GOLF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22212, 15 March 1934, Page 4

GOLF

By Divot. , ; FIXTURE FOR SATURDAY : St. Clair Club,—Third round of, Four-ball 1 ' Knock-out Stroke Handicap. OTAGO CLUB -^ The Mixed. Foursomes competition which was played.at Balmacew.en. last Saturday was favoured with good weather conditions and there was a field of 40 couples, > ! ; 8.,-V. Wright and Miss Hart, who received seven, strokes.. were the, winning pair, theiri score of, 1 up being the best by a ; margin of two holes. ',[, The second round' of . the Four-ball Knock-but was played oh Saturday and again most of.the matches were very closely contested: Drake and; Wren required an extra, three holes'to defeat, their opponents, Orr and 'Cunningham, while many of the remainder required the. full .18 holes before finality was reached. . Next Saturday there will be a Stroke Handicap at Corstorphihe.'

GOLF TEMPERAMENT The temperament that is; required for golf differs in'many ways from the temperament that is required for other competitive games- (writes A. W. Jackson in an Australian paper).. All forms of competitive sport ; call for, concentration and tenacity of purpose, which are vital.factors in any sport. But.while victory, in.iawn tennis, football, boxing, .and .wrestling might depend upon the ability, to put:on greater speed, or an extended physical effort, these qualities applied in golf would prove fatal. . Golf calls.for a greater-re-pression of physical effort .than any other sport. When one is fighting a close match the human tendency is to grip the club a. little tighter,, to swing a trifle.faster; and force the game. .These tendencies have a.I. way been fatal, but what is needed.most of all is control over the nervoua system and the elimination of all .hurry and speed. Golf calls for the closest form of concentration because, having a stationary ball to hit, the mind is apt to wander arid the imagination run riot. It is easier to concentrate on a moving object than it uT-to concentrate on' a stationary one. Th" physical rush of other games, where one is constantly on'the jump, lessens : the mental strain of the. contests. ; There-is nothing more wearying than worrying. In golf, after a bad stroke, one finds oneself with two or three minutes to broOd-over the mistake. "The golfer'who, can forget his mistakes, who can' concentrate on the shot to be-played, has the temperament that counts' in golf. KIRK WINDEYER CUP . The team representing New : : South Wales in the Kirk-Windeyer Cup contest, to be played at Middlemore, Auckland, on April 6, and 7, will leave from Sydney next Week. The team. will- arrive at Auckland on the 27th, and will, therefore, have three or four, days in which to practise before the Auckland Provincial Championship, to. be played on the Tikirangi course at Easter. _ •. The . team as chosen is composed ot the leading New South Wales amateurs. They, are W.,R. Dobson, C. C. Ruwald, P. ! F., Hughes, E.' L. Apperly, H. M. Cutler.- , . „ ~ ; .-," .. '■■ ' ' On the eve of ' the final selection the best opinion in Sydney seemed to favour the chances of R. J. Withycombe, Dobsop, Ruwald, and Hughes, judged on the bas?s of recent form. - ... - '. V ' Withycombe, however, has not been chosen although hig recent,brilliance had made him a favourite. On, the Saturday before the. selection he had' a brilliant 73' at Killara. He completed the outward journey in 34 and came home, in 39. Ruwald, ohe of the finally Chosen team, was round in 75 on the same day. _ Other possibles for .selection were P. Sydney Jones, jun., G. Grandemange, and H. G. Ashton. The New Zealand team has not yet been finally selected, but it seems certain that-it will -be four of "the, following five players:—H. Black, J. P." Hornabrook, T. H. Hbrto'n, B. M. Silk, and B. V. Wright. .-:••.- :';•.,,-".' .Wright, as reigning, amateur champion, has, of course, preremment.claims, and H. A. Blacjs's chances are almost as good, hot only because he was runnpr-up, in the amateur championship last year, but beicau.se,: pf... his corisistant play '.over!. a number of years.. . , Bfiaji Silk' was,very disappointing in 'the..'.last New Zealand tournament,''but he was obviously below form on that occasion. His game is a very solid one, arid is distinguished by a finished grace in. the'execution.of all his shots/ He is "particularly dangerous in his short Hornabrook is also a" yoUng blay6f wh,o is .capable, of brilliant Rolf., '■ He-finished sixth in the Open last year and reached the quarter finals of the Amateur, where; he "was defeated by. K. Ross.' Horton for. matiy years past has been an i outstanding: figure in New Zealand amateui"'. gblf< He has been amateiir champion twice—in 1925 and in .1928.,'.He is reputed to be' the best iron player; in New Zealand. His form' in the last amateur event was not impressive .hoWever, but no' doubt he 'was below fbrm.^

: The golf writer of the Sydney Morning Herald had the following comments to make in regard; to the selection combe did not play; in last year's amateur championship, but Dobson, Riiwald, Cutler, Hughes, arid Grandeniange were, fairly prominent. Cutler beat Appefly, whose form, both : : in Sydney, and during the' Australian championship meeting in Melbourne later in the year, was very disappointing, his ,work. with the. putter lacking decisiveness to a marked degree. Cutler was only beaten at the nineteenth in the fourth' round :by one of the firialists, A. N. Waterson. Ruwald fell to Dobson 2, and 1 in the'fourth round, while displaying great confidence, was only beaten by Fawcett, one of the State's, steadiest,' iri the quarter finals. Fawcett,had also accounted for Hughes in the. third round. . , , On this form it would appear as if Dobson, Ruwald, Hughes, Cutler, and Grandemarige will have to be considered. Withyqojtnbe can be regarded as practically certain of inclusion,, for his form has been superb during the last- few weeks. ■',. .-. ' -., - •"- But from any-angle, the selectors will not be faced with an easy task. Few will envy them their responsibilities when they meet- to-day. •'. f ST.. CLAIft LADIES . ' On -Tuesday a flag match was played at Corstorphitie.' The senior ] event was won Sy Mrs Burnett, whose lasjfc shot was her drive, from"' the eighteenth : ;tee. ■ 'Mrs Justice won the junior eveht by playing her last .shot to -just-short 'of the eighteenth green. * ''. '" :.. . j Next week the first qualifying rounds for the Club Championship' :and the Junior Cup will be held. .V „', .■"-.'■"