ENGLISH SPORTING LETTER

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1930, Page 16

ENGLISH SPORTING LETTER

WALKER CUP GOLF MATCH. AMERICANS RETAIN THE HONOUR. (Special To News.) London, May 22. The old question —what is wrong with British golf? This time it relates to the amateurs who suffered a humiliating experience against the Americans in the Walker Cup match at Sandwich. Of the four foursomes the only pair to win were Roger Wethered and Cyril Tolley, who defeated the first American pair, George von Elm and George Voigt, and T. A. Torrance was the only member of the side to be successful in the singles. It was a crushing reverse —ten matches to two —and it is no wonder that a fresh search is being made to account for the Americans unmistakeable superiority. We have praised them for their proficiency .in in the short game, but on this occasion their advantage began at the tee. Indeed, the match was decided by the driving rather than by the putting. In contrast to the British players the certainty with which the Americans kept the ball in play on the fairways was most marked. Bobbie Jones, indeed, spent a great deal of time watching Roger Wethered hacking his ball out of either the rough or the ‘bunkers, and by the time the green was reached it was often the American’s hole. As a matter of fact, in the first round the British captain lost six consecutive holes and at four of them Jones was not, even asked to putt. In driving Wethered was hopeless. At one tee he would pull and at the next he would slice. One despairs of him ever using his wooden clubs again in his old masterful wav.

Cyril Tolley came back from America specially to take part in the match, and he played his part finely in the foursome. Against Harrison Johnston, the American champion, however, he lost the lead in the singles almost at the start and was always playing an uphill game. iHe finished the first round two down, but still it was thought that he would win. However, Johnston never gave him a chance, and towards the end Tolley weakened and was beaten by four and three. There were other British players who fell away when the crisis of the match occurred, and it was obvious that the Americans were better fitted to play on to the bitter end. They play far more against professionals and in open tournaments than British golfers, and their experience stands them in good stead. Bobbie Jones is just as wonderful as ever, and he is favourite not only for the amateur championship, but for the open, in which he will oppose the professionals. He. declares that this will be his last visit to play golf, and he is very keen to secure the British amateur title, which is the only important prize which has escaped him. He will take back to America at least one new trophy. This is the gold vase which he captured at Sunningdale, which is one of his favourite courses, and of which he is an honorary member. A few years ago the qualifying competition for the championship was played at Sunningdale and Jones returned the amazing scores of sixty-six and sixty-eight. In the gold vase tournament he equalled the latter record.

One crumb of satisfaction is that the challenge of the American women golfers has been repelled. As a year ago, Miss Glenna Collett reached the final, and it was taken for granted that she would beat Miss Diana Fishwick. The latter is only nineteen years of age, and it was her first championship. But she is a very remarkable girl. So wonderful is her confidence that she has been called the Hagen of women’s golf, and instead of the final before a gallery of 5000 people being too much for her, she was almost audacious in her assurance. As a matter of fact, it was the experienced Miss Collett who broke down under the strain, losing five holes during the first round, and Miss Fishwick gave her no chance to recover. Everyone was a little sorry for Miss Collett. It was her fifth attempt to win the championship, and she has appeared in the semi-final once and the final twice. She says that she will come back next year, and her pluck is greatly to be admired.

ENGLAND’S TEST TEAM.

THE DEFENCE OF THE ASHES.

As usual cricketers are trying to anticipate the decision of the selectors in picking the England team for the first of the Test matches against the Australians. It is easy enough to choose seven or eight men. We shall have Hobbs and Sutcliffe to open the innings and Hammond to follow in. Hendren must be chosen for his ability in the long field as well as for his batting. Tate is the stock bowler, Duckworth is the wicket-keeper unless it is thought that the batting requires to be strengthened and Ames is included, and A. P. F. Chapman will be the captain. The difficulty is to fill in the gaps. Many will be surprised if, for instance, Woolley is not chosen, but he must field somewhere near the wicket, and that will leave only Hendren for the long field. In the circumstances, Leyland may be preferred. He has been through the fire of Test cricket, and, moreover, has proved that he has the right temperament by scoring a century in his first match. But Woolley is still such a superb forcing batsman that I do not see how he can be left out. We must, of course, have three bowlers to help Tate. The authorities have been waiting to see the form of Larwood and fortunately he has been bowling at great pace, and very successfully, for Notts. Geary is another who may be included, but R. W. V. Robins is a strong rival to Freeman. K. S. Duleepsinhji is, of course, another batsman with big claims. He has just played a brilliant innings o-f 92 for the M.C.C. against the Australians, and on such form he will be difficult to leave out. As a matter of fact, the trouble of tho selectors is to decide who not to pick. In making the final choice they are again to be assisted by Hobbs and Rhodes.

