GOLF

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20126, 20 April 1928, Page 2

GOLF

THE BRITISH AMATEURS AN IMPROVED OUTLOOK. AMERICANS’ SLENDER advantage (Specially written for the ‘Chronicle’ by Harry Vardon, six times open cihampion. It can be said in perfect sincerity that tho prospects of British amateur golf in 1928 have been enlivened considerably by the happenings of tho past two years.

I am by no means alone in thinking that so far as concerns amateur players of sheer scientific ability and consistency of performance, this country is lacking in the standard which prevailed when Air John Ball, Air Harold Hilton, Air Robert Maxwell, Air F. G. Tait, and Air John Graham, wore ar the height of their powers. Still, the development last season of two such men as Dr William Twedidell and Air T. P. Perkins, Wiho maintained the fine form which marked their beginning of the programme with victories in the British and English championships respectively, may be accepted as evtdonee that British amateur golf is rocovoring from the sot-hack which, like professional golf. it. suffered as a consequence of the war.

It is rather monotonous to be reflecting constantly on the war’s foots, hut probably the truth is that they have had most to do with the rise of the United States to supremacy on the links, and there is no nocid to minimise tho circumstance when discussing the international situation. Walker Cup Match in U.S.A. This season, it is the turn of the British team to visit America for tho Walker Cup match, which takes place every two years. It is admittedly a difficul* business to beat tho Americans, and more difficult on their own courses than on ours hut if a truly

representative team of eight British amateurs can be organised, we may reasonably enb/tain hopes. The new talent bids us Mo so.

Not since 1926 has there been an international test in amateur golf. On that occasion, the Americans achieved a double triumph, and in this country, too. Nevertheless, it is a fair judgment to say that if the two events had been re-played, they would as likely as not have 'ended in British successor, so slender were the threads by which the Americans gained their victories. Air Jess Sweetser was a worthy winner in the amateur clthnipioiiship bul with the admittedly nine best players of the United States in the field, hr. was the only visitor who reached the semi-final, and it was plain for everybody present, to see that ho might well have been beaten at that stage by the Hon. W. Brownlow.

Somebody had to win, and Air Sweetser, after an escape at the nineteenti’i hole, did win at the twenty-first; but the whole affair was so much in the nature of a toss-up that the ends ol justice would have been served just as well if the final had been an all-Bn-tiah duel.

As for the Walker Cup match, it deserves to bo remembered that, for the first time in the history of tho contest, the British side won the singles. Tliat was a big thing to do in an eight-a-sido engagement with the cream of the United States amateurs, with each game over thirty-six holes. Certainly it lent no colour to the long-sus-tained belief in tho superiority of the American amateurs as a body.

It had always been thought that to stand any chance of capturing the trophy, we should first have to gain the lead in the foursomes—an almost exclusively British form of the game. An advantage of three games to one in this section of the match might be the stepping stone to victory. A lead of four to nothing would be a magnificent dispensation. And, with all our admiration of America’s amateurs we have never despaired of sucn a situation presenting itself in a department of golf which the British have venerated from time immemorial, and the Americans have virtually ignored. We did not look for success in the singles. On the last occasion, the foursomes went wrong. Of the four British pairs, throe had never played together until the afternoon before the match, and i.hey could not dovetail quickly enough to be eff ctive. And Air Brownlow was so indisposed that probably he ought never to have been included in the loam, although ho and Air E. F. Storey, after being six down at the end of the morning round, caught Air Robert Gardner and Air Roland Alackenzie in the afternoon, and might have won just ns surely as they lost, at the thirty-sixth hole.

At any rate, i.i Britain’s deficit of two in the foursomes could not bo retrieved by a majority of one in the singles, match as a whole did more than anything has done for years to show that the collective forces of tho two nations are as nearly as possible upon one plane in amateur golf. We surely need not despair, this season, especially, if cur foursome pairs are arranged early so that they may have plenty of practice as sides. “Bobby” Jones’ Lapse. There is justification for saying that th 0 standard of British amateur play is higher than it has been at any time during the past seven years—the period which has marked the rise or America to a position of predominance. “Bobby’’ Jones is the outstanding genius of the game, although even he proved fallible in the test which tradition has desciibcci for our amateur cbaiiipiouship—the test of eighteen hole matches. It. is a further good augury for British amateur gulf that there has been no serious falling-off in the standard of the essablunwg leaders, save that little was heard last, season of Sir Ernest- Holdemess, and Mr Storey—mainly, I believe, on account of the claims of work. Sir Ernest Holderness, however, made a vigorous re-appearance in the Oxford and Cambridge Society’s recent tournament at Rye. Air Storey is sure to be prominent again. He is one of the most improved golfers of recent seasons. Up to the time that he left Cambridge in 1924, experts were disposed to describe him as purely a one-shot player, that one shot, being the full shot. Alost assuredly it is not true of him now.

Mr Cyril Tolley is nearly always a power, and Air R. 11. Wetlmrerl seems to bo playing as well as ever. Thon there is the twcnty-two-years-old Glasgow player, Air Andrew Jamieson junior, who won his big spurs by beating Air Jones in the amateur championship, and Air Robert Gardner in the international contest, and who has since succeeded to the title of Scottish amateur champion. He is worthy to rank with Dr Tweddell and Air Perkins among the contributors to brighter prospects for British amateur golf.