GOLF CHAMPION'S LUCK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21233, 13 July 1932, Page 6

GOLF CHAMPION'S LUCK.

TAKING A FATHER'S ADVICE,

"YOU MUST NOT WORK."

THE GAME BEFORE BUSINESS

John de Forest, of Addington, won the British amateur golf championship a t Muirfield, Edinburgh, on May 28, beating Eric Fiddian by three holes up an d on , to play in the 3§ c holes final. He is the first man to be a golf champion because his father insisted that he must, say s Mr Patrick Murphy in the Daily Express While John playedjn the cold and rain at Muirfield his fathtsr, Baron de Forest the millionaire financier, politician a „d sportsman, sat by the wireless in his villa at Biarritz chuckling. John was winninc a championship because he had made him play golf. When John had won Mr. Murphy tele, phoned to the Baron to tell him the news. His chuckle was the first thing that the listener heard.

"Oh! Thanks very much,-it is very kind of you," said the pleased father' "Now you see the value of persistence' I am very pleased with John. He is a good golfer and I am glad he has won. But he would most certainly never have become champion had I not insisted upon him sticking to golf. He will now be glad he did not stick to business but, like a good fellow, did as I asked him, and went on with his golf.

"You see, the one thing I did not want my boys to develop, was the capacity to loaf. John is exceptionally good at games. He has a wonderful eye and an amazing nerve. At business he has shown anything but genius. He likes a good time and all that sort of thing. "Anyway, I could see that h e would never develop into a great business man, so I told him that I would not giye hira a liberal allowance unless he did stick to golf. "Like a good fellow, he did for a while and then he refused. So he went into business." Actually John de Forest' was a van. driver at one period of this venture into business. His father continued:—"Well, he found business, such aa it was, etill less interesting than golf. So he threw up business and agreed to play golf. You see the result of my persistence." , Again the deep chuckle came over the telephone.

"He deserves all the credit in the world, but I must claim a certain measure of it for my persistence in making him play."

The famous millionaire, one of the richest and best-known men in Europe, seemed to be utterly content. "And now that he has won, baron, are you going to make him any special present to reward his pluck and skill?" he was asked.

The baron's chuckle became a hearty laugh. "Ha! ha! I think you must Jet me give John the first news about anything like that. I think he may be glad he did not remain*in business."