Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-20
m ROOKLINE. MASS. sept. 20

n Whether the national open
championship of the United
States Golf Association remains here
or goes to England rests entirely with
the play of Francis Ouimet an
American youth, a STRIPPING. scarce
ly out of his teens
Ouimet, an amateur, is battling to-
day England's cracks, Harry Vardon
and Edward Ray. veteran profession
ais 1t was Ouimet's brilliant golf
in the final round of the tournament
yesterday that won him a tie with
the British experts and gave him the
right to contest for the title to-day
Play began at o'clock this morn
ing. an eighteen-hole three ball
medal round deciding the winner
No matter WHO the victor will be-
Ouimet is the hero of the tourney
He carved a niche for himself in in
ternational sporting history by his
feat yesterday
Ouimet and his British rivals turn
ed in a card of 304 for Y holes con-
tested during the past two days.
Ouimets performance lifted the
nineteenth annual open tournament
| of the United States Golf Association
out of the usual classification ac-
| corded a national championship and
| brought the contest to standard lit
/ tie short of other International Compe-
! titiOns.
| OF the half dozen home bred and
! transplanted professionals not one
, could keep pace with Ray and Var
don, and all hope of retaining the til
| tie honors appeared lost until Ouimet
was found making his lone stand
amid rain and mud against the two
| older players.
| Scene Never EquaIIed.
When the spectators realized that
in this home bred amateur, born and
| brought up on the edge of the Coun-
| try Club course, rested America S
| chance of winning the championship,
| they lost that. placid attitude and
whisper that ordinary marks the golf
gallery and rooted and cheered Out
met in a manner typical at baseball
and football games.j
/ The scenes that attended Ouimet's
march over the last four holes never
have been equalled on an American
or European golf course.
Enthusiasm ran the gamut from
despair to citation; silence was fol-
| lowed by great outbursts Of cheer
| ing When Ouimet'S second shot
| from the eighteenth tee landed dead
on the edge of the home green, 5000
| spectators massed themselves in a
gigantic ring of GREATNESS humanity
about Ouimet and his playing part
ner George Sargent.
The American youth needed the
| hole in one to win and two to tie.
! He gazed long down into the bowl
where the cup lay, dried his hands
and made a 35-fOOt putt that Just
missed the hole and rolled feet be
yond.
A sigh arose from the crowd ana
all was still again Quimet looked
once at that little stretch of sodden
turf that lay between him and an
other chance for the title-gentiy
| tapped the ball and stepped back to
watch it's progress.
Slowly it rolled to the edge of the
hole. CURED around the lip for an inch
or SO and then dropped in for the
four which tied him with Ray and
Vardon.
Ovation for Youth.
Instantly a tremendous yell went
up. The gallery swept past ropes and
guards and closed in on Ouimet IN
solid phaIanx. He was lifted to the
shoulders of the advance guard and
carried toward the clubhouse sur
rounded by several thousand cheer
ing. yelling golfers. who forgot their
golf in the enthusiasm Of being just
Americans cheering an American vic
tory.
Many. not realizing that Ouimet
was an amateur, thrust bills Of large
denominations at him, only TO be met
with a smile and a shake Of the hea i,
which took the sting out of the re-
fusal made necessary by their mis-
take.
Ouimets great battle against the
prowess of the two Englishment, who
already were tied with &O4 before he
had half finished his final round, was
an the more praisewOrthy because 81
the frightful weather conditions IN
der which he was obliged to play.
It was raining heavily before the
forenoon round was started. and con-
tinued with but few let-ups all day.
The fairways and greens were water
soaked and the rain beat down upon
PLAYERS and spectators alike.
Britons Praise Ouimet,
Vardon said: He certainly played
a great game and stood up under the
strain like the man he is. He is
credit to American golf.
1T was a beautiful finish said
Ray, and he deserves all the cheers