ANOTHER GOLF RECORD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17190, 6 November 1923, Page 5 (Supplement)

ANOTHER GOLF RECORD.

to the “ Star."; LONDON, October 1 No golf record is safe to-day with the modern hall, and when the southern professionals met on the Woodcote Park links to qualify for the matchplay championship and prizes of £7oo everyone expected that the previous best score of 72 returned by Abe Mitchell as long ago as 1912 would be beaten. This expectation was realised, Claude Gray making a return of 70, 1 and two other players in Frank Bali I and E. T- Adams handing in cards of •71. Grav is not a voung pi aver, but, though he is recognised as having a j mastery of all the shots, he has failed to make a sustained effort in any of the important tournaments. His trouble is | chiefly a temperamentul one. When ■ the game is going in his favour lie rises ; to great heights in much the same 1 brilliant fashion as Duncan, but. at other times when things go wrong he has not the philosophy to accept liis misfortunes with a smile. On this occasion be did not play a falsi' stroke and his approaches, long and short, were so accurate that, it was surprising that he did not break 70. Time after time he was putting to get down in one. but as he said the bull would nob drop, though it several times struck the edge of the hole. This preliminary test does not count in the competition proper and there is an excuse for the men who do not go all out for the figures when their position is safe- At the same time no one can take liberties. Twice this season, for example. George Duncan has failed to qualify for big events. T’nfortunatelv. Duman's attempt to jump to the head of the game again has been made difficult owing to the serious illness of his wife. She has just undergone a grave operation and for nearly**, fortnight before he played at Woodcote Park Duncan had lived in the nursing home and spent both day and night at his wife’s bedside. In these circumstances, though he was heartened by Mrs Duncan’s raliv. he was scarce!v in a tit state to do himself justice. The play all round was very good, oven if some of the putting could have heon improved- 'The British professional has not \ct attained the standard set *hv his American rival’on tho green, though lie is tackling the task much more thoroughly than year