Ferrier Reaches New “Low” In Golf Handicaps

Southland Times, Issue 24027, 18 January 1940, Page 5

Ferrier Reaches New “Low” In Golf Handicaps

Jim Ferrier, open and amateur golf champion of Australia, rated scratch on the New South Wales official handicap list, plus 1 at Manly for competitions, and apparently plus 2 for “private matches,” is, on any one of these handicaps, Australia’s lowest mark player. The plus one mark for local competitions was announced by the Manly Golf Club recently. . . There are several players m Victoria on plus 1, but the standard there is scratch score, while in Sydney handicaps are calculated from par. As the handicap limit for entering the 1939 Australian open was 3 from scratch and 6 from par, it may be taken that the relative difference for championship courses, where the par is about 72 and the scratch score about 75-76, is three strokes. Hence, Ferrier’s assortment of handicaps for Melbourne play would work out at plus 3, plus 4 and plus 5. In the old days of bogey, and when handicapping was done at many clubs on the club’s best player rather than on any fixed standard, Ivo Whitton had post-war “mark” of plus 5. In prewar days, in some open meetings and in club competitions, leading players had even more imposing handicaps. But undoubtedly Ferrier’s present handicaps, having regard to the present systems of rating players, are more impressive than any other “mark” ever given to a golfer in Australia. Actually scratch is the low handicap

according to the British system used in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, and, according to the American system of New South Wales. But in Victoria, when a player consistently returns scores that would, if there were a table for the purpose, set him on a lower mark, special consideration is given to the case by the handicapping subcommittee of the Victorian Golf Association, and if worthy he is given an official plus mark. Plus 2 is the lowest mark yet assigned. Club handicappers, to protect members, put outstanding players on lower marks for club purposes only. Victoria’s principal low markers are Harry Williams and M. J. Ryan on plus 2, and W. Edgar, A. W. Jackson, H. R. Payne, Alex Rae, Laurie Duffy and Alex King on plus 1.