Typical of Hagen’s matches the start was later than had been
planned; he was always a law unto himself, although some of his
exploits were exaggerated. [For instance that hole-in-one the
chronicler reported in the final of the 1925 USPGA (* see p 23) is
not mentioned in ‘Sir Walter – The Flamboyant Life of Walter Hagen’,
a recent biography by Tom Clavin, in which the author tells us that
the Haig’s only ace came in a practise round for the 1925 US Open at
Worcester, Ma. Hagen himself confirmed that one in his 1957
autobiography, ‘The Walter Hagen Story’, but said he had another
that year in an exhibition match at Portland Oregon and that those
were the only two he ever had]. On the Saturday following our match
he was to play a challenge match against Henry Cotton at Ashridge
G. C.- the first encounter between those two great players; when the
match was due to tee off Walter was still relaxing in his room at
the Savoy in London. Henry lost that 36-hole match by 2&1 but beat
two of Walter’s Ryder Cup team in exhibition matches that year –
Gene Sarazan at Temple Newsam and Ed Dudley at Hornsea. [Dudley had
a smooth powerful action, which Cotton described as the most
beautiful swing he had ever seen. He was pro at Augusta National for
twenty years.] Henry would have been a great asset to our Ryder Cup
side at Southport & Ainsdale, but they managed to win without him.
As our match progressed I became increasingly concerned that we
would not catch the 6pm boat train from Birmingham to Liverpool for
the crossing. Walter was aware of our predicament and offered to
walk in, when they won the match on the 12th green but, as they were
being paid to appear, this was not really an option and we had to
complete the round. The better-ball score of the two Americans was
64. Charlie and I then dashed to a car for the
journey from Moseley to New Street Station, which was the hairiest I
have ever experienced. Driving us was Geoff Litherland, the Brand
Hall member I mentioned earlier; a Penfold rep. who had at one time
been a Rover test driver and had not forgotten how to put his foot
down. How he managed to avoid a collision I will never know, but he
got us there in time – just! The train was pulling out as we
boarded. On another occasion I was not so lucky when leaving Brand
Hall squashed into Geoff’s two-seater sports car with Jack Mitchley.
He pulled out in front of a passing car and we were shunted across
the road. I think that I was lucky to survive my journeys with
Messrs Litherland and Mitchley.
The match against Ireland on the Tuesday was at Malone and I had to
go out to play having never seen the course before. Fortunately, in
the foursomes I was again partnered by one of the Whitcombe brothers
- Ernest, an experienced campaigner who knew the course and he
worked out a match plan under which he would tee off at all the
short holes. His strategy paid off with a fairly comfortable win
over Royal Dublin’s Paddy Mahon and Moses O’Neill, who had been pro
at the midland clubs, Robin Hood (Solihull), and The Wrekin. [A
giant raw boned man with an “old-fashioned, dashing, slashing swing
and big hands that seem to wrap themselves round the club”, said the
Times reporter]. I also won my singles against J. Hamill and the
match served as my practise for the Open starting the next day. I
shot 72, 74, 72, 72 for a total of 290 and third place, two shots
behind second placed Alf Padgham, then at Royal Ashdown Forest and
four behind the winner, E. W. H (Bob) Kenyon of West Lancashire, who
showed a considerable improvement in form, after coming a lowly 44th
at St Andrews, to regain the title he had won two years earlier at
Royal Dublin. Thus begun, my love affair with Ireland was to be one
of the highlights of my golfing life. The return journey was more
relaxed and I had £60 compensation for the experience. It doesn’t
sound much now but that was a tidy sum in those days.
I went to the annual Ringway Foursomes at the club situated on the
outskirts of Manchester, in a quiet village back then. It was a few
years before the building of the nearby Ringway airfield, which grew
into the city’s huge international airport. The Foursomes was a
popular event in those pre-war days and attracted some of the
leading pros; it was to have the strangest ending of any event that
I played in. My partner was two-handicap Geoff Litherland and this
time the journey was uneventful.
We came in with a score of 150 for the two rounds, not good enough
to win anything we thought. Refreshments were laid on and we had
downed a few, when we were informed that we had tied with a pairing
from Ormskirk, R. B. Stephens and pro G. H. Chalk, and would have to
play off for third place - over four holes. It was getting late as
we assembled on the first tee and the light was fading. I took a
practise swing taking a huge divot out of the tee, which caused the
spectators to move back, but when I teed off I somehow managed to
make good contact – in fact the ball reached the green 280 yards
away.
That put us one ahead and, with my partner hitting it thin, but
straight, we stayed that way until we reached the last green. By
this time darkness had fallen and the spectators had to line up on
the green so that we could putt along the line of their feet, while
one struck a match and held it in the hole. We won this oddest of
play-offs and my partner received a crystal rose bowl - which he did
not consider was sufficient compensation for being dragged from the
bar.
As 1933 ended my prospects seemed bright, but that year had begun
with a very significant development in world history that would be
critical for the future careers of myself - and many others. Adolf
Hitler had been elected Chancellor of Germany.
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