GOLF TOPICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19976, 19 June 1928, Page 13

GOLF TOPICS.

AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP. BRITISH PLAYERS COMPETE. LEADING EXPONENTS OF YEAR. BY FAIRWAY. The present month will witness the most important events of the American golfing calendar this year. On Thursday the American open championship commences on the Olvmpia Fields course, Chicago, and the mid-America open is to ho played from June 24 to 26 at Lakewood, Kansas. Four leading British professionals are reported to have entered for the American event, namely, Compston, Boomer, Mitchell and Havers. George Duncan may enter, too. Mitchell has also entered, along with Walter Hagen, for the midAmerica open, while it is probable the other British players will go to Kansas, too. Of course, the championship at Chicago overshadows all other golfing events of the year, and it is particularly interesting to find the foremost British golfers scheduled to be there. Compston, Boomer and Mitchell should all make good showings. The Canadian Championship. The Canadian open championship will be played at the course of the llosedale Golf Club, " Toronto, from July 5 to 7, and it is probable most of the leading players in the American event will be present. Last year it was immediately after he had won the American national title that Tommy Armour won the Canadian honour as well. He will be defending these two titles during the next week or two in a field of competitors which becomes more formidable every year. Obviously, Armour will be ono of the favourites for the championship, and he has an early and successful season behind him. But there are others who have surpassed Armour in their golfing achievements during the early part of 1928 and, on the basis of figures and performances, some of these should precede the reigning champion as favourites. In view of this fact, 1 propose to review the American golf season from January to April, 1928, and to comment upon the star performers, their figures and their averages. America's Winter Golf. The period from January to April, inclusive, is called in America the winter golf season. It opened this year as usual with the opulent Los Angeles tournament with 10,000 dollars, of prize money, and it closed in April 'with the Richmond open and then the international four-ball championship at Miami, Florida. During this period the professional tournament players visited 16 cities and travelled about 10,000 miles. About 100,000 spectators watched their play in the 16 or more tournaments.

The highest single prize given in any of these tournaments was the first award, amounting to £IOOO, in the La Gorce tournament, Miami. This was won by Johnny Farrell, thanks to his unique final round of 63, which gave him the lead with an aggregate of 274, while Bobby Cruickshank was 276. But the principal prize-winner throughout, this period was the Scot-American, Macdonald Smith, closely followed by Sarazen, Farrell, Cruickshank, Mehlhorn and Armour. These . six are the first flight of American professional golfers, judged by tournament, result in the earlv part of 1928. Altogether the six of them won about £SBOO during the four months. Smith alone won £ISOO and Farrell's takings just about equal that amount. Smith played in nine tournaments, was first in three, second in two, and third and fourth in two more. Farrell played iD eight, was first twice ana second and third in two other tournaments. Mehlhorn had a particularly successful season, finishing first in no fewer than three tournaments and collecting about £7OO in prize-money. The Favourites. Any of these six might find the inspiration working .at the right time to enable him to win the national title, but the favourites, I think, are Smith and Farrell. Sarazen won the title in 1922 and Armour holds it at present. Ihe others have not yet won it. They have one more chance this month, but the competition gets keener every year. A second group of leading players is as follows :—Harrv Cooper, Al. Wafrous, Al. Espinosa, Billy Burke, -Toe Kirkwood atid Henry Ciuri. Jt is worth while noticing all of those names, some of which are new to us, as we shall probably meet with them all again. They won about £SOO each., which would enable them to clear their expenses and have a little over. The following figures are interesting:— Smith played 34 rounds, his average per round was 72.06: Farrell, 30 , 72.4; Sarazen, 18, 71.4; Harry Cooper. 30, 72.6; .Toe Kirkwood, 20, 72.4; Al. Watrous. 28, 72.7; Bobby Cruickshank, 42, 73.14; Tommy Armonr, 36, 73.3. Smith the Leading Player. Giving 5 points for a first, 4 points for a second, 3 for a third, 2 for fourth, and 1 for fifth, the following are the totals achieved as points by some of the chief players:—Smith, 28 points; Mehlhorn, 22; Espinosa, 20; Cruickshank, Farrell, Sarazen, 17; Armour, Kirkwood, 13. Forty-eight rounds wore actually played in the tournaments proper. The average score per round of* all the winners was 71.5, the highest winning aggregate 297, and the lowest 274. In view of the facts given above, and keeping in mind the names of the players who have been in the lead throughout the early part of this season, we find it useful now to remind ourselves of the leading scorers in the American open championship a year ago. We must remember. too, that Oakmount in .Tune last was probably the most difficult course which had ever housed the event. Here are last year's leading scorers in the opsc :—Armour, 301: Cooper, 301; Sarazen, 302: French, 304; Mehlhorn, 305; Hasten, 307; Hampton, Farrell. 308. The British professionals playing in the Ryder Cup match also competed. Their figures and positions were as follows;—Compston. 308, equal eichth place; Havers, 310. equal tenth; Ray, 314. equal fourteenth; Boomer, 316, equal sixteenth. This month, however, Compston. Boomer, Mitchell and Havers have crossed the Atlantic, with the American open specially in view. Smith, who was not playing particularly well last year, scored 311.