The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-08-22

PITTSBURGH. Pa, Aug. 22.-The
semiflnal round of the national anna
teur golf championship started on the
Oakmont Country club course this
morning with Robert T. Bobby Jones,
Of Atlanta, paired with w c. Fownes.
Jr., a former national champion, Of
oakmont, while S. Davidson Heron,
OF the home club. met J. Wood Plat,
Philadelphia.
Golf experts attending the play were
not anxious to express opinions as to
the probable winners In the semifinals.
The four golfers who have survived
the three rounds OF match play, have
demonstrated wonderful skill, and while
Jones n Platt are favored by many
to, meet in the final round Saturday
others expect the l~S-year-old Atlanta
player will meet Heron in the match
which will mark the GROWING Of a new
amateur champion.
Francis Ouimet. the Boston star,
picked as the favorite for the cham
p~ionship, was eliminated yesterday by
]. Wood Platt, North Hills club, Phila-
delphia, l. up on the 3Sth green.
Ouimet had come from behind and
had squared the match on the home
green when a heavy thunderstorm
broke upon the players and gallery.
were played under the most adverse
circumstances. Rain and hail pounded
down numerically and N a short while
the entire assembIage was drenched.
Sensational Defeat.
ouimet's defeat is as sensational a
feat a was the elimination Of Evans
the day before. But instead of being
IN rare form against Platt, Ouimet was
at his lowest stage. He was neither
steady nor consistent and as a result
was In trouble most of the time.
: He WAS porficVla rIy had in his drtyaE
the ball repeatedly finding bunkers, pits
or the rough and but for some re-
markable ~recoveries on his second shots
he would not have been able to carry
the match along to the extreme record.
Almost every second drive resulted In
a slice or a hook and off the tee it
was a case of just one trap after an
other. To top his troubles he fell off
in putting and lost several chances to
win holes by falling on comparatively
easy puts.
Plat, while not playing particularly
brilliant golf. was extremely steady and
made every shot count.
Plat brought bursts Of applause from
the gallery of several hundred golf
devotees who trudged along with the
players by sinking long puts at criti-
cal moments and 1t was freely con-
coded that he was playing a better
game than the man who startled the
| international golf world in 1918 by his
great triumph over Ray and Vardon.
| Virtually unknown in national tourna-
ment circles until yesterday, Platt dem
onstrated that he must be considered
as a factor for the championship title
and his match with S.. Davidson Her
ron, of Oakmont, one Of the two sur
viving entrants from the Oakmont club,
will be watched with exceptional inter
est.
Platt Applauded.
As in all his goifing battles, Ouimet
did not go down to defeat without d
desperate struggle. After squaring thu
match on the 36th green, he halved the
37th. On the 3Sth and final hole Oui
NETS first two shots were In the rough
while Platt's second dropped within
the lip of the hole on his third ant
ended the championship chances for !;
four and the match.
The two extra holes we're played al
follows:
Thirty-seventh hole: ouimet sho'
like a champion over the last holes o
the regular round In order to squar,
the match at the home green.
Both drove long balls at the frs
extra hole, Ouimet's being in the edg'
of the rough. Plat played his secon,
short of the green and Ouimet put hi
on. sPlatt laid his third dead and the.
halved In four.
Thirty eighth hole: Platt's drive wa
on the fairway, while Ouimet was il
the rough, Plat laid his second within
four feet of the hole while Oulmet wa
just short Of the green. Platt's frs
putt stopped a few inches short o
the cup and Ouimet was well on tn
! green with his third and within