New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-06
Amateur. Golf
Stars Tee Off
This Morning.
Ouimet and Jones Favored
to Carry OFF Tide; Cam
adams Bear Watching
BY Grantland Rice

From something more than gao
golfers who will start at the Engineers
and North Shore clubs shortly after
daybreak on Monday morning only
sh'rty-two will survive by the same
Mondays brooding dusk. One man out
or seven entered In the amateur cham
pionsh'p will come safely through, as
SIX out OF every seven starters pack
away their war clubs and retire from
the scene to wait another year.
Can you wonder. under this supreme
test, that the nerves Of even the lead
ing entrants were jumping sideways
last night as they began to figure on
wasted strokes in bunker or puts
that skidded by the cup through the
36~hole journey around the two
courses? This will be the most rueped
qualifying test ever known in snv
championship, for the simple reason
that the field Is the largest and the
strongest that ever went after our
main amateur crown. So it isn't q
matter Of opinion, but one Of methe-
ma M,s and raw logic, unadorned.
quaIify on this occasion? Last August
nation test: The first 19-hole tourney
removed al but seventy. When these
seventy, started In the final 36-hole
Jaunt there were thirty who had III
or better and eight registered at re.
SO III might be registered as the
OFFICIAL qualifying mark,
~ Oakmont was longer than either the
engineers or North Shore course. and
the pittsburgh course also called For
harder hitting from the tees. But Oak
mont greens were not as keen nor as
oiilowy. as those at the Engineers,
where many strokes will be added to
many scores. This time, also, there
Will be we'll over zoo golfers shooting
at the mark, and this should meaa, q
big reduction.
. In other years the main average has
been around 1855 or 167 for thirty-six
holes. We should say that any golfer
able to turn in 1877 will get by nicely
on this occasion. Any score above that
marx by even stroke will be a bit
doubtful. There Is the chance, of
course, with so many starters that
quite few unknowns will drop q suffi-
clent number of puts to get around in
l64, and II this happens even 1877 might
not get in.
Whatever happens it is a certainty
that more than few star golfers will
fail. They have failed before, and with
the big field and the possibilities Of
high scoring at the Engineers they will
TAIL again. You cen name a few who
are certain to qualify-as certain as
anything can be in this most uncertain
existence. These certainties include,
among others, Francis Ouimet, Bobby
Jones, Chick Evans, Bob Gardner, Dave
HERON, Jerry Travers, Bill Fownes and
Max Marston. Among others who
should qualify might be included the
four British entries, Oswald Kirkby,
Ned Sawyer, Jesse Sweetser, Jesse
Guilford, Gardiner White, Rudolf Knep-
per, John G. Anderson. Lucien Walker,
Byers and few others of first rank
But no one would be willing to bet
anything like. even money that every
man in this list will get through.
No man who develops a streak of
wildness from the tees has any chance
at the Engineers. The same applies to
any man who loses his touch on the
putting greens. 1t is quite simple
matter to take three puts on seven or
eight greens where the slopes and dips
are 80 pronounced, and only few of
the select can afford to waste this
many puts and get safely through for
the test at match play which begins to-
morrow.
The thirty-two who survive to-days
medal round will be paired tonight
for tho first clash on Tuesday, with
sixteen matches scheduled. And the
luck Of the draw will play no small
part in deciding the name of the ulti-
mate winner.
There are so many favorites in this
field that naming any one leader in ad-
vance of the qualifying test is an act
replete with all the ingredients of q
guess. No two men are playing any
better golf than Francis Ouimet and
Bobby Jones, who will be as formidable
as any other pair. Chick Evans has
been playing brilliant golf all year,
but as Chicks main trouble before has
been upon the greens it remains to he
seen how we'll he can become accli-
front him in this championship.
Bob Gardner and Dave Heron are
two redoubtable opponents over any
36-hole march. Both have unusual
gameness, physical stamina, and the
necessary ability to play fine golf. Just
how far the British entries and the
Canadian representatives will 60 is not
to be judged until they come upon the
test. Through the early stages Roger
Wethered, the tall Oxford star, has
shown to better advantage than any Of
the others, and he may be the hardest
of the visitors to overthrow.
But just at this stage we should say
that Francis Ouimet and Bobby Jones
will be the two who will bear very
close watching If they should get in
opposite sections Of the draw.
1t may happen, Of course, that the
Canadians will spring grand surprise.
While our American stars should be
able to stand them off there is no deny
ing that such players as the Thompson
brothers, William McLuckie and the
veteran George S. Lyon are all grand
golfers, capable Of winning the cham
pionshir and certain to make O hard
fight Of it all the way.