championship in the past 10 years. From 1919 to 1921 each year three English players reached the final eight; in 1922 five competed; in 1923 four took part; in 1924 one represented England; in 1925 and 1926 there were two each year; and in 1927 no English player entered the final rounds. The English council is concerned, with this decline and strenuous efforts are being made to cope with the fault. INTERNATIONAL SOCCER, SCOTLAND'S FINE EFFORT. Many glowing tributes have been .>aid to the play of the Scottish team which so decisively defeated England in this year's Soccer international at Wembley. It has been generally accepted that the team which represented Scotland in 1900 was the best side ever fielded, but J. T. Robinson, who captained the team in that year, considered the preseut Scottish team superior in everv department. Other members of the 1900 team who were present at "his year's game thought that it was a triumph for science over brawn. Fears were expressed in Scotland before the game that the diminutive forward line chosen would be unable to cope with the solid and hefty English defence. That the attack fully merits the term of midgets is borne out by the height of the five members:—A. Jackson, sft. lOin.; J. Dunn, sft. 6in.: H. Gallacher, sft. Sin.; A. James, sft. 65-in.; A. J. Morton, sft. 4jin. Thac England was not only defeated, but bewildered, is in itsc-lf a wonderful tribute to both selectors and players. Critics in some of the leading sporting papers have declared the Scottish play to be the finest exhibition of football ever seen.

Eight of the eleven players chosen to represent Scotland were playing for English league clubs and five of the twentytwo players in the game were members of the Huddersfield Town Club«i