Sidelights on Victory Golf Tournament at Titirangi

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26473, 29 May 1947, Page 2

Sidelights on Victory Golf Tournament at Titirangi

The difficult and testing nature of the Titirangi course was amply demonstrated in the Victory Golf Tournament, which was concluded on Saturday. Of the leading amateurs and professionals who took part in the principal event—the 72-hole Stroke Championship, only two, B. M. Silk (Wanganui), and A. Murray (Auckland), were able to break 300. Tom Wight, who had a chance to be on terms with the leaders, dropped precious strokes in the final round and could do no better than 300, his score being three strokes better than D. L. Woon (Christchurch), and A. E. Guy (Auckland), who were next equal. The reigning open and amateur champion, R. H. Glading (Titirangi), and the professional champion, A. J. Shaw (Wellington), were together on the 307 mark, and from this figure the scores soared away, the amateur and professional tail-enders finishing with 344 and 349. It is worthy of mention that Wight and Murray were the only competitors to produce two rounds of 73 or better.

Brian Silk’s winning score for the four rounds was 294—two strokes better than the standard scratch score of the course. His fine touch in putting has greatly contributed to his high place in New Zealand amateur golf in the last 15 years or so. and that touch was very much on show during the tournament. Silk's final round of 71 was the best gross score of the tournament.

Alex. Murray, who put up a good show in the Ampol tournament in Australia, was beaten by one stroke. He played sound golf, his eagle three at the famous Wrecker being the bestplayed hole of the tournament. In the final round he was a shade unluckv with a 12-foot putt which walked all round the hole and stayed out.

Tim Woon, with rounds of 75, 74, and 73, was in a handy position when he started the last lap with a stroke in hand from Silk. He started in great style with par and birdie figures, but after a rather prolonged wait, he blew up in the grand manner, and concluded a short-lived disastrous bout of hooking by hitting a spectator. His round cost him 81.

The gallery that watched Tom Wight's courageous early rounds had no reason to suspect that he was playing under strain. His driving was prodigious and accurate, and with but few mistakes he reeled off hole after hole with sound iron play and deadly putting. At the end of the third round Wight and Murray were equal with 222.

It was anybody's championship, and increasing public interest was sufficient indication of Wight's potential challenge for supremacy. The third and fourth rounds of a medal tournament are traditionally celebrated for their test of nerve, and many a hardy veteran might have been forgiven for succumbing to a strain far less trying than that imposed on Wight by the hostile bickering ■ attitude of his brother professionals. On the first two greens he took three putts, and later in the round frittered away two more valuable strokes. In spite of some diffidence-with the putter, his stroke-making from tee to green was crisp and confident. In the circumstances his round of 78 was a great effort, and he is to be congratulated on an outstanding performance at his first professional tournament. When his name was called at the prize-giving Wight was warmly applauded by the large crowd in front of the Titirangi clubhouse. The 1947 Victory tournament was, to borrow the phraseology of another sport, a very mixed bag, but it had one great virtue—it introduced to Dominion notice a fine golfer and a great sportsman. For this reason it will be remembered when other tournaments are forgotten.