GOLF

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1929, Page 5

GOLF

TEAM MATCHES AT GOLF. NOT PURELY AN INDIVIDUAL GAME (By Harry Vardon.—Special to News.) London, May 30. Whatever may be our regret aboiit the open championship, in which Americans gained th” first three places, nothing can bedim the glow of satisfaction born of Britain’s victory in the Ryder Cup match. It will live for a long time as one of the features of golf in 1929. As much as anything was it a triumph for the team spirit on the links. Truly splendid was the way in which the British players backed up one another on the last'day, when they felt the tide turning slowly in their favour and realised that everybody must do his bit to the utmost of his ability.

There are people who declare stubbornly that the team spirit is impossible of infusion into golf. That is why the boy who plays it at school or between terms is usually very meek in admitting the fact, and does not expect his performances at the game to earn praise from the headmaster. Anybody who has attended such events as the Britain v. American match, the Oxford and Cambridge contest, the inter-regimental championship, and the public schools old boys’ tournament knows that the theory about the complete deficiency of the team spirit in golf is all wrong, but it is not much use arguing against' a deep-rooted conviction when its holders have had no opportunity of studying the question, INDIVIDUALISM IN GAMES. In point of fact, I suppose the one perfect team pastime is rowing, in which every member of the crew necessarily submerges his individuality in the boat. Cricket and football are capable of being played only as team games (a

single at either w’ould be ridiculous); but it is undeniable that they encourage all the elements of personal prowess and hero-worship.

The player who consistently makes big scores, or takes wickets, or gains brilliant tries or places difficult goals knows perfectly well that he does it, and every other interested party is equally aware of it. It does not affect the individual aspect of the matter that two teams must be in the field in order to provide the vehicle for such displays. This is no disparagement of cricket and football, which are great games. The main point is that, just as individualism is strong in cricket and football, though they cannot be played other than as team games, so the team spirit may be intense in golf, despite the fact that it is fundamentally a pastime of single-handed rivalry. But it has to be said that the team match at golf lends itself to improvement. A little while ago it was suggested that the teams in the inter’Varsity match should play upside down; that is to say, the men who had been placed last in the respective teams should go out first, and those who had been chosen as the leaders should start last.

The proposal has, I believe, actually been put forward for the consideration of future Oxford and Cambridge captains. Eccentric though it may appear at first blush, there is truly something to be said for it. The sides in the university match are so evenly balanced nowadays that often it happens that the whole issue depends on the last game (or the last two games) to finish. Thus it is in the hands of the presumably worst players in the teams. They fight out the last few holes, surrounded by the entire crowd of partisans in circumstances of excitement such as they encounter at no other time, while their leaders stand by in the role of, agitated blit powerless onlookers. And so it is in international matches. • .