EVENTS IN GOLF WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1930, Page 3

EVENTS IN GOLF WORLD

CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS SENSATIONAL JUNIOR FINAL. NEW • PLYMOUTH CLUB MATCHES. (By “Stance.”) The. champion of champions golf match was rather a disappointment. First the xveather conditions were atrocious and then it was obvious that there was really only one player who was in real form. Neither Glasgow nor Leo Quin had played for the best part of a month and O’Callaghan was out of touch with the course. Quin would certainly have done much better had the day been fine as the rain on his glasses was troubling him. Nevertheless Conway played the golf and thoroughly deserved his win. , His morning round might easily have been much better but for missing a lot of easy putts, while in the afternoon his 73 was a great effort, Glasgow played very xvell under the circumstances and showed that with proper practice on a big course his game would be much improved. . . The very bad weather that prevailed on Saturday necessitated the postponement of the Ladies versus Men fixture for a week. Most of the players were on the links before the deluge commenced and the long stream of drenched .figures slowly wending their way towards the, clubhouse from every direction had its humorous side. Though Saturday will mark the end of the official fixtures for the year the club’s professional, J. Lambie, is arranging medal and bogie matches for every Saturday and a proposal is afoot to arrange an aggregate of these games over a series. This seems to be a very sound idea. It would be better still if some member were to come to light xvith a summer cup for a competition running over, say, a couple of months. CHANGE TO NEW COURSE. It is hoped to be able to change over to the new course before For some time, however, members will have to put up with" greens a. little rougher than they have been used to, but golfers are a patient race and though they doubtless will do their share of growling they will grin and bear it. The course looks like turning out well and all the holes, with the .exception of the first and the new seventh (taking the place of the present 17th), appear to be good and fair tests of golf. Time will tel'l. The New Plymouth junior championship final was sensational. Though it was generally thought that Renner’s experience and steadiness. xvould stand him in good stead in the 36-hole match, young Budd’s known bursts of brilliance xvere regarded as a possible upsetting factor. And so it proved. After a hardfought 18 holes in the morning they went to lunch with honours even. . In the afternoon when Renner was three up; at the seventh most people thought the game was almost as good as over, and xrhen he was two up with three to play .Renner himself ! must, have .regarded his prospects optimistically. Budd won the fifteenth but could only halve the sixteenth and was one down with txvo' to play. Hjs second at the, sex-enteenth was just on the edge of the green and he.ran down his putt for a birdie three and squared tho game. But he still had another of these up his sleeve and he produced, it at the next and final hole, xvhere another long >one. disappeared into the hole for another birdie three and the match. He ‘had done the last -nine holes in 35—a •xvonderful effort for a junior, especially 'as the conditions were far from perfect. He hits a long ball both with his woods and his irons but his putting has caused him a lot of trouble at times. There 'was nothing wrong xvith his efforts with ■this club on the last-two Ren•net has played good golf throughout

'the competition and can te accounted •rather unlucky to meet txvo threes at 'the last two hffies. ,

AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS.

The last American mails give details 'of the struggle for the National Amateur 'in , which Bibby Jones scored his t 'fourth great victory of the,year. Apparently they did not use the automatic •draw but seeded the leading players, four, in each half. In the top half xvere 'George von Elm, Dr. Willing, Francis Dimet and George Voigt, xvhile in the •other xvere Bo'bby Joties, Johnny Goodman, G. T. Dunla-p and the ex-British •champion, P. T. Perkins. There xvere ‘some surprises'in store, for with the cx•ception of Bobby Jones, all these play•ers had disappeared at the conclusion 'of the second round. Von Elin fell to 'Maurice McCarthy,, a youngster making 'his debut in the championship, at the 'txventy-eighth hole! McCarthy missed 'a putt for the match at the IStli and •then the pair proceeded to halve the •next nine. The youngster laid his second at the 10th inches from the hole 'and scored a birdie three: and a win. 'McCarthy created a sensation in the first qualifying round xvhen he holed 'his tee shot at, the 215-yard I7th. This •ace came in handy as McCarthy qualified only after a play-off. .

Dr. Willing “went xvest” in the first round, land so did Goodman, though not without a struggle. John Lehmann accounted for Perkins. Jess Sweetser, a past holder of the title, also of the 'British amateur; then came into the ■limelight and reached the semi-final, only to fall before Bo'bby Jones to the 'tune of. 9 up and 8. Another youth, Charles Seaver, also playing for the first time in the. event, reached the 'semi-final, and when he xvas 5 up on Homans at ..the conclusion of the first 'lB holes looked like being Jones’ opponent ,in the final, but Homans, came ■to light with a brilliant <0 in the afternoon and just snatched victory on the 36th. !

The final was a tame affair, one writer stating that Homans appeared to be playing round xvith Jones and not against him. One of the sensations xvas the failure of the reigning champion, Harrison Johnson, to qualify. He returned an indifferent 83 in the first round and though he scored a gallant ■73 in the second he. failed by one. strake ■to get in. Bobby Jonqs was never in danger of defeat and xvas never down to a single opponent. He won his first ■round match 5 and 4, his second by the ■same margin,' his third 6 and 5, the ■semi-final 9 and 8 and the final 8 up and ■7.‘ . /■/■.

’ In the American professional champion ship in which Tommy Armour defeated Gene Sarazen.in the final game •Sarazen in the course of the five rounds, ■of match play laid his various opponents no less than 41 stymies or half •stymies—a! remarkable record. In this ■event Joe Kirkwood accounted for the ■redoubtable Horton Smith in the third round, only to fall to Sarazen in the semi-final. Kirkwood xvas playing very well but was troubled by the slow •greens. Armour played admirable golf ■throughout and deserved his. xvin. He is universally regarded as the leading professional of the year in the States, •having annexed the Canadian Open, the (P.G. Ihampionship and the “big St. •Louis Open. In the last named' ex;ent ■he broke par in every round except one xvhen he returned a modest 72.