GOLF TOPICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21982, 13 December 1934, Page 21

GOLF TOPICS

BRITISH AMATEUR TEAM MATCHES AT MIDDLEMORE VISITORS' GREAT RECORDS Much interest is being taken in the match between the British amateur team and an Auckland side at Middlemore on Saturday. The Honourable Michael Scott, captain of the visiting team, was born in 1878. His clubs are Royal Cinque Ports, Royal St. Georges, Royal North Devon, Royal Melbourne and Rye. He was British amateur champion in 1933, open champion of Australia in 1904 and 1907, and amateur champion of Australia four times. He won the Victorian amateur title on seven occasions and the New South Wales title twice. He won the French amateur twice and captained the British Walker Cup team this year against America. J. McLean, born in 1911, a member of several Scottish clubs, is undoubtedly Britain's best amateur, and just prior to his departure for Australia won the Scottish amateur title for the third successive 'time, making his fifth major success in three years. After beating two .prominent Americans in this year's British afnateur championship he fell to James Wallace, who reached the final. j McLean was responsible for the most amazingly accurate golf produced by any amateur during the Melbourne Centenary contests and, with a series of overwhelming victories, annexed the Centenary amateur title. English critics say he only requires an extra twenty yards on his tee shot to. rank among the world's greatest players. L. G. Garnett, born in 1911, plays at Addington, Surrey, and led the amateurs; in the qualifying rounds of the. British open at St. Andrews iti 1933. He created a sensation in the British amateur at Prestwick this year when he defeated Goodman, holder of the American open title. • A colossal driver, in this match Jie gave an example of his power when, with a drive and a mashie he was through the green at the 12th "hole, 505 yards, and at the next hole, 461 yards, required only a niblick for bis second, and then holed a twenty-foot putt for three. He took Little, the ultimate winner, to the nineteenth in the semi-final and. frequently oiitdrove the long-hitting American. T. A. Bourn, born in 1902, plays at Sunningdale, St. Andrews, Rye. Royal St. Georges and West Hill. He won the French amateur title in 1928 and the English amateur in 1930. He played for England against Scotland and Ireland and represented Cambridge in 1923 and 1924. He is a masterly exponent with the mashie niblick. That the British team is not unbeatable the Australians, proved on November 12, when they won by four matches to two. In the singles McLean beat Ferrier, 8 and 7, Scott lost to McKay, 7 and 6, Garnett lost to Williams, 7 and 5, and Bourn lost to Ryan, 4 and 2, over 36 holes Scott and Garnett beat McKay and Williams, 3 and 1, in the foursomes and McLean and Bourn lost to Ferrier and Ryan, 6 and 5. Middlemore should be in splendid order for the contest as the greens have been kept watered and the rain that has fallen will revive the fairways. The American professionals who have swept the boards during their Australian visit will play at Titirangi on Tuesday next. WAITING ON TEES NOVEL STARTING DEVICE An electrical starting device to save golfers the trouble of hanging around the first tee, waiting for their turn to - drive off,- was . used -for -the first 'time at Sandy Lodge, England, when the Mount Vernon Hospital Cup competition was decided. A British product the machine consisted of a revolving table, on a stand near the tee. Competitors, having placed- a ball in the special numbered division, can wait in. the comfort of the club. # . The' mere action of removing from the turntable, the ball of the. player due to start signals the corresponding number in the clubhouse, and a buzzer calls attention to the' fact that a number is being changed. An ingenious arrangement makes it impossible to "gate-crash" a starting place on the turntable —even although there be a vacancy—earlier than that to which one is entitled.