YATES' SUCCESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23050, 30 May 1938, Page 9

YATES' SUCCESS

FIRST MAJOR TITLE \ THE NEW CHAMPION HATTERSLEY'S EFFORT FINE PERFORMANCE For the fourth time that ai£ American Walker Cup' team has visited Great Britain, one of its members has been successful in winning the British amateur championship. In 1926- J. Sweetzer was the winner and he was followed by 11. T. Jones in 1930 and Lawson Little in 1934. This year, however, seven of the last eight were British players and the prospects of a win for Great Britain in the Walker Cup contest, which is played next Friday and Saturday, are much brighter than in the past. The winner of the title was one of the least fancied of the American competitors and this is his first major championship success. In the United States he earned the reputation of being a "giant killer" as he has beaten many prominent players in the earlier rounds of tournament play. .

Yates is in his middle twenties and lie hails from Bobby Jones' home club, East Lake, Atlanta. He won the Georgia State championship at the ag9 of 17 and last year be was a finalist in the Southern championship. He was a member of the United States Walker Cup team in 1936, and in the singles defeated J. M. Dykes, the Scottish international, 8 and 7. In the championship just concluded lie upheld his reputation as a "giant-killer" as in turn he defeated his team-mate, J. Fischer, the English close champion, J. J. Pennink, and two former British champions, C. J. Tolley and Hector Thomson.

R. C. Ewing, who is an insurance agent from the West of Ireland, is 28. He is a big, powerful man and the fact that lie wears spectacles has not affected his skill as a golfer. He won the West of Ireland championship in 1920, 1922 and 1925, and he was the runner-up in 1928 and 1934. He haa been a semi-finalist in the Irish cham- ■ pionship on three, pccasions. Prior to this year, his besfftperformance in the British amateur championship was iu 1936, when he reached the semi-finals, being beaten by the ultimate winner, H. Thomson. In reaching the semi-finals, the Australian, H. W. Hatterslev, was responsible for a very fine performance and his effort compares favourably with that of James Ferrier, who was beaten in the final two years ago. The field contesting the champipnship was much, stronger on this occasion, and Hattersley played splendid golf until the last two holes in his match with Somerville, Winners of the title since the War are as follows: — 1920—C. J. H. Toiley 1921 —W. I. Huntecy 1922 —E. W. E. Holdernesa 1923 R. H. Wethered 1924 —E. W\ E. Holderneai 1925 —Robert Harris 1926 —J. Sweetzer 1927—Dr. W. Tweddcll • 1928 T. P. Perkins 1929—C. J. H. Toiley 1930 —R. T. Jones - 1931 —E. Martin Smith 1932 —J. DeForest 1933—H0n. M. ScOtt 1934 W. Lawson Little 1935 —W. Lawson Little 1936 —H. Thomson 1937 —R. Sweeney, junior.