Answers to Previous Questions
Question #1: What is the name of the golfer who won the Australian Open the most times as an amateur?
Answer:
Ivo Whitton (1893 – 1967) won five Australian Opens as an amateur, 1912, 1913, 1926, 1929 and 1931. Whitton worked as a wool broker before joining the Spalding Company, eventually becoming General Manager. He was a member of Royal Melbourne.
Question #2: Croquet style putting was popular in the 1950s and into the 1960s. In1968 the R&A and USPGA banned the style. What two things were banned in the Rules of 1968 that effectively made croquet style putting illegal?
Answer:
First, when a putter is placed with the head flat on the ground the shaft must be at least at an angle of ten degrees from the vertical. This effectively banned the croquet style putter, where the shaft is at a right angle to the head.
Second, the player was not allowed to stand astride the line while putting. The AGHS Golf Museum has a split grip croquet style putter, which visitors can try. Once they get the technique right, visitors are surprised about how effective the putter is, especially on those nerve jangling short putts.
The putter swings freely in the vertical plane. While addressing the ball the player takes a crouched position and can look straight down the line with both eyes. If you would like to learn more about the history of croquet style putting, contact the AGHS History Sub-Committee through the AGHS website.
Questions for the Next Issue:
1. Name the golfer who has won the Australian Open the most times?
2. When was the last golf major won using only hickories in winner’s bag?