GOLF.

Southland Times, Issue 19876, 22 May 1926, Page 18 (Supplement)

GOLF.

(By “ Cleek”) May 24.—British Amateur Championship, Muirfield. June 2.—Britain v America (Walker Cup) St. Andrew’s. June 16.—Qualifying rounds, British Open Championship. June 21. —British Open Championship, Lytham and St. Annes. July 8, 10.—American Open Championship, Scioto Clubli Columbus, Ohio. September.—American Amateur Championship, Baltusrol. October 15, 23. —N.Z. Open and Amateur Championships, Miramar. —Local Games— May 22.—Invercargill Club bogey match. May 24.—Queen’s Park Ladies Eclectic Match. May 26. —Ayson Shield, Ladies v. Men. May 27.—Invercargill Ladies’ Match. May 29.—Ayson Shield Ladies v. Men. To-day the members of the Invercargill Club will try conclusions with the “Colonel” at Otatara. Eclectic match scheduled for the Queen’s Park Ladies’ Club on Monday. The first of the two matches for the Ayson Shield, ladies v. men, wiy be played on Wednesday and Saturday next. Last season the ladies won both matches. The draw will be published as soon as it has been completed and the matches may be played on the day most suitable to both parties provided the time does not extend over May 29. The members of the Queen’s Park Club are very keen to turn the tables on the ladies in the forthcoming Ayson Shield matches and it is even rumoured that one member of the committee has been undergoing an extensive course of training for the event. The ladies will muster a strong team however and good matches should be witnessed. The heavy rains of last week had very litle effect on the course at Otatara the beginning of the current week finding the fairways and green in very fair order. On Thursday next the members of the Invercargill Ladies’ Club will play a match for Mr W. Handyade’s prise. The performance of T. R. Abercrombie in tieing for first place in the junior division of the first match on the Park was a

very meritorious one. He took up the game in the later stages of last season and it says much for his enthusiasm and perseverance that he placed himself at the head of the list at the first time of asking. His play will be followed with a good deal of interest both on the Park and at Otatara.

M. H. Stitchbury who dived the honours at the Park last week with T. R. Abercrombie through a card reading 89—18—71 played very steady golf to finish one below par and his performance is rendered the more creditable by the fact that the conditions were by no means the best. It certainly looks as if he will knock a few strokes off his handicap the first time conditions are back to normal.

The first match of the Queen’s Park Club’s season was concluded on Saturday last when the majority of the Saturday players listed in the draw took out cards. All the clubs had experienced bad weather conditions for their matches through the week and by Saturday last the local courses were very much on the heavy side. The Wednesday players were again unfortunate in that they had to play in showery weather and in this respect the Saturday players had the better of the deal. Taken all round the scores were very fair though considerable improvement will be looked for under better conditions. In the senior division A. H. Semmens’s card 88—14—74 placed him in the leading position four strokes ahead of A. Masters 86—8—78 with W. S. Ayson 93—14 —79 third and G. Cruickshank 95 —14 —81 fourth. The junior match resulted in a tie for first place, M. H. Stitchbury 89 —18—71 and T. R. Abercrombie 95 —24 —71 heading the list. P. Fougere was third with 93 —18—75 and H. D. Palmere fourth with 96—29—76. Abercrombie and Stitchbury will be required to play off next Saturday. The cable published on Monday giving the result of the annual competition for the St. George’s Challenge Cup served to show that some at least of the American amateurs who will figure in this year’s British open championship at Muirfield, and later in the Walker Cup matches at St. Andrews, were in England last week-end. The St. George’s Challenge Cup is one of the great prizes of amateur golf in England. A trophy of the Royal St. George’s Club, Sandwich, the Cup is played for annually by the best amateurs in the land and goes to the competitor who has the best aggregate for two stroke rounds. This year’s winner was Major C. O. Hezlett, runner up in the amateur championship of 1914, and a leading figure in British golf ever since. His score for the 36 holes was 156, which looks high compared with Douglas Grant’s 149 last year, and Roger Wethered’s 149 in 1924, but the state of the course and the conditions no doubt had something to do with the scores. Douglas Grant, last year’s winner, took 162 for the two rounds, and as Grant is a particularly strong and resolute player Hezlett’s score looks good. Von Elm, one of the Americans, played the two rounds for 161, while Francis Ouimet, another of the invading Americans, returned an aggregate of 164 which was also Cyril Tolley’s figure. No mention was made in the cable of Bobby Jones, or of Jess Sweetzer or Watts Gunn, other “guns of the American party,” nor was anything reported of Robert Harris, British amateur champion, winner of the Cup in 1920, of Roger Wethered, or Sir E. W. Holderness. The Americans last invaded Britain in 1923, and signalised their appearance by a tie for the St. George’s Cup between Francis Ouimet and Dr. O. F. Wilding, another member of the party. This time a British amateur came out on top, and the event may perhaps be accepted as a happy augury for the Walker Cup matches. A. G. Warwick, a member of the Ranui Club, put up a very fine performance against A. Williams (Mornington), winning all nine holes of the second half of the round and returning a card for 37 for the latter stage of the journey. Warwick is reported to have taken up the game late in life and this fact proves the fallacy of the statement that a player must commence golf in his teens to become proficient. There are many players with some years of experience behind them who would be quite satisfied with a card reading 4,3, 3,5, 4,4, 5,4, 5 for nine holes.

