1939-09-06 — Page 21

THE CHINA MAIL SEPTEMBER 6, 1939.

GOLFING TOPICS

QUEER

STROKES--FREAKS

OF THE FAMOUS

THE BOYS' CHAMPIONSHIP:

A HOLE IN O!

of

If diaries were generally kept by holiday golfers they would, writes our golf correspondent, I am sure, contain the records of unwonted hero-, isms, queer happenings, and not a few freak strokes. The majority such strokes would not, I hope, be so lethally inclined as that which is the -subject of the well-known entry in Freddie Tait's diary: "Driving very poor; put a ball through a man's hat, and had to pay. five shillings," but the more picturesque of them would still no doubt make a readable col- lection. The unusual difficulties and distractions of holiday golf on a strange, sometimes a Championship, course, possibly inspire a crop of special adventures.

a

The half in 1 recorded from Glasgow course the other day may not, strictly speaking, fall within the holiday golf category, but such an oc- currence is rare enough to merit at- tention. It has happened, now. and then, but, writing from memory, I doubt whether there has been a pre- vious recorded instance on a Scottish course. The odds against a half in 1 must run to astronomical figures, they must be even longer than the calcul- ated odds against an all-correct cou- pon in a penny football pool. Put yourself in the situation. Your oppon- ent hits his iron from the tee, and you watch it hit the green, pull

up,

and slowly run into the hole. "This for the half," you remark with a slightly hollow laugh, when he has sufficiently recovered, and off

goes your ball, gives a hop in front of the green, looks short at first, and then trickles on and falls into the hole, too,・ noustie and the clubmates at "the nineteenth" courses.

(between

HENRY COTTON rates Car- one of his favourite

the Championship in its stride. Be- sides his parents, the competitor, like the First Lord of the Admiralty in

SPORTS PARADE

"H.M.S. Pinafore", is often accom- MOST interesting and laconic of the panied by "his sisters and his cousins party of American athletes com- and his aunts,”

peting at Ibrox, Scotland, recently was There are still people who frankly 22-year-old Bill Watson, who putts the do not like the Championship. They shot, throws the discus, high jumps, think that young boys would be bet- and hurdles-all in his spare time. ter without it, and that the effect of]At business he is secretary to Joe an organised competition on this scale Louis, Detroit's own Brown Bomber, and the publicity the youngsters get heavy-weight boxing champion of the are not good for them in the im-world. pressionable "teens," The critics are, of course, entitled to their opinion, but the support of the parents and the success from year to year of the Championship present an effective answer to them. Experience is on the side the Championship, which seems to do the vast majority of its competitors no harm, and which they greatly enjoy. The boy who has the

Bill Watson's biggest claim to fame, wrong reactions and gets too big for however, may yet lie in the future. his hat is the exception, but the too Bill was a boxer before he turned to fervent parent can at times be an ob-track athletics, and he was his State jectionable feature of the meeting. university's heavy-weight champion.

of

Says Bill, "Joe is coming over on a short trip to Europe next year to see me win the decathlon championship at the Olympic Games in Finland." It is a matter of little moment to Bill that team for the Games

the American

hasn't been considered, and that W. Watson has yet to be selected.

THOMSON AND BRUEN V One day, however, his mother saw his The Boys' Championship has had best friend being killed in the ring by no need to seek publicity in recent a punch below the heart, and after years, for the rapid rise from its ranks that there was a parental ban on Bill's to senior distinction of such players boxing. But now he plans to start in as John Langley and James Bruen has boxing professionally, where Joe Louis automatically secured that.

leaves off. He feels he can win the The boys this week have the pri-world heavy-weight championship vilege of playing on one of Britain's when Joe goes out, and apparently best and most exciting courses. Only Joe feels the same for, according to twice before has the Boys' Champion Watson, Louis is prepared to back him ship been held over a test to which to a considerable financial extent. world-famous professionals and amat Meantime, Bill was out at Ibrox this eurs have been submitted in the Open afternoon, giving a demonstration of Championships-Royal Lytham and St. weight putting. Anne's în 1932, when Ian Macdonald, the St. Andrews player,

One of the compulsory events in the won, and

Olympic Games decathlon champion- double drinks, I suppose)

Carnoustle, in the following year,

the ship is

1500 are convinced of nothing so much as from that same tee from which the when P. B. Lucas, one of the game's

metres Wat- that truth is definitely stranger than ball rebounded from the railing on the left-handers, took the title.

asked if he thought he Bruen fiction. The half in I would be one right to somewhere behind the dumb won three years

could get 1500: metres. "Could I get ago at Birkdale, 1500 metres?" of the things to tell to the Marines if founded player? Even famous golf-which, though it was not then an Open

says Bill. "Well, I it were not for the

authenticated ers have had to play the next from Championship venue, has been book-guess if I can run five miles every cases.

morning with Joe, I can get somewhere in the rear. Robert Max-Jed to fulfil that high office next year

metres." well is a case in point. On a pre-war Carnoustie ranks high among the medal day at Muirfield a gale raged world's courses, and would probably Nobody, I imagine, so seldom pick-that inade golf practically impossible rank higher in a "ten best" census ed up his ball and gave up a hole as except for a man of Maxwell's build-Americans are taking at present if WHEN first news came through on did James Braid in his day, but one and power, and he, well-nigh unbeat- more of the Americans knew its occasion is certainly on record. Braid able there in either type of golf and merits.

