WORLD OF SPORT

Waikato Times, Volume 93, Issue 15311, 11 August 1923, Page 17 (Supplement)

WORLD OF SPORT

;f GOLF. (By "Niblick.") ; Fixtures. September 6 to 13.—N.Z. Ladies Championship 'JCoumarpent. Nelson. September 21 to 29.—N.Z. Cbampionship Tournament, Wanganui. The Hamilton ladies’ open tournament -will be played Irom September 25 to 27. JOTTINGS. Mrs Guy Williams, who is at present in England, will not be back In time to defend the Challenge Cup at the New Zealand Ladies' Championship next month. C. Bid will and A. Home are two New Zealand entrants for the Australian Championships, which, will commence next Thursday. The Men’s Championship Tournament at Hamilton will take place on September 10, 11, 12 and 13. Although nothing definite has been decided, there Is a probability that the Hamilton Club will be represented at the New Zealand Championships. A London magistrate has declared that golf is a disease, and a doctor has contradicted this statement, pointing next two holes were halved, and Macbeth won the fifty-seventh and the match.

Mrs Triglone beat Miss Boys in the final of the ladies' championship of New South Woles by 5 up and 3. The winner also won the event in 1912, and has been champion of the Manly Club eleven times, ten times ill successive years. A short but straight driver, she plays her mashie beautifully, and is a wonderfully good putter. A really fine sportswoman, with a fighting spirit never surpassed, she thoroughly deserved the win, as she played the best golf. The programme for the New Zealand Ladies’ Championship comprises the usual number of competitors, which will last from Thursday, September 6, until the evening of the following Thursday. The events are set down sis follows:—6th:lnter-island match; 7th, first round championship, followed by Coronation medal; Bth, second round championship, followed by bQgey handicap; 10th, third round championship, followed by L.G.U. Challenge Bowl; 11th, fourth round championship, followed by Donnelly Cup and teams’ match; 13th, final of championship, followed by four-ball bogey. The ladies’ amateur chamout that a disease can be cured. Fred Bond did a one at the first at St Andrew’s at the week-end. Bond accomplished this feat at the eighth hole at Cambridge a few years back so he must hold something like a record for amateurs in this respect. ; The entries for the Australian championship meeting at Seaton (South Australia), total 995- This easily ranks as a record for that particular club. No fewer than 50 names are down • for the Australian championship itself. Of this number 35 are amateurs.

“Baffy," the Wellington Post writer, records a most unusual happening. N. Rout, the Nelson champion was playing there when he killed a lark, lie bird was flying low, and was hit by a perfectly driven bail some 180 yards from the tee and at the top of its flight. The bird was severed, and it and the blood covered ball fell together. There are many incidents of balls killing birds, but the happening is rare in the history of New Zealand golf. Millen Macbeth had something like a match with H. W] Macfarlane in the first round of the Denniston Cup at Shirley recently. At the end of 18 holes they were all square, and it was agreed to go another round. When they holed out at the fifty-fourth the match was still all square and then it was a case of sudden death. The pionship is decided by match play over 18 holes, the final being over 36 holes. It Is open to an members of affiliated clubs, provided the player’s .handicap is not more tbn 12.

If Seymour put Kirkwood out of the thousand guineas tournament at Gleneagles by freak golf, Kirkwood himself appears to have upset at least one of tils earlier opponents by an extraordinary recovery. The London Times, commenting upon an incident in Kirkwood's match with James Ockenden, had this note: —“Apparently nothing is impossible to Kirkwood. Ockenden seemed certain to win the seventh. He put a full brassie shot within four yards of the pin, Kirkwood lying in the heart of a broom over the hill. The ball was in such a position as to be entirely invisible to the player. When addressing that sort of shot most people would not trouble to play. Kirkwood, however, taking infinite pains, screwed out in some amazing fashion, and actually finished within two yards of the pin, from which he calmly proceeded to hole a putt of four., It was too much for Ockenden, who thereafter collapsed.” Kirkwood, on better golf, relating to the approach, says:' “A stock stroke to which fine attention should be paid by the golfer who wishes to improve his game is the run-up shot in open country. Though it looks simple many players fail to secure the advantage it offers of getting on to the pint.” Kirkwood plays this shot with the weight on the left foot, the ball in line with the left heel, whilst the hands are slightly in advance of ttie club-head. It is obvious then that a run-up shot will result, and a most useful shot around the green. Of course, this doesn’t mean to say that ttie mashie and mashie niblick are to be thrown away. Such a run-up shot may only be practicable two or three limes , during a whole round. Edward Ray, who has held the American open and British open championship, is a great believer in the stow hack theory in driving. Come back slowly, and see that the greater part ' n[ your weight is on the right foot,, and if your weight is on the right foot at ttie top of the swing, then your body is in such a position that you can get just that necessary little element of "fling” that will add yards to your drive.

There were some wonderful scoring and at least one remarkable freak shot in the first day's play in the "Daily Mail” £IOOO golf tournament on tile Lytham and St Annes course at St Annes-on-Sea. The feature of the day was a round of G 8 by James Ockenden, the young Raynes Park professional. Ockenden, a native of Epsom, lias figured prominently in big golf in recent years, and it is predicted of liiin by shrewd judges that he is a future champion. Ockenden’s 68 was a new record for the course, During tlie play a curious experience fcefel Aubrey Boomer, the French champion. At the eighth hole he hit a rnashie shot, and the hall struck a bank a few yards in frunt and went straight up in the air. Booomer looked round to see where it had dropped, when a spectator said, “It’s in your pocket.” There Boomer found it. There is precedent for Boomer’s freak. Playing to Hie second green at St. Andrews’ Horace liulctiison’s bail landed on the shoulder of R. Kirk, the secretary of St Andrews Golf Club, and lodged in his breast pocket. In a match at the Cn,ssiobury Park course of the West, Herts club, one of the players made a drive from the tee on a misty day

and no one could tell where the ball went. After prolonged search in all directions, it was discovered in the "turn-up” of one of the legs of the player’s trousers. Ho had carriod it in this position from the tee to the hole.