GOLF DISPUTE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26472, 28 May 1947, Page 6

GOLF DISPUTE

PROFESSIONALS' THREAT OF BOYCOTT WIGHT EXPLAINS POSITION A statement of his position in respect of the Victory Golf Tournament at Auckland, in the match play section of which other professionals refused to compete if he was allowed to start, was made yesterday by T. W. Wight, the Otago Club’s secretaryprofessional, on his return from the north. “The facts of the dispute in which I was involved appear to have been accurately reported here,” Mr Wight stated. “I should like to emphasise, however, that the argument lay essentially between the promoters of the tournament, Wiseman’s Limited, and the Professional Golfers’ Association, and that I was no more than the object of the point at issue. This was whether or not these private sponsors were entitled to accept entries for their tournament from all bona fide professionals or only from members of the PGA. “ The first Press Association message from Auckland stated that Wiseman’s had accepted my entry iri ‘ good faith,’ implying that I had not made it clear to them that I was not a member of the Professional Golfers’ Association. The fact is that, although I had advised them to this effect, they were at no stage concerned with my standing with that association, as they were running a private and completely open tournament. Although I am of the opinion that they were on false ground, the members of the association were simply upholding what they maintained was a correct principle and they gave me no reason to feel that they were antagonistic in any personal way. “ This unfortunate affair will, I hope, focus attention on the question of encouraging suitable young golfers to take up the game professionally in this country,” Mr Wight added. “I. have reason to believe that the ‘lB months ’ rule has already deterred one of the country’s leading amateurs from giving his services to the game, and my view is that the rule should be framed so as to give association members some discretion in dealing with applications, a discretion which, in view of the present serious shortage of professionals, could surely be exercised in favour of rfew professionals in regular full-time engagements with golf clubs.”