ENGLISH SOCCER TEAM.

THE CONTINENTAL TOUR. England’s Soccer team, which defeated 'Scotland and won the international championship, has returned from the 'Continental tour highly delighted with tho experience. Following a three goals all draw with Germany in Berlin the team went to Vienna to play Austria, and this gams was also drawn, but without a goal being scored. In both "ities the British players had a mag-

nificent reception. The German authorities gave each man a handsome tie-pin as a souvenir of the visit, and in Vienna they were presented with silver cigarette cases and leather pocket-books. Tn addition, the Austrians sent back a silver bowl as an official gift to the Football Association. The play of the Germans and Austrians was of a high standard and I understand that there is a likelihood of both teams visiting England early next season. The Austrians, in particular, are fine craftsmen, who exploit the science of the game. They have been taught by English coaches to keep the ball on the ground, and they have also an excellent understanding of positional play. If not quite so spectacular and expert, the Germans are very keen and enthusiastic. The conditions both in Berlin and Vienna were, of course, in favour of the home players, but they proved beyond all doubt that Continental football has made enormous advance during the past few years and that no British team can now oppose them successfully without doing its utmost to win. CRISIS IN OLYMPIC GAMES. VEILED PROFESSIONALISM. The crisis which has long threatened in regard to the Olympic Games over the question of the payment for “broken time” has at last arisen. At a meeting of the Congress, just held in Berlin, Sweden proposed that competitors at the Games in Los Angeles in 1932 should be paid their wages whilst they are away, and this motion was ’ seconded by Finland, who even proposed to go further and pay compensation to

athletes while they are engaged in training. The British authorities announced frankly that if the ‘‘broken time” principle were accepted they would instantly withdraw from the Games. They drew up a resolution debarring any man competing at Los Angeles, who* at any time, or under any conditions, had received money for “broken time.” Twenty-three countries were represented by fifty delegates at the meeting, and each country had one vote. It was rather a surprise, and a distinct tribute to the prestige of Great Britain and the Dominions, that the Swedish motion was rejected by eighteen votes to four. The minority was made up of Sweden, Finland, Holland, and Switzerland"alone. America, France, Denmark, Germany and South Africa strongly supported the British position. A Dutch delegate suggested that a committee might be appointed to investigate the question, but the British representatives refused to accept any compromise, and insisted upon a vote being taken then and there. This is a very important decision, but everything depends on the degree of loyalty with which it is enforced. There is not the faintest doubt that veiled professionalism—what we call “shamateurism” —prevails in many branches of sport on the Continent, and until this evil is drastically eradicated there will bo very little reality about international sporting events conducted under the amateur aegis. ANOTHER EAST END CHAMPION. FOREMAN THE FORMIDABLE. At Premierland last night, the popular East End centre of boxing, an ex-

cited crowd acclaimed a. now champion. Fred Webster, who was the lightweight champion of Britain, was up against Al Foreman, a youngster from St. Georges, and vzas knocked out in the first round. It was a most impressive contest, although it was so short, because Webster is both a gallant and skilful fighter, with a particularly' strong classic defence, but Foreman easily broke through all his defences with a tremendously hard right and left hand punch. When the men stood up, Webster assumed his best stance, with every indication of that straight left which ia I the deadliest check to an aggressive' opponent. Foreman dicked and dodged, avoiding contact with that straight left, until he saw his chance to send across a. vicious right swing. Webster succeeded in half eluding the blow, but it glanced along the British champion’s chin, and the force of the mere' ricochet brought him to the ground.- Ho took a count of seven seconds, and'then rose, apparently quite compos mentis, to resume the argument. His guard was still correct and his attitude alert. Foreman kept dodging round him until Webster dropped his right hand for a second. In that instant Foreman landed a terrific left hook right to the chin. Webster would probably have been finished then, but for the "fact that he was near the ropes. Ho kept a gallant front, but was obviously groggy. Foreman feinted beautifully. Realising hia> opponent’s condition, he executed an ex-, aggerated threat with his right. Webster was deceived by it, and Foreman promptly hooked with his left again. Every blow ho landed was a staggering one, and down , went Webster for a full count of tenu '■■■