GOLF.

Waikato Times, Volume 110, Issue 18378, 11 July 1931, Page 20 (Supplement)

GOLF.

THE ‘GAME IN GENERAL. CLUB HOUSE CHAT. NOTES FROM ST. ANDREWS. ;:TWrr" (ipTy “Niblick.”) A week-end satisfactory in the matter of weather conditions was occupied at St. Andrews by the semifinal matches in the Bell Cup, Consolation Handicap and Pewter Mug competitions, whilst Canadian foursomes occupied the attention of members not otherwise engaged. In these the best card (85 —15—70) was hfknded in by club-captain T. Atkins and H. C. Ross,- next to whom were W. P. Gray and R. 'McFarland (87 —14—73), G. -S. Crimp and H. Blackie (84—11—7-3), and W. J. King and P. Pittar (92—19—73).

in the Bell Cup J. L. Black defeated T. ’Simpson 3 and 2, and secretary G. Bindon accounted for H. Blackie, 5 and 4. Bindon was round in 87, and with a reproduction o-f this form in the final should make -It interesting for the scratch player, who, if memory serves aright, will be conceding Bindon twelve strokes. In the Consolation Handicap A. F. Cole was victorious from P. Harkness by 3 and 2, and W. J. King accounted for G. S. Crimp, 1 up. Lumsden, who was to have played King in the preceding round was still off the scene by reason of an accident and forfeited.

In the Pewter Mug event D. Gerrand beat Eggleston 1 up, and Parker and R. Ruthenfurd finished all square. The latter pair are to play again for a decision, and’ the winner will meet Gerrand in the final next Saturday, which will also witness the finals of the Bell Gup and Consolation Handicap. •’■iCji' A Ruling Wanted.

In connection with the Canadian foursomes event an argument has arisen, which (as Canadian foursomes are In a sense “freak" golf, and, so far as one knows, not provided for in the rules of golf) appears difficult to decide authoritatively. In Canadian foursomes both partners drive -from the tee, and thereafter choose which ball to play, strokes then being played alternately as in ordinary 'foursomes. Jn last Saturday’s competition at the 14th one partner in the winning pair put his first ball out of bounds and the other failed to get up. 'The first then played another from the tee, getting up all right, and they then decided to play three from the latter ball, and duly holed out in four. One school of opinion holds that with one partner’s ball out of bounds there should have been no option but to play the other’s ball from below the green. The other view is that until each partner had a ball In bounds no choice of which to play was possible, and that, therefore, the out-of-'bounds man had to play another so that 'choice could be made, and that if the partners preferred to play this one with the loss of a stroke they had the right 'to do so. And one hardly sees how, if they were prepared to face the loss of a stroke, this right could be denied them. On the other hand, at the first tee one saw players put balls Inti the river and then go on from a partner’s in bounds without bothering to play a second. The question would seem to hinge upon how the player's themselves regard it, and in the absence of a definite rule bearing upon such cases one hardly sees that the result of Saturday’s competition can be disturbed. Purchase of Land. The section of privately owned land which juts into the St. Andrews property between the club house and the first tee has lately 'been purchased by the 'Hamilton Golf Club. . One understands that the land was acquired at a reasonable figure and upon easy terms in regard to payment. ' ' 1 Australian Paragraphs. Referring to H. A. 'Black’s game Rgainst C. H. Fawcett in the first round of the New 'South Wales amateur championship an Australian writer says:—“H. A. Black, the New Zealand champion, looked likely to lose when ho turned 4 down to Fawcett, but then, with superlative golf, squared at the sixteenth, finishing two up after a very fine uphill fight." .... “In the third round the only Victorian, E. G. Schlapp, went out at the hands of the only New Zealander, .H. A. Black, but not until an extra hole had been played." Ben Nettlefold, formerly amateur champion of Australia, won the Royal Adelaide championship last month with a score of 310 (30 —7'6—74— 80), 'Legh Winser, with 31'6, was second. Nettlefold is a left-handed player. v

The American Open.

After twice playing a tie for the American 'Open Championship, Burke defeated George von Elm by a stroke over the next 36 holes. Von Elm was among the leading American amateurs for some time, but now describes himself as a “businessman golfer" and plays for money prizes as does any other professional. tic has done pretty well this season, too, and in six tournaments decided from last November onwards to April ;had won 7957 dollars. 'Burke is a fairly wellknown professional. The Emerald Isle, however, cannot claim him as a son for he is of Polish parentage and his paternal cognomen was Rukowski (or something very like that). Her Plan. The famous British woman golfer, Miss Joyce Wethered, writing on competitive golf, remarked:—“Big occasions are very apt to scatter thoughts in every direction. 'The only safeguard is to create your own little world and for the time being to live in it. I used to play my matches with one definite idea, to be entirely engrossed in my own shots, and to be oblivious so far as I could be, of what my opponents were doing; also to concentrate for the first part of the game entirely on figures and to let the match take care of Itself until it took a definite form. lam convinced that to play a match hole by hole right away from the first tee is an unnecessarily wearing process. It will, more often than not, make you plav down to your opponents if they happen to be off their game. On the other hand, if they are playing well, your best figures are all you can hope for in any case. The scramble will probably come towards the finish.