The 1926 contest for the Borthwick Vase will be long remembered by Christchurch golfers for it provided one of the most exciting finales for some time. In the finals C. A. Seymour and E. W. Hasell finished all square on the 18th green and the match had, in consequence, to be replayed. The re-play proved just as exciting, the rivals again going to the 18th green before victory went to Seymour, who finished one up. The winner played very steadily throughout the matches, his score in the deciding contest being a very useful 76. The match between R. O. Chesney and R. A. Wilson during the Tuscon Cup contest had a peculiar ending. Wilson, it is reported, lav in the middle of the green at the 18th, standing dormie 1, while Chesney, having played the like, lay in the rough beyond the green. Chesney’s chip was too hard, and he overran the hole by eight feet. Wilson putted too hard, overran the hole, and missed the return, while Chesney squared the match with the long putt. O. J. Wilson, of Heretaunga, seems to have used his putter to some purpose during the Tuson Cup matches. On the first six greens he used his putter six times, a performance which his opponents would scarcely appreciate. The Hutt players are making elaborate preparations for their match with the Ranui Club for the Nathan Cup. This trophy was presented with the intention of giving the middle handicap men a chance to indulge in match play and is restricted to those on a handicap of 12—9, and over. Not one of Ranui’s last year team is eligible to play all haring reduced their handicaps in the meantime. Hence the jubilation in the camp of the Huttites. It says much for the improvement in the game of the Ranui players that not one of last year’s team which took part in the Nathan Cup contest is eligible to compete, all having cut down their handicap from about the 16-12 mark to 10-8 and 6-5. The course has improved to a very marked degree during the summer, steady rolling and cutting being responsible for the providing of a good playing surface. Already this club has won its matches against Otaki and Mornington and the members hope to ward off the attacks of Waiwetu and Hutt in the near future. All eyes on Muirfield next week. Bobby Jones’ supporters think he can bring off the “double” this year at Muirfield and at Lytham and St. Annes. L. G. U. Coronation Medal match will be played by ladies’ clubs throughout New Zealand this week. Under stormy conditions H. E. Aplin’s score of 58 for 13 holes played in his match with L. W. Bridge at Miramar is a very creditable one and needless to say he was not required to proceed past the hole bearing the allegedly unlucky number. D. F. Stuart was 6 down to W. H. Haase at the turn in the Hutt-Miramar match but won seven out of the remaining nine holes and finished one up, surely a remarkable exhibition of sheer doggedness and tenacity. Last Saturday the Otago Golf Club’s championship was advanced another stage at Balmacewan the second round being played. Dr. K. Ross met V. E. Galway