A HOLE IN O

names

son was

#

*

*

1500

the Davis Cup Challenge round final and it was learned that Australia had lost the first two singles, it was

As it happened there was nothing very miraculous about Australia's re- covery. It was inevitable that they should win the doubles - Adrian Quist and John Bromwich are rated

world.

The last

was playing a match with a player on any sort of day, won with a re- T. D. Armour rates it second in his who did a hole in 1-and Braid was markable score of 91, including a list to Pine Valley, in an opinion nat-generally felt that nothing short of a conceding him a stroke at that hole. at the second hole. There he failed urally coloured by but not entirely

miracle would take the Davis Cup to In other words, it was on the net rec- to get away a good drive, and, forc-based upon sentiment. Armour won

Australia. koning a hole in 0.. Holiday golf, ing his next from the rough in the an Open at Carnoustie that he did not however, is more prolific of adventures teeth of the gale, he saw his ball which need a higher arithmetic for carried back over his head and into grand

expect, though he did finish with a round of 71. Cotton their expression, and on any popular a bunker thirty yards behind him. Carnoustie among his three favourite seaside course at this time of the year the first hole is the one likeliest to humble golf, I may note a drive which, in the case of Armour, shows

Turning for a moment from great courses in the Golfers' Handbook, the finest amateur combination in the to produce the highest score of any played not so long ago at Prestwick "favourite course" as the Old at St. day if there is any sort of trouble in St. Nicholas. The tee overlooked the Andrews. Maybe the old Edinburgh front of the tee. First holes should, water-filled quarry with

two singles might have the beach boy draws a distinction between "best" provided any result.- Quist had more of course, be designed with compara only a few yards behind the driving and "favourite," or maybe he tive simplicity, for,

than an even chance of beating Riggs, has besides giving point. The ball, hit too low, travell- changed his mind. Cotton, also an while Bromwich, at best, is vastly a needed courage to the hesitant long ed some twenty yards and then ap- Open winner at Carnoustie, recently superior to Parker. handicap player who is cast down at parently struck a rock or stone, for made up an ideal course from what he And the ordeal of the first tee stroke be it suddenly leapt high in the air and, considers

so it happened. Quist only fore a crowd, they help to

the best of other courses, dropped a set, whilst Bromwich won get the

coming back, players away and to regulate the tra- unplayable place down behind the tee ment of including no fewer than five tralia the Cup for the first time since finished in an utterly and he does Carnoustie the compli- with consummate ease to give Aus-

and close to the boundary palings. If of its holes-the long sixth, and the 1919. The freak-stroke diary would Bothere are any. calls of "Author" for ninth, tenth, or "South doubt include a large amount of first that one shall have to step forward fourteenth,

America," and eighteenth. But tee material. Surely one of the myself. That was a case in which I Cotton has composed this strangest examples of this sort is that should have been infinitely better off round with apparently no regard for

electric UNLESS the course of the war is in which H. N. Wethered, in his had I completely missed the ball.

far shorter than is expected, the distances, because it measures nearly Cup is likely to stay in Australia for chapter, "The Ferfect Duffer," de.

BOYS AT CARNOUSITE,

8000 yards, which good as the individ-scine years. scribes a player who, driving from the

Now for holiday golf of an admir-ual holes may be, can never be the first tee at North Berwick, somehow able standard, for whatever its value ideal course for most of us.

Both Quist and Bromwich, having hit the ball between his legs so that may be as a tournament nursery, how-

served their country well in this it crashed into the starter's box bo ever it may later contribute to our

sphere, have been recalled home to When a boxer has secured enough join their regiments. hind him and smashed the teacup from senior resources, the Boys Champion-money to become independent of the which that official was refreshing him-ship, which begins at Carnoustie to pain and turmoil of the prize-ring,'

Mic.

self.

*

day, is essentially a holiday event, and and yet spends his hard-earned | 5 THE MAXWELL "BOOMERANG”... a very good thing too, It must be cash in expenses of a crusade uine enterprise, unaccompanied As famous Bateman cartoon immor held at a time that fits in with school across the world in search of a title, it is by ballyhoo and brag talises the emotions of the man who vacations, it is held at a holiday re- there must be a wide streak of the ging, is deserving of high reward, and.. has missed his drive on the first fee sort, and it is backed by a holiday adventure in his make-up and that there will be many people in the at St. Andrews; but is a clean misas, atmosphere, which indeed it consider description seems to model exactly country who will with Hetchary "the air shot," actually more embar|ably helps to engender, for in a good Fred Henneberry, tall, darkhaired best of luck in his pilgrimage – rassing than, say, the stroke once hit many cases the family holiday takes Australian middle-weight. Such gen-Bromley.