New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-05-10
National Open Champion
Plays Splendidly in Last
Game Before Sailing
By Ray Mccarthy

She"AFi"H' pidSAhG Win george Smith,
unattached, member of the famous golf
family of Smiths, which includes. be-
sides George Alec, Willie, and Mac
Donald, defeated George Mclean, the
crack pro of the Great Neck Club. and
Oil Nichols, unattached, in an exhibit
ton match played over the course of
the Belleclaire Country Club. at Bag
ICE, l., l., yesterday afternoon. The
ofhclai score was and >, but Hagen
also won the last hole. making the
total count up.
This was probably Hagens last APP
nearance here before be sails for Eng
land.
Considering the condition Of the
course, 1t was a wonderful match. Sew
eFal hundred persons trailed the play
erS the whole distance and were we'll
repaid with some of the finest golf
ever shown in this section The course
~ Bayside is constructed around a
group of hills. There are only few
traps, yet 1t requires play of the very
pest to get around in 90 Par IS "a
Yesterday the greens were quite rough
ana SLOW, adding to the general diff
cultles.
1t IS rather odd that, although there
are few traps on the course to impede
progress, it was sort of tran or onI}I.
nat prevented Hagen playing around in
20 or better and smashing all records.
ms ditch hes TO the right of the ninth
green. From the ninth tee Hagen made
q beautiful drive His brassie shot
vas also good, although little off
the line
Ball Lodges in Ledge
The ball struck the side of the hill
and slowly rolled down towards the.
Whom No kn11
edge Of the precipice it hesitated mo-
mentarily and then trickfed over
When Hagen arrived at the spot he
found the pill lodged In a ledge hard
against the side Of the bank
What IS The rule here ?" he inquired
OF q member.
you can drop back and lose
stroke was the reply.
That's not Hagen's style. He's
gambler and . fighter.
III play il out he murmured as he
piucked mashle nibIick from his bag.
Standing on the edge, the champion
nad to SLASH downward, almost verti-
cally, at the ball. A rock lay just be-
n.uG the bali 10 make matters worse
He finally struck, and the ball hoped
further down INTO the ditch. Hagen
followed after and took another cut.
But the ball refused to come up. so'the
titlehoider picked 1t up and walked TO
the green.
Until that hole Hagen was going
along like the American doughbov
-hen he started on MS march into Ger
man. His only mistakes had been two
m-s1ed puts, one OF which he could
nave MADE easily, but smith, has part
hef' had already won the hole. On
NE NE second green the Detroit wizard
cropped putt OF Iorty feet. On the
5A..d ne sank another OF twenty-five
-. D9' "neh IL appeared as though
re Wouio never matt the 1atetul n!nth
.h'efVened ana put . pig crimp into
us 2colg' As IL was ne h"ished In one
i0Ae "~oNe par -.
Mclean Next Best
George Mclean had the next best
score HIS total was 70 for the two
rounds. Mclean was keeping pace with
hagen's tremendously long drives. but
his iron shots were somewhat of color
and he missed several chances TO score
o. puts. Only The indomitable and
aggressive Hagen seemed able to make
as puts OBEY
-he popular Gil Nichols played
ground IN 50 and George Smith got
nome with an 81. The veteran Gil was
having run OF hard luck the whole
aIteEnoon N MS putting. Several
i'Aimeo the cup, and on the fifth he
- sed getting on par hole +
we pail hung on the very edge
VI ne TN ana held last to the outer
tu'