The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-13
WALTER |. HAGAN IS GOLF CHAMPION OF UNITED STATES Detroit Star Sinks Three Foot Put on Last Hole for Open Title of
 Country

Newton, Mass, June 12.-Walter
 c. Hngan of the Oakland Country
 club of Detroit won the open golf
 championship of the United States
 at Braeburn today, defeating
 Michael J. Brady of Oakley, by a
 single stroke in an 1S-hOle play for
 the title. It was the second time
 Hagan has won the championship
 as he led the field in the same event
 in Chicago in 1914. Hagan shot the
 IS holes today in 77.
 The defeat was bitter disappoint- ment to Brady, as he lost the title in 1911, a t Wheaton, H., and finished third to McDermott at Buffalo in 1912. Brady thought that this year the title would be his, especially as at the end of the 54hole of play yesterday he led Hagan, who was in second position by five strokes. The two players finished all even for the regulation 72 holes yesterday when Brady slumped in the afternoon and took an so while Hagan finished with brilliant 75.
 Mike started badly Tn the play-off He was 41 at the turn to Hagan's 3o' At the tenth he dropped another stroke by taking a six. Many in the gallery thought the Oakley man was played out, but they misjuded him, for Brady did not lose heart "They will start breaking for me soon," he said to his caddie.
 | Then he began to put up a real fight l After half catching his tee shot at the eleventh, he pulled out grassie and | swung into the ball with all he had It was beautiful shot and came down seven feet to the right of the pm Hagan pitched to the green and was down in four. Brady sank his putt cutting Hagan's lead to three strokes At the twelfth Brady sank another ! long putt for three. This cut Hagan lead to two strokes. The short 13S was shot in uninteresting four. The four 1 teenth is $50 yards. Both slammed ou 1 long drives. The seconds were well III to the slope guarding the green ant l the approaches on. Hagan rolled hl' putt up for a sure five.
 BRADY RALLIES
 Brady was 30 feet from the cup. H looked the green over carefully ant line all the way ana dropped In tn hit the ball with confidence. It held tn hole. Many of Bradys supporters threv their hats in the air. Their favorit had cut Hagan's lead to one stroke. Bu their joy was short lived for Mike pu his second into a trap doing to tn sixteenth, and was down in five to Ha gan's well played four. Mike got tn sot back at the seventeenth, four | five.
 The players walked to the home te
 with Hagan leading by a stroke. Tn fairway to the green was lined on bot , l sides and the green was surrounded , spectators. It was some minutes pefof officials had the way clear so the me could shoot Brady was well down tn , middle. Hagan half topped his shot an , the ball just rolled out of the rougl !, which runs for 125 yards in front , the tee.
 Hagan had been deadly with his Ion
 ions in the tournament and he recoN
 cred with a clean hit to just short
 the green. Mike failed to get on in tw but ran his third up dead.
 Hagan's chip left him a three-ro'
 putt to halve Brady and win the chan
 pionship. He looked the ground oV'
 from both sides and rapped the pa
 confidently. It went down.