New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-03
Freak Golfer !
Looms as Star
OF First Rank
Young Australian Among
Many Brilliant Foreign
Players TO Invade L. s
By Ray Mccarthy

'can golters VIII certainly have n IA
on their guard this year 70 repel 80 30
various invasions threatening from ~,
sldes. The English are, according IN
reports, coming in force, two little H.
anesc stars, the Akahoshi brothers vi,
bear watching, the Canadians are nlan
ning an attack and now appears non.
invader from Australia in the nersor
OF Joseph Fl. Kirkwood.
;. kllrkwood, as he has ably and bril-.
li,antiy demonstrated on occasion !,
this place, may be a freak golfer ~. ~.
take 1T from me he is no golf frest
ms lad, whatever else nav bo said ..
MN, is a star Of the first degree ! :.
golfer who Is shot maker and on 10
can play the shots when nc is sorrsS
to it. - Ao'rea
1t might be well to describe briefs
TINS fellows appearance before ,,ns
cceeding with a description o. be- pro pro
ne IL finely built young man ~ -.
ripe young age Of tweuty-four. TIL
age ne attained on the 9th dav ~ a. -
month. incidentally, it might he IF w
terest to note that Madame Melba Az
,raIa noted singer. celebrates h.,
birthday on the same day.
Acquired His Freak Shots
kirkwood stands about six feet u.
weighs about 40 pounds and look,
every men the athlete he is. lie has
l"uhu peasant taco. possesses a verr
rudy complexion and has q thick c-6.,
OF curly hair that makes MIN TX
younger than he actually is h s0S
very modest, unassuming chan ,yb"
makes friends easily.
He has been playing golf s,nce :,
vas eleven years old. He took 10 no
game like duck TO water. His .,eah
Shots came to him gradually. Thu; ir
ne spent so much time on his homs
course that in dNie time he learned -
90 various tricks with goif bali anT
70 coddle 1t as an expert musician
fcndly manhandles the worries.
Inc fact is Kirkwood eolfcd
much as a youngster that when h.
recame OF voting age ne was nv far
the best player in Australia. lie !.
stlll' by two or three strokes. He oar
tieS with him the combined title ~
tAuS1ralasian champion, meaning .hae
ne is the best Of the golfers both in
Australia and New Zealand. lie won
ire open 1ltle OF the former place ls,r
Ivy ana OF New Zealand in September
accompanied by ]. Victor Fast. also
a professional golfer of Anstrslis
h'rkwood set sail for America in
harch. As East explains. ne - on a.
way to this country and to Enrlan5 tc
compete IN the national title tourna-
ments as Australia's Representative
ana, incidentally, 10 take note AS to
now the game and its players IN Aus.
yraila compare with those of the
united States and Great Britain.
Although Kirkwood's mission nrirra-
rl!y IS to compete for the open titles
OF England and this country, he will
ON AIS return from the Continent make
Z tour of the States giving exhibitions
u iancy shots. Several Australian
amateurs have participated IN the Eng
rs tournaments, bit hirdwcod Is the
nrst professional ever to 90 to John
Buii's home isle IN ques. OF tho open
prize.
Proficient in His Tricks
klrkwood is SO proficient in the art
OF making fancy and trick shots that
ne can entertain gallery for an hour
ana nan without repeating the same
stunt. The remarkable part Of his ex-
hlbltlon is not that he PLAYS so MANY
freak shot, but that he calls each and
every one and that he makes good gen
eraliy on each occasion. He will for
instance tee a ball on watch and
drive 1t without injuring the time
piece.
Old, but good He also drives ball
OFT the toe of mans foot or from
under it. East says that Kirkwooo
IS also as, good as William Tell ever
was, IN that he can swipe the pill from
the top OF persons head without dent
ing the dome
Another shot this boyish looking
phenom performs is to drive a bali
from the tee while looking backward
over the right shoulder.
hirkwood is equally proficient in
Laying the game right or left handed
tie viii tee a ball and drive it long
al straight down the fairway with
'lght-handed club and then he will
take left-handed weapon and make
the same kind Of drive or iron shot.
ana then he viii go that one better
by taking right-handed club and
Laying his shot left handed with the
blade of the club turned upside down.
And 1t IS 10 dub shot that he makes
either.
Another astounding feat he performs Ia
playing ball in bad lie with a wood
eli club, and, of course, he generally
makes good
Still another that wins is 10 tee four
pals, one on top of another. In this
ne uses little sand between the balls
down without disturbing any Of the
others. Teeing the balls in the same
manner, he Will drive the second or the
third, leaving the others in the same
spot on the tee.
The young fellow lines five balls In s
row on the ground and proceeds to play
one after the other in rapid succession.
without lifting his head once and call
ing each shot in turn. Also he drives
balls at various elevations from grass
skimmers to sky scrapers. each shot
assuming a slghter ascent than the
last. He can drive 1870 yards with
putter, and on his home course, at
Rlversdale in Australia, he played
around in II, using q putter for each
shot. This course measures about
5000 yards in length.
He also plays two balls so rapidly
in succession that the second is in the
air before the other has landed Kirk
woods game, like Vardon's, is made
IN mostly of exceptionally accurate
second shots. He win do better natur.
ally on grass greens than ne can here
with this kind of game, and the chances
are he will score well in the tourna-
ment at Columbia and in England.
The Australian cannot drive as far al
our American pros"