GOLF

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19007, 7 May 1924, Page 6

GOLF

BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS. This year’s golf championships wil be held in May and June. The amateui championship will be decided on the old course at St. Andrews, commencing on May 26- when the championship trophy and four"medalg will be competed for. It is open to amateurs who are members of any recognised golf club, and entries will be received from players, in receipt of a national handicap of four strokes or less up to Friday, May 9. Competitors from overseas must enter through the secretary of the recognised authority controlling golf in the country from which ho elects to enter. A declaration, signed by the secretary, that the entrant is an amateur golfer in accordance within the definition must accompany the entry. It is pointed out that an amateur golfer is one who, after attaining the age of 1G years, has not (a) carried clubs for hire; (b) received any consideration, either directly or indirectly, for playing or of teaching the game, or for playing in a match or tournament; (c) because of his skill as a golfer, received, after December 31, 1922. a salary or remuneration, either directly or indirectly, from any firm dealing in goods relating to the playing of the game; (d) played for s money prize in any competition. The acceptance, without payment, of golf balls, clubs, or golf merchandise will render a player ineligible to compete in the amateur championship. The competition for the championship challenge trophy, open to all golfers, will be played on the course of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, at Hoylake on Thursday and Friday, June 26 and 27, and shall be decided by four rounds of 18 holes. The competition will be played by strokes, and the prizes amount to £225. The first prize is the championship gold medal (value £25), and £75 in cash if the winner is a professional, and there are nine other money prizes. Entries for the open close on June 12.

An interesting and unexpected state of affairs has arisen owing to the clashing of tho British and American championships—tho latter fixture will be held on the Community Club’s links, Dayton, Ohio, from June 24 to June 29. Writing in the London Sporting Life last month, “Fairway” says: “J. H. Kirkwood, the ex-Australian champion, has announced that he and several of his colleagues will ]*y in the championship at Hoylake, and not that of America, in view of the conflicting dates. This is eminently complimentary to the British championships, especially as we now hear that Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, J. Barnes, Jock Hutchison, and McDonald Smith may also prefer to attain to the distinction of British champion rather than that of their own nation.

41 If these six men arrive at Hoylake in sufficient time to become acclimatised, it will be the most formidable invasion we yet have seen. For tho reason that while Hagen and Hutchison won in 1921 and 1922, the others will npt lay their clubs aside until they have followed their example. W|h the exception of Sarazen, who unaccountably failed to qualify at Troon last season, they have all played with distinction over here. Apart from Hagen, I would prefer the chances of Kirkwood and McDonald Smith to any of our own men, and if Kirkwood does succeed, I shall not be surprised to see him do so by the record lowest aggregate. Both he and McDonald Smith played a remarkable round of 69 at Troon, and Kirkwood, in addition, has 1 negotiated’ St. Andrews in 73 strokes. One of these days he will have an aggregate of somewhere neai 290, and then all will be over.

“But one thing must not be forgot ten. While these six Americans, espe cially in medal play, may be superioi to the first six in this country, the great difficulty of winning over here if that even with the failure of Duncan, Havers, and Mitchell, there arc 2C others whose consistency may defeat the invaders.

“We have C. A. Whitcombe, H. C. Jolly, W. M. Watt, S. Wingate, Gordon Lockhart, F. Ball, C. Johns, F. Robson, R. G. Wilson, G. Gadd, and P. Allis, all quite equal to the feat of be coming successor to Arthur Havers.”