New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-27

best ball team owned by old John B
Americas best best ball team, Walt
Barnes, American professional cham
The largest, also the widest galleryS
that ever followed any golf perform
States go down to defeat in a tooth
and mail, life-and-death struggle. For
80 holes the lead seesawed back and
forth, and the closeness and wonderful
play Of the contest kept the 5000 or
more link fans on edge all the way.
Going to the 36th hole the match
was all even. Vardon and Ray were
two down starting out in the after
noon, but they overcame this lead and,
although they fell behind once again
on the second round, they got baess on
From there on they held their op-
ponents even, although the Americans
pressed them hard and fiercely.
Ray Drives Well
At the seth hole Ray sent pro-
dlglous drive right down the middle
of the lane that stopped only several
yards short of the green. Vardon and
Barnes also were down the middle.
but much further back than Ray. Hagen
hooked his drive to the rough and had
to play over trap. This he did mag
niticently,. playing beautiful back
spin that landed him within eight feet
of the pin. Barnes played his second
short of the pin by fifteen yards. Both
Vardon and Ray rolled to the very
edge OF the green past the pin, and lay
within few feet of each other.
:, we were standing on the bank of
the green and had to move down along
with others to allow Vardon to get at
This ball. Then we watched the gray
haired master of the niblick.
lie said something to his partner, the
brawny Ray, who stood by unconcern-
edly, the while putting away on his
black pipe, and proceeded to study the
situation at hand. He knelt and Sight
ed the land. He stood his stance and
ne deliberated fully two minutes. Sell
dom you see these fellows consume
that much time on a spot. Finally Var
don swung putter against ball, it rolled
rapidly, but as it neared the hole it
slowed up perceptbly.
lhese greens were very treacherous
and then it wabbled slowly up to the
cup, hung on the edge of the cup a
moment and Topped in. Hagen smiled
as he advanced to play his ball. He
Knew his elght-footer was harder now
than ever before. He took time and
played cautiously. But his ball rang
w '-A~ St6O anu uuHS There. VICTORY
went to the Britons and the band i'm
medlately struck up america" or God
Save the King" as they know it in
Britain.
Players Study Shots
That was the only place where all
four players studied their shots with
more care than we have ever seen them
exercise in their play. it took three
and half hours to complete the
second round, which is probably
record for such speedsters as Hagen
and Ray. They went about their work
smilingly and joking with each other
but nevertheless they meant business
and played with as much care and pre-
caution as if the worlds championship
depended on it. There is no happier
pair in all this section tonight than
the visitors.
The play itself of each of the con-
testants, with the exception of Vardon.
in the morning was better than that
shown in the afternoon, but there was
not the excitement, the color nor the
thrills that were mixed into the per-
formances of the second round.
On the first round jim Barnes, play
ing in wonderful form, equalled the
course record of SO. held by Mike Brady
and others, which is three strokes bet
ter than par. Hagen had a IA, while
Vardon, considerably off form, took
70. Ray bore the brunt of the work
for his side in this half, making II,
his being the best ball.
There ia the beauty of that English
team. When one is off the other is on
his game. Ray fell away from his
morning pace and came home with 70
in the afternoon, while Vardon came
through with rs and actually won
the game, although he received some
wonderful help from his easy-gong
collaboration. Barnes's score for the
afternoon was IA. Long Jim was very
unfortunate with his puts. Hagen, very
much off on this end OF the game, took
70.
Britons Star in Pinches
However, the greatest feature of the
entire afternoon round was the man
ner in which the Britons performed in
from it-as team these fellows are
there, every one of the various forty
ways.
Here are a few examples: The
Americans apparently had the second
hole won for a lead of three holes,
with Ray facing a difficult eight-foot
putt for half. He made it. On the
sixth Rays putt Tipped the cup, while
Vardon sank his Of ten feet for win.
Ray dropped one of fifteen feet for
another win on the seventh. And COM
ing in, after Barnes had hit the pin
on his second shot on the sixteenth
and lay dead for 3, Ray holed putt
of twenty-five feet from the edge of
the green. for half
1t was Vardon's turn on the seven
teenth and he sank a very hard down
hill roll of eight feet, then his 80
footer on the last hole for victory. And
he is reputeo to be q poor putter. AS
the poets say. Where do they get that
stuff ?"
But an analysis of this second round
is really necessary to give one good
idea of the thrills injected into the
fray. The first three holes we're halved
in good golf playing. The third Hagen
won with a beautiful out from trap,
making the Americans three up. Var
don took the fourth with good old