GOLF

Southland Times, Issue 21856, 5 November 1932, Page 15

GOLF

(By

“Cleek.”)

The new green for the eighth hole at Otatara will be brought into play this week-end. The committee of the Invercargill Club has decided to award the special prize presented by the president (Mr A. E. Smith) for the player who made the greatest progress in the game during the 1932 match season to E. E. Broad. A party of twenty players from the Gore Club will play at Otatara this week-end. Mr J. A. Doig has the arrangements in hand and a . good day s golf is assured. The work of removing the turf from the eighteenth green at Otatara to the new green is proceeding slowly. The greenkeeper has been seriously hampered by the dry weather, and it has been necessary to devote much time to carting water for the purpose of preserving the grass on the relaid turf. Under normal weather conditions the job would have been finished before this. John de Forest competed in an invitation tournament at Arcola, New Jersey, U.S.A., towards the end of September. The event did not bring out a very brilliant field and a score of 80 qualified for the match play stages. Nevertheless de Forest failed to get. a place. The British amateur champion must be getting rather tired of failing to qualify for one thing and another. As an indication that there is not the same shortage of rain in other parts of the dominion as there is in Southland it may be mentioned that one day last week the'Timaru course was closed to play on account of the quantity of water lying on the fairways and greens. The first of the summer matches at Otatara was played last Saturday and was distinctly a success. Upwards of thirty entries were received, and the scoring indicated that the special committee in charge of these competitions may have to make temporary adjustments in the handicaps of some players. J. H. Thomas was in excellent form, and from the 14 mark made the standard scratch score look silly, his net 67 beating it by seven strokes. J. Strettell also “broke 70” and with a net 69, had hard luck in being beaten. J. C. Brain and N. G. Pigou also played better than their handicaps. The leading scores were:—

