1939-05-22 — Page 22

LIMITATION OF CLUBS

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THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 22, 1939

GOLF

14

New Rule Will Not Affect The Great Majority

HOME GOLF TOPICS UNDER DISCUSSION

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TENNIS PROGRAMME

The heavy downpour of rain over the week-end makes it almost cer-

London, May 2-With the advent of May comes an important tain that no League tennis will be golf change. The game must now be played with 14 clubs and 14'

possible to-day. only under the limitation passed by the R. and A. last year, but, though fundamental, the alteration will leave the great majority Following is the programme:— of players unaffected.

The problem of which clubs must be left in the locker to bring | C.R.C. the bag number down to the new statutory maximum will not gen- erally arise.

Even the bigkit golfers, who are accompanied in tournaments by what has been called "walking foundries," are unlikely, assuming that they have remembered the change at all, to have lost any sleep over it. The law will still allow them to use, say, three woods, a set of irons numbered 1 to 9, and, if they feel that way, a cou- ple of putters, and most of us will, I think, agree that there is nothing harshly penal about that.

been sub- status, which have both

re- jects of official investigation in cent months,

Tournament Novelty

CD.R.

H.K.U.T.C.

V K.C.C.

V I.R.C.

V S.C.A.A.

ABSTUGLOBELLEZA240544111]

unusually interesting. Linked with players of reputation and experience, some of the lesser knowns may do

an-The M'Lean-

that he | play-off, it was long odds

would have holed his putt. They are probably right, but it was evidently thought by some who had seen the player nearer the hole putting out first in other cases that Thomson had the right to play first. There, of course, they were wrong. The player further from the hole plays first, but he may, if he chooses have the near- er ball either lifted or played at the option of its owner, except in P.G.A. regulated events where a rule introduced to make the player nearer the hole play first.

Bad Lie Options

WRS

One interesting controversial point, however, did arise in the course of the Northern Open play-off, which brings to notice a difficulty in regard to the options open to a player con- fronted with a bad lie in a stroke play event. Let me briefly recon- The "True Temper". Tournament, particularly well.

struct the situation that occurred: At which, by the way, has been promot-

the third hole Thomson hooked his ed specially to mark the tenth

drive and his ball finished under the niversary of the removal by the R.

last whin bush on that side of the and A. of the veto on steel shafts, Thomson Duel

fairway. It was only on arrival at introduces a novelty into the profes-

the spot that he saw he bad lie which sional programme. The event is be-

If an odd putt does not stick out the ball had picked for itself. No ing played by stroke-play foursomes,

ball had been played. and the competitors have been paired here and there as the essential dif- provisional

will

the have Thomson decided to try to play Members of the R. and

ference the tournament A. them-

from a draw governed by the age

the still stronger claims to novelty. Jack ball where it lay, but he little more selves, or at any rate such of them factor. The field was divided by

on or under M'Lean won the Northern Open at than moved it, and the lie was then as the new order applies to, will in- 32 age line, all those

(18❘ worse. What took place then set con- that being put into one hat and all Nairn after a double play-off augurate it in their spring medal

holes each time) with Hector Thom-troversy going, and it is still going. over into the other. No account was

Thomson, under the guidance of the son, but first M'Lean had a wide open meeting to-morrow, and concurrent taken of record or distinction;

became entirely the chance to win on the seventy-second Jack Bookless, who was referee, lift- restriction events in which the

is partnerships

rule ed out under the unplayable ball gamble of the draw, and the result green, the last of the event proper, likely to affect a much greater num- is that some unknown players have and Thomson had also a vital oppor-counting stroke and distance, but as ber are the

and tunity on the last green of the first the distance was, of course, infinite- new "True Temper" the opportunity of both prizes

round. M'Lean putted two simal, the ball was. dropped on the which

with play-off association £1000 Tournament at Birmingham to- publicity

from yards short

the

with side of the fairway parallel more or less famous golfers should provide. morrow and Thursday, and the West

green, and Thomson committed the the bad lie, and the one stroke pen- of Scotland Alliance Gold Quaich con-

Cotton is paired with B. A. She- cardinal sin of being just one roll alty prescribed by Rule 22 added to test, which will

Thomson then played his take place over pard, of Radlett, who, though not un- short of the hole with the four feet his score. thirty-six holes at Cawder to-morrow. known, gets a big chance if his golf putt that would have given him vic- fourth stroke to the green, and holed The first of the championships to is not affected by the occasion, and, tory.

