Editorial: Emperor will sit this one out

It's not a case of the Emperor having no clothes, or in this case, black tie, but the most famous member of the Hastings Golf Club will not be present when 100 years of play at Bridge Pa* is celebrated with a dinner at the Hawke's Bay Opera House on Saturday.

Stuart Jones, dubbed "The Emperor" during an amateur career which ultimately saw him inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame, is feeling his 87th year at the moment.

So family members will represent the seven-time New Zealand Amateur champion, who also took out Canadian and Australian titles.

The club has ensured, however, Jones' place in golf's history is well-remembered during the latest national championship, which starts at the course south of Hastings today.

A Jones memorabilia exhibition is on display in the clubhouse.

Current club president and former Hawke's Bay representative Howard Padman, who will speak at Saturday's dinner, would testify to Jones' greatness. Padman played with him the day he shot an 11-under par round of 60 on the course.

Guest speaker, and one of only two New Zealanders to win a professional major, Sir Bob Charles also has cause to remember Jones well.

He was a teammate at the first world amateur team's event at St Andrews in 1958, the competition known as the Eisenhower Trophy.

The 1963 British Open winner's return to Bridge Pa is appropriate with Heinz Watties also making a return of sorts, as sponsor of the Black Tie Dinner. Watties sponsored eight professional tournaments at the course, Sir Bob winning four of them, the first in the inaugural year of 1963 and his last in 1968.

Who won in 1965? None other than an amateur named Stuart Jones.

Those tournaments brought the cream of golf to this region, former major winners such as Australians Peter Thomson and Kel Nagle, and Englishman, Tony Jacklin.

Of the many highlights at the course since, the amateur championship won by an 18-year-old Frank Nobilo in 1978 stands out. The Aucklander went on to win 15 professional tournaments.

But when you talk about The Hastings Golf Club, or Bridge Pa, it's Jones who will always stand above the rest.

Even though he has always been one who enjoyed nothing more than a round with his clubmates.

That common touch will have "The Emperor" very much in the room on Saturday.

*The Hastings Golf Club was founded in 1898 but play at Bridge Pa began in 1912.