THE OPEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

Taranaki Daily News, 28 June 1935, Page 10

THE OPEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

MEMORIES OF RAST STRUGGLES

JAMES BRAID’S GREAT VICTORY

(By “Stance.”) JTOR almost a decade after th 6 institution of the British Open Golf Championship in 1860, the Scots dominated the position. There was Tom Morris Snr. and Tom Morris Jnr., as well as Willie Park, Mungo Park, Jamie Anderson, Bob Fergusson, Bob Martin and Jack Simpson. In fact, it was almost a Scottish event. However, with the victory of J. M. Taylor in 1894 a change came over the scene. For the next six years Taylor, Vardon and H. H. Hilton dominated matters and the hitherto -almost invincible Scots were relegated to the background. ' .

In 1901 the big fixture took place at Muirfield, the same course on which it is being played this week. Here Scotland in the shape of one James Braid reasserted herself and “the carpenter of Elie” as he was called broke the VardonTaylor spell in gallant fashion. Vardon opened with a 77, which gave him a twostroke lead from Braid and Taylor but a grim 76 under adverse t onditions in the next round saw Braid join Vardon- in front some seven strokes, in front of Taylor who had slumped into an 83. - It was obvious that the fight was going to be between Braid and Vardon and in the third round Braid commanded a big gallery as the hopes of Fife were running high. Braid’s round was probably the best of the championship. Giving a wonderful display of driving and a demonstration of uncanny skill on the greens with that old wooden putter of his, he was out in 37 and home in the same number of strokes. This made his total for the 54 holes 229, five strokes clear of Vardon, who had carded a 79 and still seven clear of Taylor despite that player’s great 74. No matter how lionhearted a player may be, the leader’s position at the commencement of the final round of an open is not an easy one and seldom does the leader reproduce the form of his earlier efforts. Braid required 40 for the first nine and his start in was marked by two indifferent holes. However he then rallied and struggling grimly returned an 80, giving him a grand total of 309. This meant that Vardon would require a 75 and Taylor a 73 to tie. Taylor had taken 40 to reach the turn and this put him out of action but Vardon with 39 out, had a possible 36 home to save the prestige of England. He was going so well with only three holes to play that the hopes of his supporters were running high. At the 16th he showed that even the great can make mistakes by dropping a short chip into a bunker. This was the end as he then required two birdies for

the necessary 75 and birdies are not collected under such circumstances. Scotland had triumphed and Braid had joined Vardon and Taylor in the famous’ triumvirate that was to dominate the championship practically right up to the Great War.

In the meantime whole shoals of young Scots had been nl grating across the Atlantic to America where they had been busy explaining and teaching the mysteries of the game of St. Andrews. Shortly after the war the Americans began to cast their eyes towards the British Open and in 1921 the first challenge was issued at St. Andrews. The Americans created a big stir as they arrived with sets of slotted irons with which they could make the ball come back after it landed. Naturally this gave them a big advantage but their triumph was not really decisive as Jock Hutchison, a player from St. Andrews, but then a naturalised American, proved the winner after a play-off with Roger Wethered. During the progress of the play Hutchison did a hole in one. His ball landed pAst the flag but the slotted face of the club had imparted so much back spin to the ball that it ran back after landing and entered the holt by the tradesman’s entrance. This was certainly a stfoke of luck but it was not aIE ‘ Wethered, when pushing through the erdwd surrounding- one of the greens, by accident moved his ball with his foot, thus incurring a penalty. But fdr this he would have won outright, without any need of A play-off. The slotted irons wefe barfed the following year, but America triumphed properly with one of her own native sons, Walter Hagen. A. G. Havers stemmed the American onslaught when he beat Hagen by a single stroke at Troon the following year, but from thence onward the men from the States, mainly Bobby Jones and Hagen, had things all their own way until Cotton put them all to rout last year.