out in two putts, and a 6 was mark- example of

There was,

however, conspicuous ed for the hole. come under the new regulation will to quote another

Many people could both not see eye to eye with the referee's be the Amateur and the Scottish Wo- draw, veteran Fred Robson has Dick merit in the golf generally of men's this month, though the first Burton, the Sale long hitter, as part- these former amateur rivals, and by decision, though there were confused It was evid- champion of the season in A. L. Bent- ner. The latter partnership looks as winning M'Lean has certainly achiev-ideas in their attitude. ley won the English close event at potential as any if Burton can com- ed easily his best performance as a ently not understood that there was Birkdale at the week-end, Some bine his straightest hitting with Rob-professional. Thanks partly of course, any alternative to the stroke rule that curiosity exists as to whether any son's expertness in the short game. to his record-breaking 67 in the third allows lifting anywhere on the course thing will transpire at to-day's bus- The whole plan of this tournament, round, he was able to finish his six under two strokes penalty. iness meeting of the R. and A. as re- with the entirely new guesswork competitive rounds, including play- gards ball restriction or amateur about hitherto unpaired players, is off, in an average of exactly 4s, which represents first-rate golf, and Thom- son, who did the first four rounds in the relentless steady sequence of 71," 71, 71, and 72, was only two more than M'Lean for six rounds or 108 holes. This success may do M'Lean a world of good. It has been a slow process fitting his form to professional events, and what may hearten him more than anything were the thrust- ful putts he got down in rather his old match-play vein. There is natur- ally more restraint about stroke-play putting, but the two long ones M'Lean holed in the early stages of the decisive round at Nairn may have a carry-over value for meetings

GIVE YOUR GUESTS

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the

come.

The Order of Putting

to

Under

The Distance Factor

-But even those who saw legal back---- ing for the referee's decision in this

entirely ease cannot feel

easy in their minds about that way out. The rule is one in which the spirit and the letter may easily clash, Rule 22, which is exercisable in stroke as well as match play, the player is the sole arbiter as to whether his ball is payable or not. In this case Thom- son, after one abortive stroke in the whins, so deemed his ball, and as the lift in this case involves stroke and distance he was presumably by all the implications of the rule permitted to drop it so that it would be play- able, but (I quote the rule) "the player shall play his next stroke as nearly as possible at the spot from which the ball which is lost or un- playable was played." Had he lifted without playing in the whins at all he would have had to go back to the tee.

of

Had Thomson been able to get back in time for the Edward Trophy he would certainly have teed. up favour- ite. His fighting effort to get back four strokes in thirteen holes in the If Thomson, however, had dropped first play-off round at Nairn showed his ball literally as nearly as possible this remarkable 25-years-old golfer to where he had played the previous at his best, though he could not get stroke he would have been again un- the recovery to go twice in the one playable, and the ball was therefore day. It will be interesting to see how dropped outside the whin altogether. he and M'Lean fare in the Cawder The factor of distance here compli- competition to-morrow, which has a cates the question. Is a foot, as in strongly representative entry. Like a case like this, legally reckoned as the English Championship, the Ed-distance just as 250 yards are in, say ward Trophy event brought some ney a drive? In a footnote to one names to the top, though in each case their decisions, the Rules Committee a player of standing and experience point out that it is only in very ex- won the day-Walter M'Leod atceptional circumstances that a player Glasgow Gailes, Arnold Bentley at will incur such a severe penalty as Birkdale. M'Leod putted well, and the loss of the distance and a stroke was able to spare the miss of the when the ball can be played. Somo tiddler type-eighteen, inches, say conflict is undoubtedly suggested be the reports-in his round of 70, tween the Committee mind there and though it was a putt only a shade the distance factor in the Nairn case, between the operation of this rule and the stroke play rule that. Imposes a two strokes' penalty for lifting out of whins. The R. and A. might with, advantage make the position clear as between these options.

4

CALDBECK, MACGREGOR & CO., LTD. longer on the last green that lost Miss and there is also an obvious disparity

2, Chater Road

Telephones: 20075 & 30644

Jessie Anderson a county match the other. day.

if

Some people had the idea that Thomson had putted first on the home green at Nairn when he was only four from the hole at the end of the first