The New York herald., 1922-11-05
AUSTRALIAN AGAIN
HAS Low AVERAGE
Plays Twelve Rounds Over
Difficult Course in 894
Strokes. &
GEORGE DUNCAN SECOND
British Star Is Stroke a Round
Behind Former Champion
Of Antipodes.
GEORGE DUNCAN SECOND
nv JOHN G. ANDERSON.

When tho statistics were compiled
last year for the play Of the British
professionals In the series Of tourna-
ments which began in the spring and
ended with the qualifying rounds, it was
found that Joe Kirkwood was the leader.
with Arthur Havers second and Dun
can third. There was barely fraction
of a point difference between Kirkwood
and Havers and 1t was felt that the
latter, playing in twenty-five open medal
play events, had the edge over Kirkwood
with his fifteen Journeys. Neither OF the
frst three averaged as high as rs.
The statistics of the various medal
play Journeys for this year have been
completed, and again 1t is the samo
name which heads the list. KirlSwood
had brilliant series of rounds at Los-
siernouth, where he led the field by thir-
teen strokes. and this wonderful golf
Che was 63 once when the second man
was 77) has given him an average of
IAN, which Is over a full stroke ahead
OF the second man, George Duncan
The Journeys which counted in the
hole medal events at Roehampton, Sud
bury. Gleneagles, Sanford ani Romford,
and the three 72 hole medal events at
st. Andrews, Lossiemouth and Sandwich,
where the open championship was play
ed. None of the American stars Hagen,
Barnes or Hutchison, played in suf-
ficient number of Journeys to be eligible
Tor classification, as none was averaged
unless he had taken part in ten rounds
% tho above mentioned events.
Play a Dozen Rounds.
Klfkwood played dozen rounds owe"
huch difficult links as Princes, ST.
Georges, Gleneagles and Lossiemouth,
for grand total of S94 strokes. On the
general assumption that the more rounds
played the worse the general average,
then Duncan'S twenty round total or
1.515 strokes is scarcely less meritorious
Third place this year went to Aubrey
Boomer, who has been touted by Harry
Nardon as sure coming champion. He
had a grand average OF rs 2-5, which
was very good for comparative young
ster in British golf. Boomer is just over
20 and might well be an old timer In
American golf. But youngsters do not
get the chances in Britain or France,
where Boomer first became best known,
that they do here.
1t may surprise many 20 know that
Taylor fitted into fourth place, display
ing the best golf he has shown for f1ve
or more years It probably was his last
great effort because he has grown just
a bit too much around the waist to give
effective efforts over long series or
holes Taylors average was 76 3-5.
one OF the interesting features of the
study Of statistics Is to note that whereas
Kirkwood has led for two years over
stretch of Journeys he holds no title nor
appears to be In real threatening po-
sition Somehow or other his play of
t,.ueness does not fit into the general
,cheme OF things when the first prize is
warming up the gallery
Makes All shots Alike.
icirkwood, It will 80 admitted, can
ray any kind OF a. stroke when he is
ing his exhibitions, but he does not
curry his repertoire into the actual
lq.tlc Those WHO watch him closely
stv that he plays every shot in exactly
ine same way a low flying, low starting
Gr.vc brassie or iron shot which does
l,.t always finish straight down the
course
Massey and Braid have contended fos
some time that Kirkwood. with his
downward smash at the Lall, did It
lave what champion needs nowadays.
Killing the ball is what happens to
downward smash such as Kirkwood
gives, with n resultant loss Of needed
distance. STILL he IL reckoned more
dangerous In Britain than I'm America.
Duncan firmly established himself as
the leading British professional, his bS
at St Andrews and 50 az Sandwich
standing out in bold relief over other
startling performances. He failed by "a
lalf inch TO tie for tho British cham
pionshlp at Sandwich and here in Amer
ica after finishing fifth pro. in the open
won at Buffalo I'm the Western New York
championship with 2st, and was in
tie for fourth for the Southern open,
while his general average throughout
The country in n hundred rounds was
20 and his average in the three cham
pionships. the Open New York and
Southern, was just under even fours.
Boomer supplanted Havers as the
leading golflng youth OF Britain. II hts
rounds in the French open at La Bouli.
had been taken into consideration he
would have topped the entire list. leai-
ing Kirkwood by healthy fraction.
Boomer had one round of SIS In the
French open over n course 6.345 yards
long, and on O. day when the wind was
n. - tr g.