GOLF CHAMPION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22149, 1 July 1935, Page 9

GOLF CHAMPION

A. PERRY'S SUCCESS BRITISH OPEN TITLE PADGHAM RUNNER-UP By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON, June 2B The British open golf championship at Muirfield, Scotland, was won to-day by A. Perry, professional to the Leatherhead Club, Surrey. His score of 283 equalled the record aggregates of Gene Sarazen in 1932 and Henry Cotton in 1934. Perry was 144 (69 and 75), compared with Charles Whitcombe's 139 at the end of the second round on Thursday, at which stage Cotton and A. H. Padgham were 142. Perry finished the third and fourth rounds to-day with 67 and 72. Perry, Padgham and Whitcomhe established British golfing prestige, a British trio heading the field for the first time. Since 1920 the scoring had not been better. Perry eliminated Whitcombe's lead with 32 on the outward journey in the third round. Ho continued to play machine-like golf. He started tho /ourth round with a six, causing everybody to predict that lie would crack up. Nevertheless, he reeled off par figures and finished courageously. At the seventeenth (513 yards) he drove into the rough, took a spoon and crashed the ball to the green for a "birdie" four. First Win In Big Tournament Meanwhile Whitcombe had succumbed to the strain and made more errors than he normally does in a week. Cotton had a chance when he turned in 35, but was twice bunkered. Perry had not hitherto won a major tournament. In the third round he went out in 5, 4, 4, 3, 4, 3, 2, 3, 4. The sixth, seventh and eighth were miraculous holes. His homeward figures read 5, 4, ,4, 2, 4, 4, 3, 5, 4. Perry, who is 30 years old, commenced golfing as a left-hander and only recently began to learn all over again as a right-hander. He is purely a selftaught golfer. Padgham was runner-up, his third and fourth rounds being 74 and 71, making his aggregate 287. Scores of Leading 26 Players

Following are the final scores of the first"'26 players:— 3rd 4th AggreRound Round gate A. Perry .... .67 72 283 A. H. Padgham . 74 71 287 C. A. Whitcombe . 73 76 288 Bert Gadd .... 71 71 289 Lawson Little (U.S.) 74 69 289 Picard (U.S.) . . 72 75 292 Cotton 76 75 293 Easterbrook . . • • 74 71 293 Cox .... 77 75 297 Boomer 75 77 297 Alliss ...... 75 75 298 E. R. Whitcombe . . 74 78 299 Mcdonald Smith Lucas : ■ • • • W 81 300 Holland 78 77 301 Brews 75 74 302 R. A. Whitcombe . . 75 82 303 Hodson ....... 79 72 303 Da vies 76 75 303 Dailey . . * . . • • '6 i*o4 Havers .y w . . 76 76 300 Sweeny . . > . . . 82 80 307 McLean ...*•• 75 81 307 Mcßuvie ...... 81 /8 308 Compston ..• •79 80 308 Ezar (U.S.) .... 80 80 311

Alfred Perry, the new British open golf champion, was born at Coulsdon, Surrey, on October 8, 1904. His chief previous success was in leading the field in the Surrey open championship in 1931, 1933 and 1934. He represented England in 1932-33 against Scotland and Ireland and was also a member of the 1933 Ryder Cup team which defeated the United States at Southport. In the qualifying rounds of this year's event Perry, with a total of 152, had little to spare, but in the first round of the championship he played a brilliant 69 to tie with Macdonald Smith for second place, Cotton leading with a 68. A 75 in the next round put him five strokes behind C. Whitcombe, who returned a 68, but a splendid third round of 67 enabled him to take his place at the head of the field. At this stage the leaders' totals were: —Perry 211, Whitcombe 212, Padgham 216, Picard (United States) 217. To win this championship it appears to be necessary to better fours and to play at least one round under 70. Perry's third round of 67 was a wonderful effort. The fact that the field engaged was, perhaps, somewhat weaker than in previous years in no way detracts from the merit of his success. On the same course in 1929 Walter Hagen, who was then in his prime, won with a total 292 - , xl. Previous winners of the open title since the war, with their scores, are: — 1920 —G. Duncan 302 1921 —J. Hutchison . . • • 296 1922 —W. Hagen 300 1923—A. G. Havers . . . • 290 1924 W. Hagen 301 1925 J. Barnes 30U 1926 R. T. Jones 291 1927 R. T. Jones 280 1928 W. Hagen . . . . < • 292 1929 W. Hagen -92 1930 R. T. Jones 291 1931 T. D. Armour . . • • 296 1932 G. Sarazen 1933—D. Shute 291934 T. H. Cotton . . • • 283 In 1921 and 1922, and from 1924 to 1933, the winners were Americans.