GOLFING GIANTS OF PAST

Southland Times, Issue 24439, 20 May 1941, Page 9

GOLFING GIANTS OF PAST

NOT SUPERSEDED BY MODERN CHAMPIONS

When a golfer interested in these things fills in an idle hour looking back over some of the records of tire game and finds that the British open championship (then decided by two stroke rounds) was won in 1890 with a score of 164, and that when the test was made 72 holes in 1892 the winning score was 305; and when he compares these figures with those which the leading professionals and amateurs mark down on their cards today, he can hardly avoid asking himself whether the players of today are as much superior to those of 40 and 50 years ago as the scores would appear to suggest. And when he notes that the winner in 1890 was Mr John Ball, and that the winner in 1892 was Mr H. H. Hilton, and that Harry Vardon won in 1896 with 316 and James Braid in 1905 with 318, he must come to the conclusion that the explanation for the amazing scores made today is not to be found in the players themselves. It will readily be admitted that since thousands of men play golf today for every one who played 40 years ago, the chances of a prodigy appearing in the game are correspondingly more numerous; but, even so, very few would qlaim that amateur golf has thrown up any more skilful swingers of the club, or any players with more in them of the stuff of which champions are made (always excepting Bobby Jones, of course), than those two giants of Hoylake, Ball and Hilton, while among professionals Vardon still stands without a peer. IMPROVED CLUBS

Where, then, is the explanation to be found for the par-smashing rounds that are now so frequently played in tournaments? The question is really not hard to answer. Golf courses have been improved out of sight. The fairways are now so good that the lies from which Ball and Hilton and Vardon played the ball as a matter of course do not occur and greens as smooth as billiard tables and 600 to 1000 square yards in size make putting relatively easy and simple. Under stress of competition among manufacturers the golf club has been developed until it is a perfect tool for the player’s purpose, enabling the “rabbit” to do with ease what only “the tiger” could do with the clubs of 40 years ago. And the ball? Well, the modern ball has completely transformed the game. The great American professional, Craig Wood, gave an instructive demonstration at New Orleans a few weeks ago. He had made a collection of balls ranging from the vintage of 1888 to the finest product of the present day, and before an interested audience he put the pills through their paces in a searching test. The illuminating results obtained are shown in this table:—

(Wood did not hit the 1906 ball with the wind.) LONGER COURSES Courses have been lengthened in an effort to neutralize the longer flight of the modern ball and limits have been put on its size and weight, but even so the club maker and the ball maker have so far beaten the course, more especially as, apart from length, the course itself has been improved in the player’s favour. No, there are no greater players today than Ball, Hilton and Vardon, of whom only Hilton is alive. Bring back these giants of the game in the heyday of their early manhood, put them on modern courses and give them the modern implements of the game, and they would almost certainly repeat the triumphs that made their fame in their own time.

QUEEN’S PARK PLAYER WINS CORONATION MEDAL

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, May 19. The Ladies’ Golf Union’s home links Coronation Medal competition for players with handicaps of not more than 18, which was played by members of affiliated clubs throughout New Zealand during the week, May 4 to 10, was won by Mrs L. Larcombe (Queen’s Park Club, Invercargill), her score, 87-18-69, being six strokes under the scratch score of the course. The next best scores were: Mrs E. Stokes (Orakei Club, Auckland) 81-14-67 (five under), Miss Z. Hudson (Waitikiri Club, Christchurch) 75-4-71 (four under), and Mrs FI. M. Purser (New Plymouth) 80-9-71 (four under). The competition for the Aotearoa Cup, which is played for in conjunction with the same event, but is open to players of any handicap, resulted in a tie between Miss H. Proctor (Otahuhu Club, Auckland), 97-31-66, Mrs FI. Barnes (Rotorua), 94-31-63, and Mrs L. Larcombe (Queen's Park, Invercargill) 87-18-69, each of whom played six strokes below the scratch score of the course. Miss Proctor was the winner on the count back over the last nine holes.

Against With Year Wind Wind Yds Yds 1888 158 202 1899 145 226 1902 175 202 1906 165 — 1924 185 250 1938 208 257 1941 231 286