GOLF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23883, 10 August 1939, Page 5

GOLF

By Divot

BRILLIANCE AT BALMACEWEN Balmacewen has been in wonderfully good order lately considering the snow and rain with which it has had to contend. Certainly some of the scoring in the third round of the Otago Club's knockout competition last Saturday indicates that there was not much wrong with it. The main attraction of the round was the match between T. B. Ferguson and T W Wight, and it was a match productive of some outstanding golf. Ferguson who plays off scratch, was conceding two strokes, but he turned on a superlative round and gave Wight no chance of going on to the fourth round. When the match finished. 3 and 2 in Ferguson's favour, he was four under 4's. and he completed his round in 69 to Wight's 73.

Ferguson started in overwhelming style, with 3,4, then a2 at the third, where he holed out from just off the, green, and a 3, Wight's figures were 4, 4. 3, 3. and he was 2 down! One of the two strokes the latter was receiving was of no use to him since he won the fifth without it. and he was playing so steadily that they were all square playing the eleventh. Then Ferguson . went away with another rush. A 3 at the twelfth, 4 at the thirteenth, and a 2 at the fourteenthtwo birdies and an eagle—was devastating golf, and earned a brilliant win Ferguson was out in 34 to Wight's 35. and he played the second half in 35. Another interesting result was that of the match between J. N. Lemon and J. N. Falvey. Lemon., who plays off 3, was conceding two strokes but he

turned on some of his best golf to eliminate Falvey 5 and 4. Falvey: has been playing so well lately that Lemon's win was a highly creditable one. A.. Gill (12) and H. J. Pollock (2) got their match off early and once again Pollock found that his best golf was not good enough. He seems to have a habit of being beaten on fine rounds, and in this case a card of 76 left him the loser 3 and 2. R. W S. Botting (24) and J. R. Callander (6) played the marathon of this round going to the twenty-second before Botting clinched a win. N. H. North (7) had a hard fight against L. A. Doolan (12). whom he beat 2 and 1. The competition is proving an extremely interesting onej and on present form nobody is entitled to any pronounced favouritism.

CHISHOLM PARK

Although the scoring at Chisholm Park on Saturday was not particularly good, J. Burns, who has shown a remarkable improvement lately, maintained his form to. win the Stableford Handicap with a card of 9—7—16. Among those: who followed him with 15's were D. Morgan, W. Meldrum, and L. Duncan, all of whom are on the up grade and should not take long to lower their handicaps. , • •• J. Burns continued on his winning way in the semi-final, of the Manning Cup. when he disposed of H. Riadell 8 and 7. Even if the latter had,not been right off his game. Burns was playing so well that the result might not have been much different. In the semi-finals of the. Megget Cup. N Shepherd got home-against C. Martin 2 and 1, and F. Pink staged a good recovery to win at the twentieth after being dormy 3. The second and final qualifying rounds of the senior and junior championships will be played this week concurrently with the fifth round of the Trengrove Cup. The state of this competition at present is interesting. The" leader, based on the best three rounds out of four, is the clut president. J. ' McMullan, with a net 92. Then comes H. Riddell and A. Anderson with 94's, J. Burns 97, G. Burns 99, L. Wood 99, R. Phillip 100, L. Wright 100. R. Pollock 100. E. Smythe 101. R. Hine 101, and D. Sime 101. JOHNNY BULLA'S LUCK At one stage of the British open golf championship, Johnny Bulla an American, was leading with a total of 292. This was before Burton came m. Burton was informed at the turn that he needed a 37 home to beat the American. He played very steadily, obtained a three at the last hole ana won by two strokes. Very fine for Richard Burton, but bitterlv disappointing for Johnny Bulla. Almost the last straw, in fact. Twice within a few weeks, the same thing had happened to him—robbed at the last second of the highest honours in golf. Twice the sensational unknown, after making his run just missed the prize. r This is how the New York Herald describes the final day of the American Open—played two weeks earlier than the British Open. "Now we might tell you the stories of some of the legion that lost. " Johnny Bulla was one of them. Perhaps you never heard of Johnny Bulla, which wouldn't be strange. He only qualified as the fourth alternate from the Chicago district and when, by a series of strange circumstances, four of those who ranked him from that section decided not to compete, he showed up as something of a stowaway in the tournament. , " No one paid much attention to him until the third and next-to-last round was finished. And then to the surprise of most and the dismay of many, Johnny Bulla was found leading the field. The surprise, of course, was natural—the dismay needs some explanation "With Cut-rate Clubs, Too" " It developed that Johnny isn't connected with any club or sporting goods concern; doesn't, in fact, even hold a membership in the Professional Golfers Association. It developed that Johnny works for the Walgreen Drug Company and, being a loyal employee, considers their cut-rate eolf equipment just as good as any of the high-priced matched sets and high-powered balls so widely advertised. In fact, he was playing with a Royal Crown, which retails around 44 cents, when he rode into the lead of the biggesl championship in the game of golf "This caused the ' officials ol the major manufacturing companies to turn pale, develop a sudden case of jitters and offer up silent prayers for the downfall of Johnny Bulla who threatened to revolutionise the industry and bring eolf down to the poor man's nurse. "Perhaps their prayers were answered; perhaps the royai and ancient gods who have looked over the game for all these years frowned and disapproved of such desecration of the traditions. Anyway Johnny Bulla leading by a stroke with eighteen holes left to play ran into difficulties along the route and finished three strokes back of the leaders." Whitcombes lor Golf