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Astonishingly Cedric Sayner of the host club had managed to score 70 for 17 holes before he was called in. One reporter said that his uncompleted round was one of the great bad weather performances and ranked with the round of George Duncan-a famous 76 scored in a tremendous gale and driving rain to win the first Irish Open at Portmarnock, Dublin in 1927, during which George was protected by brown paper under his jacket. Harry Rimmer, the pro from Bidston, the club adjacent to West Cheshire where I was soon to be based, was stopped on the first tee – at the top of his backswing. The same reporter said it reminded him of a navvy with his pick poised to strike a blow when the dinnertime whistle went.

Bill Davies, never one to hide his feelings, was less than complimentary about the officials who should have been there that Friday morning, but chose to be elsewhere. He had fought his way through the blizzard to the bitter end but could take no further part - his mother’s funeral took place on the following day. Henry Cotton, having birdied the first, was only too glad to walk in from the second. He joined the chorus of protests about the absurdity of starting in such conditions. It must have ranked amongst the most farcical rounds of golf ever played. A quick thaw allowed play to be completed on the Saturday, with a much-depleted field, and I finished in 14th place.  The winner of this most remarkable event was Charles Whitcombe.
The Dunlap Southport Tournament, Birkdale 1935
There were also some unusual events in the final of the Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham. American Lawson Little took a bath after the first 18 holes and arrived on the tee 18 minutes late for the afternoon round. His opponent, the 1927 champion, Dr. William Tweddell from Stourbridge, did not object and Little escaped disqualification going on to win by 1 hole. In that championship an American – Capt. A. Bullock-Webster used a very unusual way of keeping still on the greens. He putted with a cross-legged stance. A lot of military men entered the championship in those days and another in the field was one of the great characters of British golf, Brigadier General Critchley, a Captain of the R&A. He was the father of Bruce, the well-known journalist and commentator.  L.G.Crawley went out in the early rounds, but that year he won the Scratch Prize in the Medal competition that preceded the Irish Amateur at Portmarnock with a very fine 72 over the difficult links in windy conditions. It was three better than the scratch for the course. Playing off +2, his nett 74 also gave him a share of first prize in the handicap section.

 

 

 



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