Mrs Speirs, a member of the Queen’s Park Ladies’ Club, has capped a short but very successful golfing career by recently reducing her handicap to 9. She commenced playing in the matches at the beginning of last season, and to reach the nine mark in such a. comparatively short time gives some indication of the rapid progress she has made. Mrs Speirs has been scoring in the 80’s fairly consistently during the past few weeks. She is a powerful driver and is credited with one of 230 yards—quite a fair smack for a man even under the favourable conditions ruling of late.. The wind made golf difficult on Thursday when the Invercargill Ladies’ Club played the last L.G.U. medal match of the season. In the silver division Mrs Tansley had the best score with 96—16—80 net, with Mrs H. M. Smith and Mrs T. M. Macdonald close seconds with 81 net. In the bronze division Mrs R. Stout and Mrs Spencer tied with 77 net. On the last nine holes the latter won the ball presented by Mrs Pottinger for the best net score of the day. Mrs Stout’s score put her into the senior diviison, while Mrs Spencer reduced her handicap by three strokes. The best scores for the Handyside Cup for October were returned by Mrs T. M. Macdonald and Miss M. Pilcher, each 72 net. In.the play off Mrs Macdonald won, beating Miss Pilcher by two strokes. The Queen’s Park Ladies’ Club brought its season to a close on Wednesday afternoon in fine but windy weather. A sealed hole match in the morning was won by Mrs McCreary (senior division) and Mrs MacGregor (junior) and a one-club match in the afternoon by Mrs Miller (senior) and Mrs Sutherland (junior). The prizes won during the season were presented by the president, Mrs Sydney Smith, who thanked the office-bearers for their work during the year. The successful players were:—A grade championship, Mrs McCreary; runner-up, Mrs J. T. Wilson; B grade championship, runner-up, Mrs J. Speirs; best gross score, A grade, Mrs McCreary; B grade, Mrs Speirs; C grade, Mrs Clark; A grade ringer, Mrs Wilson; B grade ringer, Miss Guest; C grade ringer, Mrs Treeby; challenge bowl, Mrs Stalker; Scott Cup, Miss Guest; L.G.U. silver division, Mrs McCreary; L.G.U. bronze division, Miss Guest; bogey matches, Mrs Wilson, Miss Morton, Mrs Torrance, Miss Guest, Mrs Speirs, Mrs Stalker, Mrs Tucker (2), Miss Thomson (2); sealed hole matches, Miss Whyte, Mrs Sutherland, Mrs Clark, Mrs Longuet; eclectic matches, Miss Whyte, Miss Thomson; flag matches, Mrs Stalker, Miss Guest, Mrs Torrance, Mrs G. Smith. The opportunity was taken to present the secretary (Miss M. Roscow) with a handbag and the treasurer (Mrs J. Hamilton) with a crystal rose bowl from the members in appreciation of their services during the past season. The closing day functions of the Queen’s Park Club last Saturday were a fitting conclusion to a successful season’s golf. Although there was a good deal of wet weather about the middle of the season, it is worthy of note that only on one occasion was a match postponed, but not before some of. the earlier starters had played half a dozen holes. From the beginning of August, till the end of the season, conditions could not have been better arid the scoring improved as a result. Many handicaps have been reduced and there have been the usual disappointments, but from now till the new season begins is the time to take stock of. one’s game and overcome weaknesses that were apparent during the winter. This year the committee departed from its usual custom of handing the prizewinners orders for certain amounts and instead, purchased trophies outright. It was complimented on its choice by the president of the Invercargill Club, Mr A. E. Smith, at the smoke concert on Saturday night, Mr Smith commenting on the excellent quality of the trophies. The wives of the married would be delighted with the selection, as it included various articles suitable for the home. A large fiumber intend pursuing the “pesky little pill” during the summer and no doubt competitions will be arranged. The action of A. C. Steele (Queen’s Park) in handing back his trophies won during the past season in order to provide gold ferns for four-ball matches during the summer, was gratefully acknowledged by the president, Mr W. G. Tait, at the club’s social on Saturday evening. Steele has had a most successful season—his first with the club—and gets a good deal of enjoyment out of the game. The new competition he has initiated is proving very popular and already the challenges are coming in thick and fast. Mr Tait handed the ferns over to Steele with the request that he should

select a partner and become one of the first holders. G. E. Glennie is assisting Steele to stave off challengers and a hard pair they should prove to beat. The first match was played in a gale on Tuesday evening when J. C. Kirkland and O. G. Gilmour were the victims.

