THE CHINA MAIL, JULY 15, 1939.
GOLF
SCENES AT ST. ANDREWS PRIOR TO START OF OPEN Unanimity Of Views On The New 14 Clubs Rule
Competitors Chorus Praises Of Historic Course
London, July 1.
HE first tee here was like a League of Nations to-day. Britain, Tire, United States, South Africa, and the Argentine were all represented in the procession that went off for practice for the Open Golf Championship which starts on Monday morning.
To the international atmosphere created by these lively pro- ceedings which kept an all-day crowd glued to the terrace outside the Royal and Ancient clubhouse, was introduced the strange note of the Turkish flag flown from the roof of one of the hotels.
Whether the appearance of the Star and Crescent sent anybody back to see whether a golf star from the Sultan's country had been overlooked in the Cham- pionship draw I do not know, but Alexander, the Old Course start- er, will not be set any name-call- ing problem in this connection. The special flag was to mark the honour being done a former Tur- kish Ambassador by the ancient University of this town of golf and gown.
club
emphatic about what he called the un- fairness of the interpretation. clubs limitation had been operative for Little pointed out to me that the 14 more than a year in the United States, and there it was officially permissible to send for a substitute for a is a gentleman's game," remarked Lit- troken in the course of play. "Golf tle, "and nobody wants to take advantage he should not have, but there is a real hardship in having to handicapped by the loss of 、a play for perhaps the most of a round club."
vital
any
The American quoted a case in point from his own States after win- The difficulty of tongues presented years ago, he competed in the
ning our Amateur Championship four by this now cosmopolitan golf event Championship there, but at the second Open has already produced one or two come- hole in one of his rounds the dy touches. One or two of the Argen- came off the driver which had inspir- head tine competitors and caddies have been conversing by signs. British campaign. Driving with a their Scottished him with confidence all through his Alexander dared a little beyond this brassie against a strong wind, he had dialogue in pantomime when one of an 8 at one hole before another driver the pleasant visitors from America asked at the window of the can imagine the plight," he said, "of South could be brought out to him. "You starting box in a halting and broken a player who had to do, other fifteen English, "we next?" Alexander rose to the occasion with "Si, senor,"
or sixteen holes without his driver." which the surprised and delighted Ar- the range of 14 clubs the player must The official argument is that within gentinian loosed a verbal flood in his provide if he wants to for contingen- own tongue that left Alexander speech-cies of that sort, Lawson Little less.
14 Clubs And 14 Only ·
at
Whatever the tongue or accent, the professionals spoke with one voice to- day in criticism of the official interpre- tation of the 14 clubs limitation. The now law is in the Statute Book, and players have, of course, recently been reducing their kits to fall in with it and some are carrying more than 14 in practice here with a view to making the final selection for championship play.
There was a lot of comment, among the professionals on a report that un- der the new regulation the replacing of a club broken in the course of a round was prohibited if started out with the maximum comple- the player ment of 14 clubs.
I consulted Mr. Henry Gullen, the secretary of the R. & A., and he con- firmed the interpretation аз official. "If a player begins with 14 clubs," he told me, "he cannot add to them in any way during the round.
If breaks a club in any way he is not al- he lowed to get a substitute for it.
Every player must make his choice of his clubs before he leaves the tee, and a range of 14 is wide enough for all purposes, Michael Scott won the Amateur Championship with eight clubs.
The American- Procedure
con-
siders 15 clubs to be the ideal set, and ho is at the moment making up his mind which of his 15 he will discard before Monday.
United States Challengers
Bulla, an American newcomer,
From another point of view Johnny had to discard his putter since he ar- has rived here for it is of the Schenectady centre-shafted type which is illegal in which Walter Travis won our Amat this country. It is not the make with
though the same in principle it is eur Championship. 35 years ago, for, blaed putter. Bulla
regrets this club with which he played course, that he has had to switch from
pionship that he led the field with 18 well in the recent United States Cham holes to go. He is getting the feel of his temporary putter and hopes to get better every day...
of
80
Bulla, who is one of the biggest golf and Sani Snead chum up each year era in the field, is 25 years of age. He
one year in Snead's car, the next year for the wintor circuit tournaments, in Balla's. I asked Bulls his height and weight.
and I don't mind these sixes just "I am 6. It. 8 and about 16 stone "how" he said, "But I hope you won't need to put any sixes in the paper for mo next week."="/
OLD COURSE
The following are the lengths of the holes on the Old Course, with, the changes for the leng- thened fifth and fourteenth.
Yds.
1,
374
Yds. .10. .... 314
2.
*411
11.
170
3.
367
12.
316
4.
424
13.
422
576
14.
564
6.
377
15.
424
7.
354
16.
380
8.
163
17.
466
9...
359
18.
381
3405
3437
Total, 6842 yards.
noustie pioneers overseas. He went to the States about the same time as the late Alex. Smith.
Wonderful Old Course
of
and
never
summer.
Competitors chorus their praise the condition of the Old Course, I am not surprised. I have seen the classic green with such a glorious carpet of grass in Both Old and New Courses have been nursed as probably never before, and the Old Course, besides having been rested after the drought, was watered work all night on the Old Course and copiously. The green staff were
the Old Course fairways that suffer all day on the Now. Even parts of
watered. most from drought were also specially
at
treatment stops and cutting begins, From now on, however, the water
the championship as they look. The and the greens will not be so easy in practice scores being talked of here
cil, always cramp the facility of the practice figures. The card. and pen- must be qualified in the usual way as
practice rounds.
seven-
BOWL TEAMS FOR TO-DAY
Recreio
L. J.
C. M. Silva, A. M. Xavier, C. R Pereira and B. Basto (Skip).
C. C. Pereira, D. C. Alves, Silva and F. X. Soares (Skip).
FA. Machado, C. H. Basto, F. V. V. Ribeiro and J. J. Basto (Skip).
