New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-20
43 Golfers Go
Safely Through 9
Opening Round
All the Stars Qualify for
Anglo-American Cup Con.
test, Though Some Win
by the Narrowest Margin
Hutchison Gives Thrills
Receivers Brilliantly From
Bad Plays; Mitchell To
Be Dangerous in Match
By Grantland Rice

COLUMBIA COUNTRY CLUB, Md.
July 19.-Fortythree justly esteemed
citizens of America and Great Britain
can be heard in the act Of giving three
rouslng cheers through the summer
twilight now settling upon Columb las
we'll trapped course. These forty three
citizens who take to golf as a profess
sion or pastime have just qualified
in the first days round for the big
championship which opens Thursday
morning. Tomorrow another batch
will make up the complete list, but
these forty-three are now safely be-
yond all want and sorrow, all care and
travail, all pain and anguish in so far
as the qualifying test is concerned. And
the most pleasing feature of it all is
that Hutchison, Hagen, Mitchell, Kirk
wood and most of the other featured
names known in every golfing house
hold throughout two great nations are
safely by the rigorous and pulse-shat-
tering test.
Most of the leaders slipped by easilv
with several strokes to spare They
were able to drift in with the tide OF
skill and fortune. But no less than
sixteen were saved upon the brink
when another wasted putt would have
barred their way to the promised land
Sixteen knew the anguish of an eve.
lash finish at 78, the figure that marked
the last rim beyond which no man
could go and still remain in the tour
ney. For each one of the sixteen was
sure the 78 would not lift him over the
barrier and you could see the entire
clan hanging around the score boarc
like haunted souls upon the edge OF
eternity, uncertain whether their tina
destiny is to be heaven or hell.
Joe Kirkwood Has Trouble
One of these was Joe Kirkwood. OF
Australia, one of the Big Six, who after
fine start slipped badly on the inward
nine and needed on the fine finish
ing home hole to skim by. And even
then he thought he had taken 79 until
the card was checked up. Out in So, he
needed AZ strokes for the last nine
tragedy. 1t fell to the lot of Nelson
Whitney, a former amateur champion
from New Orleans, and Pat O'Hara, of
Richmond County, to lead the long
parade. Each went out in SO and came
back in 81 for pair of 1875, the best
figure made for the day. Both were
playing superbly, making extremely
| few mistakes from start to finish. The
| tee shot on this course is closely asso-
ciated with par. A few slight mistakes
can easily run card into lumpy fig
ures, for there are too many brooks and
bunkers, trees and ravines around for
any one to wander far in safety. Whit
ney and O'Hara were straight down the
fairway, and this in the main tells the
story of their joint leadership. Whit
ney, who is fine golfer on top of his
game, now has his chance to be the
! Roger Wethered of the American cham
pionship.
The big bulk of the gallery, consist,
ing of many Washington notables and
feminine beauty of a high degree
elected to follow the fortunes of Abe
Mitchell and Jock Hutchison, who sup
piled enough thrills for half dozen
rounds. Jock, high strung and perhaps
a bit nervous, got away badly, needing
20 strokes for the first six holes, only
one under 5's. But here the brave
hearted Jock, realizing that the holder
of a British title could sink to no such
depths, lifted himself out of the slough
and by brilliant golf played the last
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