GOLF

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 168, 19 July 1938, Page 5

GOLF

WANGANUI LADIES’ CLUB QUALIFYING ROUNDS HAROLD CUP DRAW The first qualifying round of the Wanganui Ladies’ Golf Club championship will be played to-day (Tuesday) and to-morrow (Wednesday), together with the first round for the Harold Cup. Following is the draw:— For To-day.—Miss Brinkman and Miss Matthews; Miss Benefield and Miss Woon; Mrs Twogood and Mrs McLean; Miss E. Brown and Mrs McCombe; Mrs Sewell and Miss M. A. Moore; Mrs Chitty and Mrs McNab; Miss Dunkley and Mrs McDonald; Miss S. Duncan and Miss Moffatt: Mrs Cole and Miss A. Mitchell; Miss Frankish and Mrs Fennell; Miss L. Watkins and Miss Paul; Mrs Horne and Miss Parkes; Miss Howie and Miss P. Seivers; Miss B. Horsley and Mrs Sampson; Miss Hine and Mrs Taylor; Mrs Baldwin and Miss Scott. For To-morrow.—Mrs Armstrong and Mrs Smith; Mrs Broderick and Mrs Hussey; Mrs Handley and Mrs Miller; Mrs Newton and Mrs Cook; Miss Quin and Mrs Coghill; Mrs Richardson and Miss Duncan; Mrs Young and Mrs Gilbert; Mrs Grace and Mrs Brown; Miss Babbage and Mrs Harvey; Mrs Bain and Mrs A. Hunter; Mrs Gilligan and Mrs Moore Hunter; Mrs Bassett and Mrs Earle; Miss Blyth and Mrs Hobbins; Mrs Campbell and Mrs Izard; Miss T. Collier and Mrs Keesing; Mrs Cutfield and Mrs Seivers; Mrs Carver and Mrs Freeman; Mrs Collins and Mrs Simmons; Mrs Davies and Mrs Lawford; Miss Donald and Mrs Lange; Mrs Foster and Mrs Larsen; Mrs Gardner and Mrs Millward; Mrs Hatrick and Miss Murray; Mrs Haggitt and Miss Montgomery Moore; Miss Mullins and Mrs Wilberfoss; Miss Morgan and Mrs Wilson; Mrs Newman and Miss B. Wilson; Miss Norman and Mrs Christie; Miss Russell and Mrs Jones; Miss Peck and Miss Burling; Mrs Ryall and Mrs Bernau; Miss Strode-Penny and Mrs Marshall; Miss Thomas and Miss Strachan. Mrs Hatrick will be in charge of the match to-day. DUTCH CHAMPIONSHIP BRITAIN FIRST AND SECOND THE HAGUE, July 17. A. Padgham (Great Britain), with an aggregate of 280, won the Dutch golf championship. C. S. Denny (Great Britain), with 284, was runner-up. THE BRITISH OPEN WHITCOMBE'S SUCCESS REWARD RICHLY DESERVED R. A. Wh'itcombe's success in winning the British open golf championship is a reward richly deserved by members of the family. The three brothers—one has a son coming along splendidly—all represent the finest in Britisn professional golf. Of farming stock, they have played the game competently for years without ever quite exciting the publicity and puolic comment characteristic of Henry Cotton. But each has produced golf almost as brilliant as Cotton’s, and last year the Vardon trophy for the best average on medal rounds playeo in professional competitions during the season was awarded to C. Whitcombe. It was unfortunate that this season there was no American invasion of Britain. The American open was held in the middle of June and the leading players of that country apparently deck.ed to stay at home. Their absence undoubtedly tends to rob the British open of some cf Its special significant as the leading golf competition and future indifference by American stars might have a serious effect on the status of the championship. An increase in prize-money from the present paltry £lOO might have valuable results, '.’he American open is worm 1000 dollars to the winner. Nevertheless, the Americans have justice on their side in stopping at home. For yea.- a large squad crossed the Atlantic and for years America undoubtedly had the measure of any other golfing country. In retaliation, British professionals made few attempts to compete in the American open and none was successful on American courses. Cotton has been hailed as the world’s greatest golfer, and even, with great extravagance, as the greatest player of all time. But Cotton can never be considered in the same street as Hageu, Jones, and possibly Sarazen until he has demonstrated that he can invade a foreign country—in this case America—and beat the best of its pro ducts on their own grounds. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to hear whether America’s lack of interest in the British open is only temporary, or whether the players have decided that the mana of the British event is r ot so great as it used to be. WALKER CUP AMERICA’S DEFEAT GREAT BRITAIN’S TRIUMPH FIRST WIN IN SERIES LONDON, June 8. After trying for sixteen years, and being beaten nine times in succession, Great Britain won the Walker Cup m America, at St. Andrews, with st ven matches to four, with one halved. It was the tenth contest between the two countries, and it had been suggested that if Britain did not win the cup on this occasion, further attempts should be abandoned. This suggestion no longer arises, for the Americans were soundly beaten, and ■hey were markedly generous in acknowledging Great Britain’s triumph. “All good things must come to an end some time or other, and speaking for my boys and the American people at large, we are delighted you have won,” Francis Ouimet, the non-play-ing captain, said afterwards. He added “We did our best, but that wasn’t good enough. In the British players