Recreio
M. F. Alarcon, A. M. Rodrigues, J. R. Soares and O. P. Remedios (Skip). A. F. Noronha, F. A. Xavier, C. A. Lopes and E. Sousa (Skip).
C. Vase, J. C. Remedios, C. M. S. Alves and P. A. Yvanovich (Skip).
C.S.C.C.
E. Simmonds, J. Deakin, A. Grim mett and F. Jones (Skip)."
M. E. Purvis, W. Burling, M. Raku◄ sen and H. Strange (Skip).
R. R. Davis, R. R. Wood, L. Colle yer and J. Hollidge (Skip).
C.S.C.C.
E. Kirman, J. Carr, W. Bagley and F. Haynes (Skip).
V. Ebbage, D. Crawley, C. Strange and W. Hillyer (Skip).
F. Austin, A, Allan, A, Stevens and S. Eccleshall (Skip).
K.D.R.C.
W. Houston, F. Cullen, S. Gray and H. G. Cooper (skip).
ton and J. Brown (skip).
M. Ferguson, P. B. Parks, J. Kemp- A. Calman, T. Mason, V. Ramsay and R. Morrison (skip).
K.F.C.
W. Field (skip).
C. Pile, B.. Thomson, J. Gibson and
W. Groves, A. Eastman, P. Young- husband and T.. Fergusson (skip).
B. Evans, W. Simpson, V. Atienza and V. Chittenden (skip).
K.F.C.
S. Wong, D. Izatt, W. Excell and V. Petherick (skip). Morgan (skip).
J. Ross, L. Bones, R.-Hughes and P. W. Mills, C. Woodcock, P. McCarthy and A. Moss (skip).
Drake and W. Macfarlane (skip),
K.B.G.C. A. S. Russell, S. M. White, W. S.
+
Meyer and A. J, Hall (skip).
R. Duncan, G. E. F. Thompson, J. G.
WL. Walker, T. E. Robson, J. G. Gill and A. M. Holland (skip).
K.B.G.C.
יין
R. P. Phillips, V. C. Dixon, H. White, and J. S. Logan (skip).
Duncan and F. A. Cheesman (skip),
E. V. Searle, C. E. Turpin, L. A. P. T. Armstrong, KC. Hamilton,
said Bobby Locke to day after he had "The Old Course makes you work," done a 75. James Bruen could con- firm this after getting out of bounds this morning at the fourteenth, and from bunker to road at the teenth. These both were 6s for him, and good ones at that, but he and Lawson Little, playing separately, this afternoon went round in 67. These and Henry Cotton's six 3s in his round figures show the scoring possibilities,
to the aggregate that may be returned of 72 are a further indication.
by the winner next week. I asked
Speculation is mixed with regard Bower and D. W. Waterton (skip).
*K.BG.C.
fessional nad the last Home Scot to Watson and J. S. Dinnen (skip). Willie Auchterlonie, the R. and A. pro-Drew. and H. L. Lockhart. (skip).
A Morton, G. W. Deacon, H. E.
for his estimate. "The man who win the championship: 46 years ago,
PA. Peckham, *W. Harrower, 3J. E. F Pope, G. S. Hammond, H. J. does four rounds in level 48 will not Bicknell and P. J. A. Hamilton (skip). be beaten," was his verdict.
wind can change, several times a day FRIENDLY- TENNIS across all ideas of low scoring.
The weather, of course, may cut
here. To-night we have had a sharp The
thunderstorm, and there were several day. showers of rain in the course of the
Y.M.C.A. BEAT ROYAL SIGNALS
Braddock fight is "off" and is likely to I note that the proposed Farr-Jim
idea, anyway, in the main holiday sea-signals and won by 814. also remains "off."It is not a mad M.C.A. 'entertained Royal Corps of remain so indefinitely. Farr and Doyle at King's Park yesterday, European
In a friendly lawn tennis match held.
son to allow fighters to rest properlyW E. Long- and: W. Lomax Instead of on the floor. Every other ma frey Simpson. jor sport has its close season. Geofbeat E., Husband and J. Tomlin-
(YMG.A.).
First-class cricket in England owes
"Bon
Lawson Little tells me that the con tract ander which Horton Smith, Jimmy Thomson Harry Cooper and Henry Cotton, who
he were doing propaganda, exhibitions
beat D. Spare and C. Bundy, was a strong fo critic of limitation in the first -- fils
sportsy fifto is ended," They
beat A. F. Auatemḥand K. Love 6- stance, denounced this veto on
000 miles a year and play. a deep debt of gratitude to the Aus- (Y.M.C.A.).
A Gemmell and - club.
E replacement in case of accident). It
hree rounds every tralians for thinking of and persisting beat Husband a was absurd, he said, to compèl a com
noid year's end to the with the eight-ball over, and to that bor
Tomlinson petitor in a Championship to con
off our game much-maligned and little-appredi round after breaking, say, his
ld do so well in Cricket Commission who
the precent aystem of County Championship. Ing finished, the crick brighter, and the
or his putter, "Ridiculous” LA Taconic comment of Perry Lawson Littie, Autoricam two British amateur titie
off us.
probably the oldest
thought
beats.
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