|
slouching walk who, like Lee Trevino, hailed from Texas and had a
similar outlook on life – and golf, to the ebullient
Mexican/American He was a wonderful trick shot artist and, like Joe
Kirkwood, he could do amazing things with a golf ball. Thinking that
the bag had been delivered there by mistake, Wignall decided to deal
with the matter later and went on deck to watch the liner embark. On
returning to unpack he was quite startled when the wardrobe door
opened to reveal the smiling face of Joe Ezar, who was ‘stowing
away’. Wignall did not turn Joe in, but insisted that he report to
the purser, which he promised to do. In fact, possibly due to the
heavy workload in the purser’s office, he did not get an interview
until after the ship took on more passengers at Cherbourg and was en
route to New York. He escaped the ‘brig’, after the intervention of
friends and well-wishers, and was allocated a berth in tourist
class. He was able to work his passage by giving demonstrations and
exhibitions, something he did more than once on trips across the
Atlantic. At that time the fares began at less then £40.
 As I write in 2003, bookings are being taken for the maiden voyage
of Cunard’s £550 million French built Queen Mary 2, described as
“the grandest Ocean Liner ever built” and, like her predecessor, the
largest - at 150,000 tons.
The ship is fitted with every luxury facility imaginable including a
golf simulator.
On the modern liners Trick Shot Artists will not be found stowing
away or working their passage across the Atlantic, which costs more
than twenty-five times the fare in Ezar’s day. Nowadays they are
booked in advance to entertain the passengers.
Football reached a low ebb in 1934 when Italy, the host nation, won
the second World Cup, beating Czechoslovakia 2-1. It was a
propaganda triumph for Mussolini, but a ‘sporting fiasco’ with
intimidated referees failing to control brutality on the field.
For me the season finished on a high note - I won the Midland Open
at Castle Bromwich in Birmingham - a course that no longer exists.
In May 1935 the news was dominated by the death of Lawrence of
Arabia in a motorcycle accident. Also widely reported was the
inquest in Chester following the death of a 25-years-old local Post
Office worker from anthrax. The source could not be identified, but
it could have come from imported mailbags. Almost seventy years
later the threat of contamination is from more sinister sources.
 The month brought unseasonable weather to the north–west coast of
England when snow hit the final day of the Dunlop Southport
Tournament, causing play to be abandoned – eventually! It was the
first event held at the recently refurbished Birkdale and has
entered the record books under the heading of ‘Unusual Weather
Conditions’. Although a blizzard was blowing horizontally across the
course when the first pair were due to tee off at 8am, astonishingly
there was no one present who had the authority to postpone the
start. It was a case of play or be disqualified - so we played. I
was in the fourth match out and by the time we reached the first
green putting was impossible. Even playing a pitch and run shot the
ball assumed the proportions of a cricket ball and players were
putting with mashies. We had played thirteen holes before the
cease-fire was eventually sounded and emissaries were despatched to
the outlying holes. The first pairing out, Wallasey pro Bill Davies,
the 1933 champion and Bill Large from Liverpool’s Allerton
Municipal, made it all the way to the 18th. Large’s caddie collapsed
at the third due to the cold and Bill had to lug his own bag through
the blizzard for much of the round. Not surprisingly he scored 87
and Bill Davies came in with 82 - his 12-inch putt at the 15th had
come up short.
NEXT
|
