GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23178, 26 October 1938, Page 20

GENERAL NEWS

BOWING LIFE-MEMBER WOMEN'S TENNIS STANDARD VERY CONSISTENT GOLFER The famous Danish swimmer, Miss R. Hveger, who holds a large number of world's records, was recently invited to tour Australia during the present summer, but she has declined to make the trip.

Harry Cooper, London-born American professional golfer, continues as one of America's star performers. With a second" round of t56 he broke the course record in the recent Canadian open championship at Toronto.

S C. Wooderson's reason for failing to break Jack Lovelock's 1500 metre record in his recent attempt as this: "The wind at some stages was so stiff that 1 was hardly able to breathe. Therefore i did not think of going 'all out.' "

Mr. C. C. Cairns, who was elected a life-member of the Auckland Rowing Association last Saturday night, is one of the stalwarts who have made rowing their life's work so far as sport goes. It was a well-deserved honour for this popular Waitemata member.

Members of the English Soccer teani which recently beat Germany by six goals to three in Berlin received a gift from the British Football Association in appreciation of the fact that "every member of the team, even although determined to win, realised that his plav must be consistent with the best British sporting tradition."

The Auckland Bowling Club has lost one of its valued members by the death of Mr. H. F. Wright. He was a keen bowler and also interested himself in other sports. The late member served nearly four years in the Great War and, although close on >SO years of age when he went away, he came through without serious injury. He was a noted authority on mountaineering.

When Italy defeated Hungary in the final of the world football championship in Paris recently, a committee was appointed to select an All-Kurope side to meet England for the benefit, of the Football league's Jubilee fund in London on October 26. An effort will be made to bring England into the World Cup fold. The event is held every four years.

The imposition of a 5s coaching and training levy for senior men athletes and a 2s Gd'levy for women and junior athletes was approved at the annual general meeting of the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Association. The levy will help cover the expense incurred in the leasing of Rugby Park and the engagement of the American coach A. L. Fitch. It will cost the Association £5 per day for Fitch's services.

W. T. Tilden's terms for one tennis lesson are £2O, or £3O for three. Lord Pollington, who qualified in the recent English covered courts singles and had to meet Borotra thought he would like a few lessons from Tilden. "1 wouldn't have minded paying a fiver, hut £2O was too high." said Lord Pollington. S. N. Doust, the former Australian player, suggests that Tilden quoted a high figure because he does not want to take up tennis teaching.

If asked to name the best and toughest wrestler I have met in my 23 years on the mat 1 would have no hesitation in naming Jim Londos, said Ray Steele to an interviewer in Melbourne recently. In mv opinion he is the best wrestler of this or any other decade. Only sft. Bin. high. Londos, not only had abnormal strength, but he had two inches longer reach than I had, and mine is 6ft. He was one of the few whose defensive and aggressive methods were on a par. The first representative baseball match to be held in Auckland provided the public with thrills and a sound idea of the game which has captivated the American public. The Wellington side, which has had considerable experience, found that the Auckland players had mastered the main features of the play and it was only the better backing up of the visiting fielders of their pitchers which was responsible for Auckland's defeat. It is anticipated that a competition in Auckland will be in full swing very shortly

The decision of Donald Budge to turn professional appears at the moment to have brought to an end the tenure of the Davis Cup by the United States and it opens up a brilliant opportunity for Australia. A strong singles player can do much to retain the cup for his country by his own efforts. It was so with Perry for England, -and in Budge the United States also had such a player. Now no one remains to take his placo. Australia. f runner-up this year and last, has a very evenlybalanced team and success should come in 1939.

A machine which enables all the shots of a full round of golf to be played indoors has arrived in Melbourne. The holes of any course desired may be played, and, as each shot is made from a coir mat, the direction and distance the ball goes is registered. High shots, ' low shots, bunkered shots, and the rest, are shown. When two play a game, the positions of the two balls after the shots are shown at the players' elbows by spotlights. A room 16ft. by 12ft. by 10ft. high, provides sufficient space for the game.

There is a strong possibility that next year there will be inaugurated a women's international lawn tennis contest run on the lines of the Davis Cup, according to some of the lawn tennis exports in England. Mr. W. H. Walker, manager of the touring Australian women's team, said that he thought such a contest would be approved by the International Lawn Tennis Federation at its meeting in France next March. He added that a tentative plan had already been drawn up for the competition, and he thought that such a tournament would take place biennially.

A. D. Brown, Auckland and New Zealand lawn tennis champion, who returned last week from a trip to England, considers the standard of women players in England was good and much higher by comparison than that of the men; also, there were more first-class players. Now Zealand standard was not so high as in England, and there was a much greater margin between New Zealand and English women players than between the men of the two countries. This may be due to more regular coaching in England. One of the most promising women players he had seen was Miss J. Nicol, whom he picked as a future champion.

Bobby Locke, the Smith African professional golfer, is regarded by leading Australian critics to bo the finest player ever to visit that country. When one considers his figures there is reason for such a summing up. Locke took part in 19 matches in Australia and on 17 occasions he had not held practice rounds on those courses. Yet only once did he exceed 73. He hroke 70 on four occasions and his lowest score was H 7. Locke would no doubt have gone round Titirangi in 69 on Saturday morning but for misjudgment on the third fairway, where his ball landed in the trees, and he thereby lost two strokes. Locke's next two appearances will he.ngainst J. Lambie and A. Dyke at Hastings to-morrow and against R. C. Butters, A. J. Shaw and J. D. Mcintosh at Miramar.