Walter Hagen, Golf Champion, Reviews The Situation.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18188, 22 June 1927, Page 4

Walter Hagen, Golf Champion, Reviews The Situation.

BRITISH TEAM NOW INVADING U.S.A. INCLUDES BRILLIANT PLAYERS

(By WALTER HAGEN.) (One of a series of timely articles being written for the “Star” and the North American Newspaper Alliance by the American professional golf champion, the only player to win both American and British open championships twice.) I notice that my friends in the British professional golf team are all sporting the British lions of Trafalgar Square on the sports shirts they will wear in the international team match at Worcester in June, and in the open championship at Pittsburg. It seems there was discussion in London over the proper emblem fcr the team. Some favoured a red rose, but big Ted Ray thought such an insignia would be altogether too tame for the attack upon America, and insisted on the lions. Well, the British team is an organisation of golfing lions. I know all its members and am perfectly willing to grant them this. With the exception of George Duncan, they all weigh close to 190 pounds, and they are powerful hitters. The British team was selected by those brilliant old-time golfers who figured so much in the history of championship golf for many years. James Braid, Harry Yardon and J. H. Taylor were members of the committee. They are keen critics and surely brought their keenest judgment into play in naming the players to represent Great Britain. Mitchell’s Absence Regretted. All American golfers regret that Abe Mitchell, who was named team captain, was prevented by illness from making the trip to America. I have known for some months that Mitchell was not feeling well. He told me last summer that his health was giving him considerable concern, but for all his trouble Abe has never pla3'ed better golf than throughout the last few weeks. lie lias been making a wonderful record over there, and I hope for his speedy recover}'. Abe is one of the finest men in the game. Ernest Whitcombe, member of a prominent golfing family, will take Mitchell's place. Ilis brother Charley is one of the team. Next to Mitchell, I like Aubrey Boomer, the thirty-vear-old Englishman who has been catering with great success for a number of years to rich Americans who spend much time in Paris and play their golf at the St Cloud Country Club. Boomer has won all the European championships save the British, most of the important events on the islands, and recently he made a successful tour of South America.

All American golfers know George Duncan. George can be brilliant, as he was when he won the British open at Deal the first year I visited Great Britain. Duncan was over here in December. I played with George in Los Aneeles. lie was not going well and returned to England. lie is glad to get back and expects to show America something better. George is the onlv Scotsman in the British team. Ted Ray will be the oldest man in the international match. Ted is just an even half-century, which isn’t old for / a golfer in Great Britain. Some of the professionals over there are older than Ted, and are still making it tough for the younger boys. Ted is the only man in the team who has won the American open. He romped through at the Inverness Club in Toledo, in 1920, with as perfect a putting touch as a man ever had in a championship, and a score of 295. lie won the British open at Muirfield in 1912. Plump George Gadd. George Gadd, who in form is “pleasingly plump,” comes from that exclu- . sive Roehampton Club, in London. | Tin's club ranks close to Swindlev Forest, where royalty plays golf. Gadd probably knows more big people in British society and politics than any ! of our visitors. He was once the professional champion of Great Britain, and he has made eight “ holes-in-one,” which should attest his accuracy. Arthur Havers is a friend of mine. T had a great battle with Arthur in the British open at Troon, in 1923. lie beat me by a stroke for the championship, and it is tough to come that close and lose. Havers is almost as tall as the YVoolworth Building and a powerful hitter. The gallery will exclaim over some of Arthur's tee shots. lie made a tour of America when he was the British open champion, and among other things he beat Bobby Jones in a thirty-six hole game at East Lake. Atlanta. lie won and lost in seventytwo hc-les games with Gene Sarazen. Archie C'ompston won the long driving contest in Britain last year. lie has been in America and won two tournaments here. Fred Robson and Charley Whitcombe complete the team. They are not as well known in America as the other members, but Whitcombe comes from a great golfing family and has alwavs been near the top in competition in Europe. There isn’t a player in the British team who is not capable of winning a big championship. I should say that the chance of one of the British team winning the American open was about two and one-half to one against, and that the international team match at Worcester is an even money wager. (Copyright, 1927, in all countries by North American Newspaper Alliance.) |

Aubrey, who, by the way, is prol>ably the handsomest man among the visitors, Avon the Gleneagles tournament and the French and Belgian opens in successive weeks.