The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-07-21
jim BARNES LEADS
OPEN GOLF FIELD
Pelham Professional Covers
Title Course in ga Com
petitive Record.
FOUR OTHERS BEAT 70
Mike Brady in Second Place
With 70-Chick Evans
Plays Erratically.
FOUR OTHERS BEAT 70
BY KERR N. PETRIE.

ZU.-When In doubt is 1t always tho
safe policy to play trumps? There has
been so much talk around the Column
bia Country Club the last few days
to the effect that the second half OF
the field in the national open golf
championship was the easiest that
the boys to-day just could not help
running off few low scores. Where
yesterday the field was led by a pair
Of lbs, there were no less than five
players who bettered this mark when
the second division moved into action.
Jim Barnes of Pelham Country Club,
New York, stole little Of Jock Hutchi-
sons thunder and moved up to the
head Of the class with a 50. Jock has
a penchant for scoring eos. Mike J.
Brady Of Detroit brought in a TO-;
Peter O'Hara Of Shackamaxon Coun-
try Club, holder Of the New Jersey
State open championship, and Clarence
Hackney Of Atlantic City each played
around z, and George Duncan, the
former British champion, holed out in
~ even with a on the home green,
where his partner, Jim Barnes, got 8.
From the above the evidence would
seem to be complete that the U. s. G. A.
executive committee erred in believing
that 1t had driven a cleaver through
class and had divided the field
equally according to the ability of the
players. Oddly enough there were no
7Ss. Evidently the boys had made up
tt.Air ,t,xI md al On tsr1 fa1
the honors the first day should be taboo
the second. And as II to prove still
further that most OF the stars had been
Melted for the second qualifying eigh-
teen holes, there were eight at "a where
before there had been but four. Then,
again. there were but three los yester-
day. To-day we had full half dozen
of these. No doubt about it. the second
round brought out the class.
Rather interesting it was, in the face
of these facts. to find that while the
scoring over all was on very much
higher plane the field still split at rs.
That was the dead line of qualifying
the first day and it remained the same
for the second.
Surprises Are Few.
Once again not much transpired in the
nature of an upset, although among
those found to have been shot out was
Bob Macdonald of Bobolink. Chicago,
who could do no better than 50. and
wilfrid Reid of Wilmington. who was
one Of the American professional team
that played ir. the recent British cham
pionship at st. Andrews.
Perhaps, after all, 1t would be adj
vIlble to take back the statement rel
ative to the lack Of an upset. 1t is a
queer day that does not see Charlie
nIoffner, the brilliant young profess
oIonal of the Philmont club of Phila-
delphia, qualifying.
Charlie surprised the British critics by
mis- low scoring in the qualifying play at
st. Andrews. He has been in the habit
Of setting the pace the first few days for
the players in the American national
championship. And yet on his first
championship appearance since returning
to his native land his name is found
slowed away in a quiet corner Of the
scoreboard among those who also ran but
did not think enough of their stepping
to announce the result to the world.
Charlie, in other words. was among
the Withdrawals. He was out In A,
and after that It would have required a
record score over the last nine holes TO
bring him safely back into the harbor.
Evidently that record did not material
ice, for Hoffner tore up his card.
The Philmont star was not alone
In fact, he was In quite distinguished
company. since also in the list of those
who withdrew was the name OF Willie
Cgg of Worcester. Mass. A week ago
Ogg was monopoiizing the entire spot
light in the annual open tournament
given by the Shawnee Country Club
which event ne won from a fine field
To-day he was just a plain everyday
golfer who was so far out of luck and
form that his card did not appear to be
presentable.
Evans Finishes strong.
There was a time during the round
when II seemed that the story OF the
days play would have to be confined
chiefly to the tribulations of Charles
Evans. Jr. the national champion
Chicks performance was of April quail
ity, as after splitting strokes right and
left and taking 40 for the first nine nc
came right through I'm n blaze of glory
to finish high up in the list with a card
of "a.
Evans came into the fray without as
much as one preliminary canter to
cireer him on the way. Even George
Duncan felt sympathetic.
"Chick Is making a big mistake II
taking championship this way" re-
marked the former British champion as
the national amateur title holder teed
I'D and sent his first shot spinning away
out into thin air away down there In
the tree-lined valley across the brook
from the tee upon the hill. Perhaps
Chick was taking unnecessary chances
His neglect began 20 look almost Grim
inal through the eyes OF the rabid goli
enthusiast when he proceeded to scat.
ter precious shots around the greens
the rough and the bunkers. But Evans
was not quite as blameworthy as many
imagined. He has played Columbia
often enough to know how the ground
kicks on most OF the holes. Further
than that, he had taken the precautior
to timber up on the Chevy Chase course
the day before his turn came to step tc
the firing line.
However. Chick probably did not know
what others had learned to their cost
that the Columbia greens had SO changed
through the visitation of fungus as &c
be problem in themselves.
Only one hole had been played wher
Chick knew what was TO be expected
He was little strong with his approach
for the first, and although he Clipped
cleverly his first putt hit the cup and
refused to stay where Il belonged. or
the second he got 4, but he had some
thing more to think about. A putt
perfectly struck and accurately timed
again flirted with the cup and broke