The record-union., 1899-07-04
Begins at the Onwentsia Clubs Course,
Many Prominent Players Competing.
High Scores Generally the Rule in
the First Days Play, Notwith-
standing the Ideal Weather and
the Almost Perfect Condition Of
the Course.

fifth annual tournament of the United
States Golf Association was started to-
day over the eight-hole course of the
Onwentsia Golf Club. The weather was
ideal for golf. The sky was overcast
With clouds and a light, cool breeze
blew over the course, quickly drying
last nights rain from the green. Even
before Secretary Robert Bage Kerr
started the initial pair Of contestants
in the first qualifying round, the beau
tiful grounds and the clubhouse We're
thronged with gayly dressed women
and their escorts, while all over the
course the relocated golfers We're
scattered, taking a last critical look at
the links before starting in their week S
struggle for the amateur golf cham
pionships.
When, promptly at 7:3O a. M, Walter
McKittrick of the ST. Louis Country
Club and Phelps B. Hoyt of the Glen
View Golf Club opened the tourna-
ment, the little grandstand at the first
teeing ground was filled to Overlooking
with golf enthusiasts, and as Mr.. Hoyt,
who had the honor drove his ball far
over the bunker, down the slope of the
green beyond, thus formally opening
the tournament, hearty round Of APP
plause was given. Mr.. McKittrick also
cleared the first of the bunkers beau
tifully, and herwas also applauded.
Four minutes after they were away,
had played their second shots and
passed out of range of the next ga rs'
drive, the Secretary called the next pair
of contestants, NJ. Cummings, of the
Washington Park Club, and p w.
Harvey, Of the Cleveland Golf Club,
and thereafter. at intervals of four
minutes, the players who are compel
ing for National Championship honors,
drove and were away until the long list
had been completed. AS the celebrities
appeared to start on their long journey
over the course, they We're applauded
literally. Finlays S. Douglass made a
beautiful drive in his opening round
with w. c. Carnegie, Jr., of the Allie
gheny Club, the longest up to that tins,
but four minutes later James H. Tynge,
of the Morris Country Golf Club, beat
it by many yards.
Messrs. McKittrick and Hoyt finished
their first round at 9:45 a. m. Neither
showed good form around the course
Mr.. McKittrick doing the eighteen
~~OANS "
1t is the general opinion of the golf
experts that considering the almost
perfect condition of the course, 100 will
be the highest to qualify, while the
scores will run from that down to ITO
Some of the experts have been showing
such good form that scores even lower
than ITO were looked for.
By 10 O'Clock the contestants began
to come in rapidly from their first
round over the course. High scores
were the rule, many of the players ap-
parently being afflicted with nervous
ness. 1t was in the putting that most
of the golfers fell by the wayside, run
ming the scores of the first round in
many instances around the hundred
mark. -
William McCawley, Merton Cricket
Club, and Herbert Mcbride, Cleveland
Golf Club, made good scores, McCaw-
ley going over the course in SO and Mo
Bride in 90 Others finished the first
round as follows:
D. M. Cummings, Washington Park
Club, 105; J. Insley Blair; Jr., Morris
Country Golf Club, 96; T. Sterling
Beckwith, Cleveland Golf Club, SO; w.
P. Smith, Huntington Valley Club, 96;
II. E. Rea, Allegheny County Club, 100;
Burdette O'Connor, Staten Island
Cricket and Golf Club, 90; c. B. Corey,
Wallaston Golf Club, SO; H. A. Colby,
Essex Country Club, 49,.
Good scores were made by both John
Reid, Jr., the intercollegiate champion,
and his Onwentsia Club opponent,
Thompson. Reid made the course in IS
and Thompson in SO.
Others as follows:
0. p. Thompson, Allegheny Golf Club,
80; Thomas Taylor, Jr., Onwenlsia. W;
Grenville Kane, Tuxedo Golf Club, 80;
C. H. Russell, Milwaukee Country Club,
Billings, 90; j. W. Watson, ex-Moorc,
Sc; F. c. Miller, Glenview, SO; \. II.
Smith, Huntington Valley Country
Club, 80; R. G. Wilson, Jr., Onwentsia
9S; w. j. Patton, Allegheny Country
Club, 1902; r. Sykes, Overland Park
Club, 80: Howard Elking, ST. LOUIS
Country Club, JOG; ]. D. Hubbard. On
wentsia, 1O5; Stewart Stickney, ST.
Louis Country Club, 90; F. H. Hamlin,
Golf Club, 03.
d. r. Forgan, the Onwentsia expert,
made a splendid score, making nine of
the eighteen holes in four each. and
with total of 50. G. G. Hub
bard, with whom he was paired, made
80. W. A. Alexander, ex-Moore .oun-
try Club. 1O5; G. F. Fiske, Onwentsia,
1O3; J. G. Thorpe, Oakley Country club,
81, o. c.. Fuller, Milwaukee Country
Club; A. c.. Mcdonald, Chicago Golf
Club, also made the course in S3.