BRITISH GOLF

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 145, 20 June 1936, Page 4

BRITISH GOLF

THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP FAMOUS TOURNEY TO BEGIN NEXT WEEK ROYAL LIVERPOOL CLUB’S GREAT COURSE

It would Lc safe to say fhal the cream of the golfing world will be in action on the famous Royal Liverpool Club’s course at Hoylake next, week, when the British amateur championship begins. The presence of Jim Ferrier (Australia) among the competitors will enliven interest from this far southern portion of the Empire, where the game is as popular as in any part of the globe. America is not sending as large a representation to contest, the British title this year as last, but its strength is well up Io the mark. Speculative minds believe, however, that the odds are greatly in favour of the title re maining within British hands. The

present holder is A. Perry, professional attached to the Lcatherland (Surrey) Club. He will seek the running again this year, knowing full well that the honour of winning the title two years in succession falls but to the select few. He is neither a Walter Hagen, nor a Bobby Jones, good golfer as he may be. His effort last year resulted in a card of 283 for the aggregate over the four rounds, equal to .the lowest ever made in championship. It is true that he had a touch of luck here and there, but what golfer has not had such in a tournament of that type. If I luck were to desert him rigidly he would have small chance. Critics pre- ' diet that Perry should do well on the long and testing Hoylake course. He is a dashing player and can hit a good ball. It is freely suggested, however, that he is not the player likely to win the crown two years in succession. Eyes on Padgham. To A. H. Padgham, Britain will look for the form which is to hold Ihe title within the British sphere. He has made almost a clean sweep of tournaments in England this year. He was runnerup to Perry last year and should turn the trick this time. Henry Cotton, who was regarded two years ago as almost unbeatable, has disappointed his public so often that they have lost confidence in him. It will be a pleasant surprise to his friends if he repeats his success of two years ago. None of the amateurs can be expected to win, but great interest will be taken in -the scores of Hector Thomson, amateur champion of Britain, Jim Ferrier, amateur champion of Australia, and Bobby Locke, amateur champion of South Africa. It may be recalled that last year Lawson Little, at that time British amateur champion, made th© best score in the British open ever returned by an amateur, with the single exception of Bobby Jones. He gave Messrs. Thomson, Ferrier and Locke a mark to aim at. A Great Course. Hoylake is one of Britain ’s greatest courses and one of the greatest in the I world. It lies among sandhills on a windy coast near Liverpool. At many holes it is terrifyingly easy to get out of bounds, so that the player who hopes to score well must be straight, and great length from the tee is as necessary as direction. It is in every sense of the word a masculine course, a fit battleground fur the giants of the grme. Bernard Darwin speaks of “this ' flat, historic expanse of Hoy lake, blown up by mighty winds, breeder of mighty champions.” And again he says: “Surely no other course possesses a finish so tremendous, so punishing, so insistent on length as well as straightness, as is provided by ihe List five holes.” Well, long and difficult as Hoylake has always been, it. is this year longer and more d : fficult than ever. In an effort to meet the ingenuity of the ball manufacturer and the club maker the Royal Liverpool Golf

Club has lengthened Hoylake to over 7000 yards, and the winning score xx ill be awaited with much interest. The weather will have a lot to do with it. ' lor if “the mighty winds” blow there will be some scores of the 72 holes that, would almost satisfy an Australian eleven in a Test match. The "pen championship has been played at Hoylake six times, and the winners and their scores were:— 1897, IL H. Hilton 314 A. Herd ..... ;; 07 1907, A. Massy 1913. J. H. Taylor T Z 301 1921. W. Hagen 301 1930, R. T. Jones 291 Since 1930 both the club and the half 1 have been improved and championship scores have come down, but with the addition of 300 yards to the length of the course it will not be easy for anybody in the field to get under 290 especially if the weather is unfavourable. The World’s Championship. .Some doubt has arisen in recent years as Io whether the British open tournament could rightly lay claim to being the world’s championship. American ascendancy over British golfers and the fact that the American open drew entries four times as numerous as the British suggested to some that, the United States tourney automatically took pride of place. It was difficult to refute xvorld status to America a vear 1 or so ago, but first Henry Cotton and then A. Perry disposed of the long held mastery which Americans enjoyed over Britishers and although the United States event certainly draws a greater number of entries, the British championship has behind it a wealth of tradition and its character is definitely cosmopolitan. This is what Gone Sarazcn has to of it:—“Since my prolonged jaunts through South America, the South Sea Isles and the Antipodes, many people have asked me if I think Ihe British open championship still ranks above our own national open tournament. 1 have always answered in the affirmative, not only because that is my honest opinion, but because in most parts ot the world the winner of the British trophy is looked upon as the outstanding player of the year, a player of undeniable international stature. The reasons for this belief, universal except in the United States, are manifold. The British open has an historical background laden with tradition and prestige, running through I centuries. It has produced many cele- | bra ted masters of the game like John Ball, Harold Hilton, Vardon, Dav, Braid, Herd and, by no means least, J. H. Taylor. It always has a distinct international flavour; in fact, its scope is widely cosmopolitan. When you win

the British open, you not only have to defeat some of your own ambitious Americans but the greatest players Of England and Scotland, Spain, Italy, Germany and France. The American open, on other band, ic. for t! most part, pcrely American, ’d&ftsre or other nations rarely compete in it. None of them ever come here expressly to play in our t urnament.” Sarazen Will Be There. Sarazen went on to express satisfaction that the long run of American successes was broken by Cotton in 1934 and that Berry carried on the victories in their own land,” wrote Gene, “were happy interruptions of our many successful invasions because they have piomoted a better international situation. England’s own are now on their toes, confident and sel-f assured. They will not be easy to take any more.” Sarazen, as it happens, I will be in the field at Hoylake this | year, and, as always, a formidable con[tender. •