GOLF TOURNEY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23083, 7 July 1938, Page 13

GOLF TOURNEY

BRITISH OPEN QUALIFYING ROUNDS END FALLON LEADS THE FIELD THE TITLE-HOLDER SECOND By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received July G, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, July o Preliminary play in the British Open golf championship was headed by the Scottish player John Fallon, aged 25. Competitors numbering 120, with an aggregate for the two rounds of 157 or better, qualified for the championship proper. The leading 40 players in the first two rounds, to bo played to-morrow and on Thursday, will continue on Friday in the final two rounds of the 72-hole contest. The second qualifying round was played to-day in fierce rain and a thunderstorm. Hattersley's round of 70 was the best of the day. Fallon, who had a round of 69 at St. George's on the first day, carded 73 on changing over to the Prince's course. This gave him a total of 142, one stroke better than the title-holder, Henry Cotton, whose rounds were 72 and 71. Notable failures included Mitchell (158), Duncan (159), Hodson (IG6). Seventy-year-old Sandy Herd played the round, but gave up scoring, saying he was too old to continue. For the first time since the war there will be no American participants in the championship proper. The only American players were two amateurs Ross Thompson and Page Hufty, neither of whom qualified. The other leading aggregates, with the second qualifying rounds scores in parentheses, are as follow: — S. Brews (South Africa) (72), 144; A. Perry (75), 144; J. Busson (72), 144; L. G. Crawley (71), 144; A. Locke (South Africa) (75), 144; U. J. Bees (73), 144; E. E. Whitcombe (761, 144. H. W. Hattersley (Australia) (70), 145; A. J. Lacey (77), 145; N. Sutton (75), 145. T. B. Haliburton (75), 146. C. Tolley (72), 147; A. G. Havers (76), 147; Deeny (72), 147; Robertson (73), 147; Watson (73), 147; W. J. Branch (71), 147.

A. H. Padgham (77), 148; J. Adams (76), 148; Home (76), 148; T. J. Mahon (74), 148. H. Thomson (75), 149; J. M. McMillan (75), 149; J. Ballingall (76), 149; J. Bruen (76), 149; S. L. King (76), 149. W. .T. Cox (75), 150; W. Laidlaw (75), 150. A. M. Dailey (75), 151. W. H. Da vies (75), 152. Jack McLean (75), 153. E. 11. Whitcombe (79), 154.

T. S. McKay (Australia) (77), 155; R. A. Whitcombe (84), 155; J. Pennink (78), 155. C. A. Whitcombe (76), 156; F. Robson (76), 156; M. Dallemange (France) (79), 156. M. J Ryan (Australia) (77), 157; A. B. Boomer (80), 157; Braid (77), 157. REVIEW OF THE PLAY HATTERSLEY'S EFFORT BEST OF THE SECOND DAY PREVIOUS LOW RECORD SCORES Unfavourable weather conditions had their effect on the scoring in the second qualifying round. Hattersley, one of the Australian entrants, was responsible for the best performance of the day and his outward half of 32 was a magnificent effort. The lengths of the holes at Prince's are as follow: — No. Yds. No. Yds. 1 .... 382 10 .... 386 2 . . . . 460 11 . . . . 408 3 . . . . 154 12 .. . . 456 4 .... 399 13 ... . 411 5 .... 217 14 .... 202 6 .... 436 15 ... . 335 7. . .. 391 t 16 . , .. 416 8 .... 453 17 .... 516 9 .... 408 18 .... 460 3300 3590 The lowest score for nine holes ever done in the qualifying competition or the open championship is 31. In 1934, T. H. Cotton recorded that figure in the first qualifying round at Royal St. George's, his card reading:—4, 3, 2, 4, 4, 3, 4, 3, 4. J. McLean, who visited New Zealand four years ago, carded seven threes and two fives in the third round of the 1934 British open championship. On that occasion the conditions were even worse thaa those under which Hattersley played as McLean battled against a gale of wind and at times a blinding hailstorm. The record score in qualifying rounds is held by R. T. "Bobby" Jones. At Sunningdale in 1926 Jones had rounds of 68 and 66 and he went on to win the title. John Fallon, who led the qualifiers, was born in 1913 and he is the professional at the Huddersfield Golf Club. He has won a number of minor tournaments while his best performance in first-class golf was to finish third in the Irish open championship in 1935. He has represented Scotland in professional international matches against Ireland, Wales and England. Last year in the British open he finished 21 strokes behind the leader to tie for 31st place. With few exceptions the scoring was worse on the second day and the leaders at Royal St. George's on Monday were unable to reproduce the same form the following uav. Both Lacey and Whitcombe, after brilliant rounds of 68, returned cards well up in the seventies, while R. A. Whitcombe, who was the runner-up to Cotton last year, just managed to qualify. The title-holder, Cotton, followed a 72 with a 71 to fill second place and his chances of success must he rated second to none. The young South African professional A. D. Locke did not play so well at Prince's as he did on the championship course, but his fellow countryman, S. Brews, finished with level fours on each course.

Apart from Hattersle.v, the other Australians, T. S. McKay and M. J. Ryan, both managed to qualify, hut they will need to do better in the first two rounds to be of places on the final day. L. .T. Nettlefold, whose rounds were 75 and 83, just failed to qualify.