Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-24
HERON IS winner
| OF j. S. GOLF TITLE,
Plays Like Veteran in Defeat
ing Bobby Jones in National
Tourney, S and 4.
BIG GALLERY SEES PLAY

PITTSBURGH. Pa. August 23.-
Playing golf that would have done
credit to a veteran expert, S. Davidson
Heron. the twenty-two-year-old rep
resentative of the Oakmont Country
Club, won the national amateur golf
championship of the United States on
his home course here today, defeat
ing Robert T. Jones, I'd. of the Atlanta
Athletic Club. and 4.
Herrons victory was won over the
beautiful Oakmont course, where he
FIRST learned the strokes of the game
from w. c. Fownes, jr.. a former ma
tional champion. also a member of
the local club and a semi-finalist in
the titular tournament just brought tor
close.
Jones made a game struggle against
Heron, and for the morning eighteen
holes and the first eight of the after
noon he fought every inch of the way.
Herron's putting was deadly. he either
sank them or folled them close from
any spot on the greens, and it was
this more than anything else that
brought him victory.
Several times when Bobby had a
putt for a win he would look over
the ground carefully and then stroke
the ball. But often they would not
drop. When they would roll Off or
stop at the lip Bobby looked as II he
was ready to cry, but he kept plug
ging along. playing and hoping that
the tide would turn.
Heron had too much golf in him to-
lou Tha
batting the ball off the tees and over
the fairways like a champion should.
and when he was once upon the
greens he was master.
Jones Makes First Break.
The first break by Jones was at
the ninth hole of the afternoon round.
Heron had shot the first eight holes
l under par, yet he was only leading
by a hole. Bobby had chung to him
desperately. fighting for every shot,
expecting that the Oakmont player
| would soon leave him an opening.
But Heron continued his wonder
full shooting. The twenty-seventh is
462 yards uphill. 1t requires two
terrific woods to get home. and near
ly every player in the tournament
has required 3 to reach the green.
| Jones drove first and hit a long ball.
Heron followed with a terrific slamx
| by. Bobby's second was in rough at
the left.
Then Heron slapped his brassie
| to the far-off green. Bobby knew
| that Heron had put the shot home.
for he could hear the handclapping
| by those who were standing about
| the green. When the players had
| walked up there was Herron's ball.
| resting not more than twelve feet
from the pin. Bobby was snort Win
-. Oh; ha hnla
He managed to halve the twenty
eighth, but he lost the twenty-ninth.
4 to 5, where he was in trap with
his second and short with his third
Both players got OF the tee well.
Heron played his second and IT
| found trouble. Then Jones addressed
| his ball with a brassie. He evidently
| wished to hit a long ball. so long
that he could pitch his third up close
for four. He missed the shot. his
second real miss of the match. He
topped badly and the ball ran into
trap a few yards ahead.
l. Bobby his head down. walked into
the pit with his mashie-nibiick. Tne
| ball rested in grass on an up-slope
of the pit. Bobby plunged his CLUB
into the heavy grass. but failed to get
out. He tried CALAMITY twice more,
but the ball stayed in the trap. 1t was
hopeless and he picked up.
At the thirty first short hole,
Heron again pounded his iron on the
velvet and Bobby was in trap. Bob
by's out was over and in another trap.
Herron's approach putt was dead and
he won the hole and became dormie.
They halved the thirty-second in
four, both shooting their seconds well
on the velvet and the youthful golf
ing phenomenon from the south had
Plav Brilliant Golf.
Some idea of the caliber Of the golf
gained by a study of the cards for
the thirty-two holes. Heron required
129 strokes for the match. not count
ing the thirtieth hole. where Jones
picked-up after trouble in the trap.
as against the par score Of 126. Her
ron played the first nine holes of the
morning round in thirty-six. one un-
der par; his opponent taking one over.
Both fell off on the second nine, Jones
being four and Heron seven strokes
over the par thirty-six. On the third
nine the finalists were shooting great
golf Heron playing thirty-five.
while the Atlanta youth tied par with
a thirty-seven.
golfer won twelve and Jones seven,
while thirteen were halved. Heron
played par strokes on sixteen holes.
but his opponent went him two bet
tier in this respect. The new title
holder came through with six birdie
score and the runner-up showed one
under par on three holes. When ii is
considered that the Oakmont Club
course is one of the hardest to play
over in the country, the scores of both
players in today's struggle for the
championship take on added signifi-
canoe. This is further attested by the
fact that Walter Hagen. the profess
sional champion, required a seventy
eighteen holes. and thereby lost a
considerable wager that he could play
around in seventy-five, two over par.
Herron's victory was well deserved.
He shot the most consistently sound
golf of any player in the tournament.
being tied with two others for thea
low medal prize in the regular quail
flying round and repeatedly shooting
in the middle seventies in his match
play rounds.
Herron's Victory a Surprise.
His win was a complete surprise to
all but a few members Of the Oak
mont Club, who knew how well he
was going this year. But even these
friends did not think that Heron
would fight his way to the champion
ship through such a field of stars as
play last Saturday. In this
field were Charles tChick) Evans, jr.,
who was then champion; Francis Oui-
met and four other golfers who had
won the championship, besides num-
Der of sectional stars who were rated
much better than Heron.
lov-x ~ he