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

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-hoIe 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 70 holes con-
tested during the past two days.
Ouimets performance lifted the
nineteenth annual open tournament
| Of the United States Golf Association
out os the usual classification &C
corded a national championship and
| brought the contest to a 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 IL
| 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 Americas
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.
The scenes that attended Ouimet's
| march over the last four holes never
J have been equalled on an American
or European golf course.
Enthusiasm ran the gamut from
despair to citation; silence was fol
Moved by great outbursts of cheer
| ing. When Ouimets second shot
| from the eighteenth tee landed dead
on the edge Of the home green, 5000
| spectators massed themselves in a
gigantic ring Of breathless humanity
about Ouimet and his playing part
| ner, George Sargent.
| The American youth needed the
| n o
| 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 8 feet be-
yond.
! A sigh arose from the crowd and
all was still again. Quimet looked
once at that little stretch Of sodden
| turf that lay between him and an
other chance for the diligently
tapped the ball and stepped back to
watch its progress.
| Slowly it rolled TO the edge Of the
| hole. curled around the lip for an inch
| or so and then dropped in for the
| four which tied him with Ray and
| Vardon.
| Instantly a tremendous yell went
| I'D. The gallery swept past ropes and
| guards and closed in on Ouimet in a
| solid phalanx. 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 hea1 1,
! 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 3O4 before he
! had half finished his final round, was
all the more praiseworthy because Of
/ the frightful weather conditions IN
der which he was obliged TO play.
! II 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
great game and stood up under the
strain like the man he is. He Is a
! credit RI American golf