THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 4, 1937.
Winner of the fourth annual Master's Tournament at Augusta, Georgia, Byron Nelson (right) 25-year-old professional from Read- ing, Pennsylvania, is shown receiving the prize of $1,500 from Grantland Rice. Nelson's 72-hole aggregate was 283-five strokes better than par. Ralph Guldahl, favourite before play, second.
finished
DISGRACEFUL SCENE
BASEBALL GAME PLAYERS MUST ABIDE BY UMPIRES' DECISION
(By "INFIELD”) ·
AT
AUSTRALIA TENNIS
RANKINGS
QUIST SHOULD HEAD
THE LISTE
COMPARISON OF PLAYERS (By "AUSTRAL")
Sydney, April 1.
PLACING in ranking order the leading Austra- lian tennis players is not easy. The best four are those in the Davis Cup team. But what is their order? Last year it was easy to place the first six or so. Quist had all the titles, and went first with- out comment. No one else could get ahead of Crawford. McGrath had had a bad year, and had to fall in behind Hopman, and so on.
While on that point I do hope that the Australian association will not repeat their error - so it is almost universally held to of choosing three Victorians. The three chosen to pick the Davis Cup team did their job perfectly, but that team picked itself.
be
This year the choice of first man in the list is far from easy. In America in 1914 there was a similar difficulty. R. N. Williams had won the singles title. Therefore, said many, he must be ranked first. "Stay,' said just as many, "Williams was beaten in the Davis Cup a fortnight before the championship tournament by both Wilding and Brookes. McLoughlin beat them both. can you place Williams before McLoughlin ?”
They did not. They realised that McLoughlin's record was the best. That he had tired himself
his out by
matches against Brookes and Wilding. That he was, in fact, suffering from a let-down.
Brookes was asked in New York
Williams
How
at
just before the championship of! It was not McGrath's win. It was 1914 began: "Who will win the sin-the way he played an entirely different
He fairly hurled himself game, gles?". I think
will!"
every backhander, and smote the ball "Why?" asked his astonished ques with speed as great as that of "Vines' forehand drives, right into Crawford's tioner. "Because Mac will suffer a backhand corner. Behind these thun- }let-down after his Davis Cup mat-derbolts Vivian rushed for the net in
champion feels. He must relax. These displays by McGrath show "Not even Achilles always kept the that he can play several entire- bow bent."
ly different brands of game.
PECTATORS at the opening game of the local baseball on ches." Brookes knew just how a the same movement. SPECnday may aut have been treated to a high standard of play, but there were enough incidents to provide copy for a whole
newspaper.
.
PRESENT POSITION
•
He beat Hopman, who out as Australia'ur Quist stood
was
The game was marred by the the runner was ordered to return unsporting behaviour of the to the third base. One would have
QUIST COMES FIRST had Hong Kong Baseball team, in re- thought that the argument fusing to abide by à decision of been settled, but more was to fol-
To-day McGrath is Australian Now then
who first? Again we the chief umpire, Mr. H. Smith, low. The Hong Kong Club now
Dur- champion. He won that title from must regard the whole year. in the fifth innings.
maintained that the batter was out,
a field that included Australia's ing the Davis Cup The difficulty of obtaining quali- but the Japanese thought other
best. He very best. fied umpires for the games was wise, and it looked as if both teams
had beaten Quist. He then beat rightly ranked by the world's cri- realised by all members of the Lea were taking a firm, but stubborn
Bromwich, who had beaten Craw-tics as fourth in the world. I can- gue at the annual general Meeting stand and that the game would even-
ford. Therefore McGrath goes not place him lower than first, des- and it was unanimously decided (tually have to be abandoned. Um-
first?
pite McGrath's fine displays, and that the umpires' decision on the pire. Smith left the diamond and field were to be final..
returned to the stand, while the H.
No so fast. The ranking is made despite the fact that Crawford beat K. fielders indulged in practice, hop-on the whole year's play, not only McGrath twice on grass this season A LONG SHOT
will-at Strathfield, and in the N.S.W. With this decision reached, it ing that the Japanese would fall in on one tournament. Mishaps
happen even in tennis. Form championships. They broke even on was thought that there would be with their desires.
varies as well as women do.
hard courts, but they hardly count, no more quibbling and heckling on Eventually the game was res-1
As to Crawford, without in any anyway. the field over any decisions started with the same batter. There and that this season would are rules governing all sports, and way belittling the play of our won- be devoid of incidents, which in the umpire is the sole judge on any Jack was fed up of match play. He derful boy, Bromwich-I consider the past have greatly marred the point of fact in the game. This progress of baseball in the Colony. particular incident-a foul ball-had been playing all over N.S.W. It was therefore, very surpris- may not have been seen by the um- for weeks, on hard courts, on grass ing to find a repetition of these in-pire, and it was up to the teams courts, by day and by night.
So, in fact, had Bromwich, but cidents, when the Hong Kong Base- to take the decision in good spirit ball Club questioned the decision and the sooner players realise this he stood it. He is younger, and his of Mr. Smith, who had "called" a the better baseball will be in the enthusiasm is base-runner safe,
With the third and second bases full, Nippon batter had hit one of McCall's deliveries, after, it is al- leged, it had hit his foot in foul territory and rolled into play.
The Hong Kong Club players
"made
Colony.
LOU AMBERS WHIPS PHIL BAKER
gunbounded.
In any case, it is only one tourna- ment. Also it is one player against another. That does not determine their skill against all and sundry.
Now while we cannot take Mc- Grath's win as final, he did play He showed that
New Haven, Conn., April 19. glorious tennis.
...
the
Had I not seen McGrath's dis-
Crawford second, but I must place play against Crawford I would place.
McGrath second to Quist on
Were I whole of the past year. ranking on the coming year's pro- mise, I might place McGrath first, but one does not consider this as pect.
PROPER RANKING
I rank them thus:
Quist. McGrath. Crawford,
Bromwich
e for play" and tagged the batter out at first, but in the mean- Lou Ambers, lightweight champion he could vary his game as best suit- The fifth place is hard to choose. time the third baseman had come of the world, to-night won an easy ed to defeat each player. I was. Yet on the whole I agree with the selectors, and place L. home for a run. Then came the decision over Phil Baker, of Nor-deeply impressed by his play at Davis Cup surprise, Heather the H. K. first walk, in a ten round non-titular Killara, when he ran from 2-5 to A. Schwartz firth. He has close op-
who in ponents in Don Turnbull, baseman, was seen to approach the bout here. The champion entered 7-5, against Crawford, umpire and question the decision, the ring at 137 lb.,-one-half pound that run of games played near his Thompson, A. A. Kay, Turvey,
best.
Moon. and after much unnecessary delay, lighter than his opponent.
Dave