GENERAL SPORTS NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22429, 27 May 1936, Page 21

GENERAL SPORTS NEWS

LONG GOLF DRIVING LOSS ON CRICKET TOUR ROWING ASSOCIATES' CLUB C. Stringfellow, an All Black in 1929 and a prominent figure in interprovincial football for a long time for Wairarapa, is still playing in that district as centre tkrcequarter for his club.

While in the United States the New Zealand wrestler King Elliot spent two and a-half months under Ted Thye, receiving a special course of instruction, and later won 38 matches out of 50 in that country.

Practising at St. Andrews for the British amateur golf championship to be decided on that course, Jim Ferrier, the well-known Australian, holed at the fifth, a distance of 520 yards, in two strokes—a drive and a No. 3 iron, par of the hole being five strokes.

Hedley Verity, Yorkshire and England left-hand slow bowler, made his first century when he scored 101 for Yorkshire against Jamaica in a five days' match at Kingston, in which Yorkshire led off by making 556 runs for nine wickets.

The Hon. W. E. Parry, M.P., Minister of Internal Affairs, has accepted tho position of president of the Newton Rugby League Club. The office was made vacant by the elevation of Mr. J. A. Lee, Under-Secretary to the Prime Minister, to tho position of president of the Auckland Rugby League.

No fewer than eight double-faults were served by Kay Stammers, prominent English player, when Rene Mathieu, of France, beat her, 6—2, B—6,8 —6, in the final of the women's singles at tho Cap d'Antibes lawn tennis tournament on the Riviera recently. The double-faults cost the English girl her chance of winning.

A peculiar accident happened to C. Granger, the Union team's wing-.three-quarter, during a recent Rugby match in Dunedin with Southern, which caused the player to leave the field for a few moments in the first spell. Granger bit through the inside of his lower lip and could not release his teeth, and some difficulty was experienced in giving him relief when he received medical attention in the dressing room.

Japan's professional golf champion, Toda, surprised American critics by finishing equal second in the £SOO Hollywood open championship recently. Victor Ghezzi, of Deal, New Jersey, won the title with an aggregate of 276. Toda and Tony Penna, of Pensacola, Florida, tied for second place, with 277 each. After a first round of 73, Toda had two splendid rounds of G8 each.

A loss of about £2500 is expected on the M.C.C. tour of Australia and New Zealand, which has just concluded. Mr. A. T. Donnelly, chairman of the New Zealand Management Committee, testified to the popularity of the touring team and said it was no fault of theirs that the tour had resulted in a financial loss. E. It. T. Holmes ; captain of the M.C.C. side, in reviewing the tour, said that the New Zealand team will provide strong opposition when it next tours England.

Public interest in Rugby League club matches is uncommonly keen, and attendances at all the grounds, including thoso in the suburbs, beyond expectations and increasing, says a Sydney writer. This, and the fact "that in New South Wales there will be put in a fine set of backs, behind good forwards, for the English and inter-State matches, suggests that attendances may go close to records.' For a match with Sydney the record is 62,256, with gate takiugs of £5739. For a test (1932) it is 70,204, with gate takings of £6503.

Jirn Ferrier, the Australian amateur golf champion, had the fortune to draw a bye in the first round of the British amateur championship, which commenced at St. Andrews on Monday. There are 268 entries. Ferrier will probably meet Francis, who is known as "the" millionaire golfer," in the second round. Francis has been practising solidly at Nice. Others in the same section as Ferrier include Jack McLean, the Melbourne Centenary amateur champion, and tho Walker Cup players, Storey and Crawley.

A function of considerable interest to all rowing enthusiasts will be held in the Auckland Rowing Club's boatshed next Saturday evening. This will be the first annual smoke concert of the recently-formed Old Members and Associates' Club, organised by the Auckland Rowing Club. The Auckland Club is to be commended on its efforts in forming this club, and it would be of great benefit to the sport in general if all the clubs had a senior body of this description. Australia has many such clubs, principally in Sydney and Melbourne. The president of the newlyformed club, Mr. H. O. Wiles, will preside on Saturday evening.

Teams representing Ponsonby football clubs are doing well in all three codes in Auckland—Rugby, League and Soccer. The Ponsonby Rugby team has a clear lead in its championship, while the League and Soccer teams are equal in the lead with another team in their respective spheres. The teams all had wins last Saturday and there was a remarkable similarity in connection with the result of the match in each case. The Ponsonby Rugby team beat University by 26 points to 16, a total of 42 points altogether; the League team defeated Mount Albert by 22 points to 20, also a total of 42 points; and the Soccer team won 4 —2 against Thistle.

; Much of the poor putting prevalent in golf to-day is duo to grasping the [ putter shaft too tightly, says a Victorian writer. Nearly all golfers who have received acclaim for their putting grip the club lightly. They may vary their methods of striking the ball, but their gvip is uniformly delicate. This enables them fo stroke gently, using a smooth back-swing and follow through. Bobby Jones, who was noted for the strength of his hands, which could hold a club firmly, no matter how thick the divot, had a most gentle grip with his putter. Ted Ray provides another example. He was a big golfer whose angular body often made him appear awkward through the fairway, but once on the green he handled tho putter delicately and accurately. Remember that on slow or wet greens a tighter grip is advisable for best results.

I Captain W. Percy, president of tho Heme Bay Junior Sailing Club, who left for Sura by the Niagara last night to take up a positron as pilot, was the recipient of a presentation from the officers and members of tho Home Bay Club. In asking Captain Percy to accept a set of silver serviette rings for himself and Mrs. Percy, tho eominodoro, Mr. G. Donnes, thanked Captain Percy for tho interest he had taken in the welfare of the club and the practical assistance he had given tho junior members in handling and also rigging their boats. Captain Percy said lie had been connected with the sea all his life and his interest in the sport of yachting was a labour of love. Both Mrs. Percy and himself appreciated the gift from the club and ho would be pleased to take away with him a set of plans of the Silver Fern one-design class, which he would place before the Suva Yacht Club. Captain Percy's son was presented with a prize which he won during the season in The Hiker.