we have faced one of the greatest golf teams that has ever been assembl’d.” Two of Britain’s new men, Stowe and Kyle, were largely responsible for Britain's success. It was Stowe who resisted a fierce attack by Kocsis. and then Kyle, the last man of the match, made victory secure by beating Haas a long way from home. The most overwhelming success was gained by an American, M. H. Ward, who defeated Pennink, the Englisn champion, by 12 and 11. Ward had an amazing round of 67. The most remarkable turnover was in Crawley's match. Four up at the eighteenth, 'he was beaten 3 and 2 by Fischer ■who had a run of six consecutive 3’s and wanted a couple of 4’s for a round of 66. Bruen, the 18-year-old Irish youth, failed to hold C. Yates, who won a desperate match by 2 and 1. The biggest crowd followed the fortunes of Bruen and Yates, who before had won the amateur championship at Troon. A Great Match It was a great match, in which the American, playing as well as he has ever played, completed the first round 'in 70, to be 3 up. Bruen had a 73, 'the par of the championship course — a score which against any other opponent would not have put him on 'the wrong side of the ledger. Bruen led for the first and only time in the round at the third, where he hit an Iron shot to five feet from the pin, ■and holed the putt for a 3. In the early stages of the game, Bruen was 'not only outdriving Yates, but putting ■his second shots nearer the flag. Yates, who turned 1 up, with a score of 33 to 34, was brought back to (square at the tenth, where Bruen, with a huge hit, almost drove to the green with a shot of over 300 yards 'to win the hole in 3. Missing the green at the short eleventh, he lost the hole, to be 1 down again. Bruen lost a great chance at the thirteenth, where he failed to hole a yard putt tn win. He lost the fourteenth, where 'a pulled brassie shot found a bunker. This was 2 down, and the Irish boy Was lucky to halve the seventeenth, where a sliced iron shot finished on the edge of the road. The American, who had the hole at his mercy, took three putts. A fine approach at the •eighteenth and a putt of five yards for a 3 enabled Yates to finish three to the good. Goodman Outplayed Thomson restored the balance by drubbing Goodman. Outplayed in every department of the game, Goodman was 6 down at the end of the round. Thomson was having sweet ■revenge for defeat at Goodman’s hands ,at Pine Valley in the last contest two years ago. The American is but a shadow of his former self. The ■first and only time he held the lead was at the second hole, where Thomson, pulling his second into a bumier, took 5. With immaculate golf in his quiet, unobtrusive way, Thomson rattled off a succession of 3’s and 4’s for a round of 69—four strokes under ■par. The American took 77. Critical Match One of the most critical matches was between Stowe and Kocsis. Stowe won all possible praise for a splendid piece of pugnacious golf, and for beating a very fine golfer. Stowe began with a 3 to be 1 up, and the second Was halved. Then Kocsis began. He holed a grand putt for a 3 at the third, and Stowe promptly followed him. At the fifth, Kocsis did exactly the same thing, and again Stowe was not found wanting. Kocsis, pegging away relentlessly, was 1 up after ten holes, and hit a grand shot to the middle of the 11th. green. Stowe was short, and had 'Strath bunker between him and the *nole. If he lost the hole he was done, or nearly done, but he pitched beautifully to within six feet and holed the ■putt for a half. What is more, he Went on with a 3 at the Heathery Hole to square the match. He had passed a dangerous time and done much to wear Kocsis down. Playing with a fine, jovial confidence, he became dormy 2, and lay Kocsis a dead stymie at the seventeenth to win the match. Ewing, a giant Irishman, also had a desperate struggle with Ray Billows. Two up with 4 to play—a comfortable position in which to be—Ewing lost the fifteenth to a 3 and then drove on to the railway—out of bounds—at the sixteenth. Although the centre of an enormous and excited crowd, Ewing kept his nerve admirably. He won the treacherous seventeenth hole in 4, Smith hooking hL second shot into the dreaded bunker at the foot of the green. At the same time, from down the course came the sounds of terrific cheering, an unmistakable signal that Kyle, the last man of all. had won his match. 'He won it handsomely by 5 and 4 against Haas. What happened to Ewing at the last hole did not matter, for Britain had clinched the affair. As a matter of interest, however, Ewing halved the hole to win 1 up. Barriers were broken down and the stewards swept aside as the multitude rushed to greet ■ the British players on their magnifi- i cent victory. Never before has St. 'Andrews witnessed such scenes of jubilation. Mr Ouimet was asked for his opinion of Bruen, who is considered one of the ; ■golfing discoveries of this century. “Bruen is one of the greatest : gblfers I have ever seen,” was the ■ reply. “At "1 he is great, and that Is the highest compliment I can possibly pay a player. <n his present form he will go far. Considering his age he is certainly in the Bobby Jones class.”