and had a fairly comfortable win, being 5 up and 4 to play. G. F. Barnett won his match with J. G. Dick, 3 up and 2 to play. D. H. Butcher and k G. C. Henderson had a good tussle, victory resting with the former who finished 1 up. C. T. Irvine defeated his opponent, S. C. Colbeck by 5 up and 4 to play. The matches played in the second-round of the Balmacewan Cup competition resulted as follows: —J. Evans beat D. Wright 5 and 3; T. V. Anson beat J. P. Rutherford 2 and 1; B. C. Haggitt beat H. W. Bundle 4 and 2, and A. J. Sise beat J. Wyn Irwin 2 up. There was a lively and happy gathering in the Club House at Otatara on Wednesday evening when Mr P. L. Porter, deputy captain of the Invercargill Golf Club, was entertained by a number of his friends. A four-ball bogey match played in the afternoon was won by R. H. J. Camm and J. Hain, who finished three up on the Colonel. After an excellent “high tea” provided by Mrs Williams had been thoroughly enjoyed, the President, Mr A. E. Smith, proposed Mr Porter’s health, referring to the services he had rendered to the Club as deputy captain and member of Committee, more especially in connection with the erection of the new Club House. On behalf of the company Mr Smith asked Mr Porter to accept a silver cigarette box lined with jade, and he trusted that it would serve to remind Mr Porter of his connection with the Invercargill Golf Club and of the many friends he had made on the Otatara links. The toast was drunk with musical honours, Mr Porter made an appropriate response. Thereafter a pleasant half hour was passed with song and story, and the evening was filled in with, a rubber or two of bridge. It was a good send-off to the deputy captain, who will play his next game of golf at Suva under conditions very different from those ruling at Otatara. Reference was in the cables during the week to the entries and the draw for the British amateur championship, which begins on Monday at Muirfield, and it was mentioned that the difficulty in connection with the entry of Harry Sinclair, amateur champion of Australia, had been overcome. This difficulty arose from the fact that the Moore Park Golf Club (Sydney), to which Mr Sinclair belongs, subscribed the funds necessary to defray the expenses of Mr Sinclair's trip Home, and the question raised was, no doubt, whether Mr Sinclair had not forfeited his amateur status by accepting the money. It was expected that the point would be raised, but as the members of the British Walker Cup team have their expenses paid when they go to the United States it was thought that Sinclair could accept an amount equal to his expenses without affecting his standing as an amateur. Of course his position is not analagous to that of a Walker Cup player, as he enters for the amateur championship merely as a private individual, while the Walker Cup players are selected by the Royal and Ancient Club and invited to go to America as the officially selected British team. Still the distinction, while real, is rather fine, and it was not surprising to learn that the authorities at St. Andrews had decided to accept the Australian champion’s entry. It will be interesting to see how he fares in the fight for the most coveted prize in amateur golf. In point of

quality the entry this year is exceptionally strong, and Sinclair is measuring himself against the best amateurs in the world. He is a great player but he will have to be at the top of his best game to get through to the closing stages. THE LATE W- THOMSON Members of the Invercargill Golf Club heard with particularly keen regret on Monday of the death of Mr W. Thomson. He was a keen golfer and a good worker for the Otatara course. For several years he was a member of the Committee of the Invercargill Club, he served a term as Captain, and in 1920 he won the junior championship. During the winter he was one of the week-end “regulars,” and as he was always a genial companion he was greatly missed when what proved to be a fatal illness compelled him to lay up. “Billy” Thomson was a man all through. Of a quiet and retiring disposition, he preferred generally an inconspicuous position in the background, but, as is frequently the case, his modesty was merely one aspect of a strong personality. He never thrust his opinions or convictions on anybody else, but he held them strongly and commanded respect as well as popularity. His character was fully tested by the prolonged and severe illness through which he was called upon to pass, and his friends marvelled at his unfailing cheerfulness and invincible courage. As time went on the outlook darkened, j while at the same time his strength steadily failed. But he was never beaten or dismayed. He had apparently inexhaustible resources to draw upon, and to the last he was the same bright and lively companion. He had inherited a strong strain of his father’s robust humour, and his faculty for 1 seeing the bright side of things never deserted him. He maintained an unflagging interest in what was going on outside, and there was nothing depressing in sitting by his bedside. Of his wide circle of friends it was only a few intimates who were privileged to visit him towards the end, but they brought out the news of his valour and good spirits, and it would be difficult to estimate just what influence his superb fight with the last adversary will have upon those who knew him. Certainly they will not forget, and many of them will cherish the hope that if ever it falls to their lot to be half so severely tested they wpl be able to show half his grit. Rowing friends, fishing friends, golfing friends—all will miss “Billy” Thomson, and it will be strange not to hear in the Club House at Otatara his voice, with the slight huskiness in it that no one could fail to recognise, recounting some incident of the morning game for the amusement of the luncheon table. Golfers were strongly represented in the long cortege at the funeral on Wednesday, and the pall-bearers included those who had been his constant companions on the links. Peace to the ashes of as good a man as ever trod the fairways of any course.