New-York tribune., 1909-05-20
GOLF TITLE FOB SMITH
LEADS FIELD OF PROS"
Former Cham piOn in Trouble and
Ties for Third Prize.

Alec Smith, who few months ago transferred
his allegiance to the Wykagyl Country Club. won
the championship OF the Eastern Professional
Golfers Association, for the second time in four
years. over the ScarsdaIc links yesterday AIusv,
out in front the genial Smith led the fed IN ,hs
morning round with capital 73. only two strokss
more than the par, and suppIementing this with a
"A later he able to return AZ for the thirtysx
holes This led Gilbert Nichols. the second man
by the comfortable margin OF five strokes
Isaac Maekie. last years Eastern title holaA-
never got going to the satisfaction OF himself Ar
his friends. At the fourth hole he pulled his drive
into trouble. and required s. and after that the
best he could do for the outward journey was
49, He had several chances TO come in fasr brr
threw them away the green. so that - strokes
were consumed. At the eleventh hole In the
afternoon. pulled tee shot sent his bail Into the
lake. and from there I'm he had to work hard to
come home in even 40. which gave him his see
end q. 154 for the day. He tied with Barker for
third prize.
Another expert to return total OF ia was IT. H.
Barker Of Garden city. The former Yorkshire
amateur had a chance to go out in extremely low
figures but he dropped a stroke on the ninth
green. and turned for home in the morning with
SO to his credit. missed put the home green
cost a stroke. otherwise he would have had he
round in "a. SupplementIns this with . in ths
afternoon. Barker threw away chances az the six
teenth and seventeenth holes. both Of which wers
made in
Aside from Smiths g. the morning round of Tom
Anderson. jr came in for the most praise. The
brother Of the former national open Champion
drove an extremely long ball. case in point being
at the 4ss-yard seventeenth hole where he reached
the green with &. drive and a ceek. A. vas. he
had rounds OF IS and 81. In the afternoon Barker
developed a wild streak. and failing 20 keep ths
course threw away many strokes. As II was, his
round OF 80 gave him total of l55 for the day,
good enough TO put him well in the money
The disappointing showing Of the tOurna-
ment was that OF Jack HObens. the Metropolitan
open champion. who played with smith Hooens
pulled his drive from the second tee among a lot
OF rocks, and after wasting stroke IN vain en-
deavor to reach the green had lift for the usual
two-strOke penalty. When he finally Eot the ban
into the cup nine strokes had been required and
as the hole only 2O yards u length the misfort-
une meant a serious setback.
In some respects Smith never played better goK
than during his two rounds yesterday. His shots
I'D to the hole were marveis of accuracv and rad
he been able TO put in usually deadly style the
chances are that the wykazyI "p-o' would have
broken all records for the one ~ the
markable features Of his work yesterday vas the
manner IN which ne played the sixth hole THIS
Is down bill a matter Of l73 yards the green being
guarded by a brook. In the morning srita ran
down 40-foot put for a 2 while the same green.
few hours later he dropped n 20-foote- for
other . Oddly enough Smith made this hole IN
while practising Tuesday afternoon.
one OF the innova tious Of the tournament COT
sisted Of a seniors competition in which those
forty years OF age eligible. The dean
Of the tournament George Stratn. who owns
up TO sixty-siX years other veterans Willie
Norton. Tom Anderson and John Young. Norton.
with a total OF ISL. the first prize q y}i ry
comfortable margin from Anderson. who had 80.
The father OF the redoubtabIe Willie received So
the amount Of the second money.
There ten moneys IN the championship
proper. Smith earned S25 and a gold medal. vhfs
Nichols got $50 Barker and Mackey split 80.
the amount OF third and fourth MONEYS Anderson.
tr., received $50. Dave Hunter so Robert Thomp-
SIS and AIec Cunningham, Horace Rollins ard
George Pearson $40 each.
The scores were : follows.