U.S.A. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP. CANADIAN GOLFER’S GREAT WIN. BRITISH WALKER CUP PLAYERS FAIL. Ten days after the Walker Cup match at Brookline, with its signal defeat of the British representatives, the amateur championship of the United States was decided on the Five Farms course of the Baltimore Country Club. Most of the British team competed, but their performances did nothing to repair the reputations so badly shattered in the Walker Cup matches. A field which included all the best amateurs in the States .battled on September 12 and 13 in two qualifying rounds for the 32 available places, and only one British player succeeded in entering the select circle. John Fischer, Cincinnati, the 20-year old intercollegiate champion, set the pace on the first day with a 69, one better than par for the course, and with a 73 on the second day held his place at the top of the list with a total of 142. The highest qualifying score was 152. Eric Mcßuvie, the young Scot who is regarded by many as the best British amateur in sight, had an indifferent 79 on the first day, but followed it with a real golfer’s 72 on the second and was safe with 151. The other British players were “in the ruck.” Lister Hartley, T. A. Torrance and Rex Hartley all had the same total—ls 7. L. Hartley’s rounds were 79 and 78; Torrance’s 80 and 77; and Rex Hartley’s 81 and 76. John de Forest, the luckless British amateur champion, had a 78 for the first round, but fell away to 82 for the second and was far down the list with 160. Eric Fiddian completed the tragedy of his visit to America by scoring a hopeless 90 for his first round. In the second he needed 42 strokes to reach the turn and threw up the sponge. England was also represented by Cyril Tolley, who was well up with 74 for the first round, but, in characteristic Tolley fashion, lapsed to 84 for the second and disappeared with the others. British golf made a poor showing and' the Walker Cup players must have been rather an unhappy party when the qualifying rounds were over One of the dramatic episodes of the qualifying rounds was the struggle of Francis Ouimet, the holder of the title, to qualify. He was upset in the first round by an unfortunate occurrence. His partner was T. A. Torrance, and at the second tee the British captain, failing to observe that Ouimet was about to drive, made a practice stroke. His club “swished” through just as Ouimet was at the top of his swing and the American hooked out of bounds. Torrance was frightfully upset: in fact he was unhappy for the rest of the day. And Ouimet, sportsman and gentleman, was almost equally upset by the British captain’s obvious distress. Ouimet’s score for the round was 78 and that meant a hard fight in the second round to qualify but he did it with a 73. He had to do the last seven holes in 26 strokes (one under par) to get his figures. Torrance must have heaved a sigh of relief when Ouimet was safe. If the British Walker Cup players felt that they were rather under a cloud it was perhaps some consolation to them that five members of the American Walker Cup team also failed to pass the test. They were: Jess Sweetser, G. Dunlap, Don Moe, W. Howell and Harrison Johnston. Ross Somerville, the ultimate winner, qualified one of eight with a total of 150, his rounds being 73 and 77. The last four left in were Francis Ouimet, John Goodman, Ross Somerville and Jess Guilford. The semifinals were played over 36 holes. For the first 18 Ouimet and Goodman had rounds of 72 and were all square. Goodman played the next nine in a dazzling 33 (two under par) and was 4 up. He kept on to win 4 and 2 and that was the end of the holder of the title. Somerville had a steady 73 for the first round against Guilford and was 6 up, and kept the pressure on to win 7 and 6. The final was a great match. Johnny Goodman was second in the qualifying rounds with two brilliant rounds of 72. An orphan boy, he acquired his golf against heavy odds. He graduated from the caddy ranks and got to his first tournaments by riding in cattle trucks. He came right into the limelight by defeating Bobby Jones in the first round (18 holes) of the amateur championship at Pebble Beach in 1929 and he has been in the limelight ever since. Over the first 18 holes of the final Goodman played very nearly perfect golf for a 72, but Somerville was round in 71 and one up> In the second round Goodman went on at the same pace while the Canadian had one or two lapses, and with 27 holes played the American was 2 up. Then Somerville rallied. He put on three par fours against Goodman’s fives and was one up again. The next three holes were halved in 4,5, 4, and Somerville was 1 up with 3 to go. A “birdie” 3 at the 34th (422yd5.) put him dormy two, and when the 35th was halved in par threes the championship was his 2 and 1.

Thus the American amateur championship passed out of American hands for the first time since 1911, when Harold Hilton, the great British amateur captured it at Apawamis. Somerville played solid golf all through the tournament. Because he had nothing to say he attracted comparatively little attention until he put Guilford out in the semi-finals. He had so little to say, in fact, that he earned the name of “Silent Sandy Somerville.” Somerville is an impressive golfer, the soundness of his game earning the approval of the experts, including Bobby Jones, and the consensus of opinion was that a real champion had won. A graduate of Toronto University, Somerville was captain of the hockey team, and was also an outstanding player in Canadian football. He captained a Canadian cricket team which went to England in 1927. He is of Scottish descent, his parents hailing from Ayrshire, an<t therefore his win was, in a sense, a victory for British golf. He has held the Canadian amateur championship four times,, and has always done well in the Canadian open. An all-round athlete and a man of parts is the new champion of the United States.

J. H. Thomas 81—14—67 J. D. Strettell 85—16—69 J. C. Prain 83—12—71 N. G. Pigou 80— 7—73 G. McHarg 86—12—74