The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-07-18
GOLF PROS DO NOT
FEAR THE INVADERS
Experts Are Confident of Re-
gaining Open Championship
This Week at Columbia.
ny KERR N. PETRIE.

With hearts much lighter than they
were this time last year the American
golf professionals contemplate the
forthcoming national open championship
beginning tomorrow over the links Of
the Columbia Country Club of Wash
ington, d. c. Despite their uncertain
form In the Shawnee open tournament
and their defeat at the hands of the
amateur pair, MAX r. Marston and
Jerome d. Travers. at Merton. the
presence In this country OF George Dun
can and Abe Mitchell constitutes in the
eyes of some a menace to the title as
great as when Harry Vardon and Ted
Ray were here for the play at Inver-
ness.
The argument generally employed is
that while in vardon and Ray we had
one who was decidedly going down the
hill and another who at least was look
ing over the crest. Mitchell and Duncan
are a pair who have some little way
to travel before they even arrive at the
crest. a pair Of stars working toward the
zenith Of their fame and of their skill
whose only handicap is in the American
climate. Added to these two golfers Ia
Joe Kirkwood, the greatest golfer that
Australia yet has produced. and a
young man who has proved his worth
within the last few weeks. both in this
country. and in Great Britain. is pre-
pairing for the fray. And yet with it all
the American professionals are worrying
less over this championship than ever
they did. Their success In the British
open championship has brought about a
change. 1t has taken time, but now
they feel that as golfers they are fit to
meet the worlds best, asking no odds.
Not that they minimize the ability
Of players such as Duncan. Mitchell and
Kirkwood. Nevertheless there is some
thing In what they say. Duncan has
taken many years to win one British
championship and Mitchell has not won
it yet. Both this year and last Barnes
and Hagen were factors and finished in
tho money At his first attempt Hutch
ison annexed the title. while Tom Ker-
rigan. In, the late tournament at ST
Andrews and on his first visit to foreign
links, carried off second money The
American professionals do not under
estimate British golf. but, as Willie Ogg
explained before he went out to play the
last thirty-six holes which won him
the first money in the recent open tour
ney at Shawnee. they have lost their
fear of II.
Confidence Big Asset.
1t was frequently remarked at Shaw
nee that Duncan and Mitchell do not
constitute such a danger to the open
championship as did Ray and Vardon a
year ago. Needless to say most of that
conversation was generated as Duncan
was rolling up his so for nine holes on
the second round and Mitchell coming
home In a mediocre As. The following
day Duncan scored "a and then ~.
while Mitchell brought in 70 and a 50.
Added to that there was Kirkwood
spinning along for a rs and a II. And
despite all the tragic golf on that never
to be forgotten second round and the
struggle of the Britons with unfamiliar
golfirg garb and climate the first prize
would have been tied for by these two
and Peter O'Hara had there been no
Willie Ogg.
While confidence is mighty asset for
the golfer to have 1t will amount to n
very grave danger II the players this
week at Columbia should come to re-
gard the invaders too cheaply. Hutchi-
son, Barnes, Diegel and a few others of
the headliners of the American profess
sional ranks were not in the field, Of
course. But what are the facts OF
ehc SdSts DufCefl II on the IOuTtn
hole and his so for nine. together with
Mitchelrs As for the Homecoming half
of tho same round, constituted nothing
short Of freak. It was the result OF
the process of acclimatization through
which they were going. Duncan had
not played such a streak OF golf since he
began TO keep score. He cannot remem-
Der when ever before he took double
figures to hole or even 9.
Mitchell was going around worrying
because he felt he could not play his
shots without coat and when it was
not HIS want of a coat that was FORE
most In his mind his hands. almost raw
from the heat and the perspiration, were
projected into the picture.
Ben Parola, Lawrence. L. l.. boy,
now professional at the Lake George
Club, Diamond Point, N. Y, broke the
course record on June IL with score OF
607-29 out and 81 In. Par for the
course Is 6s. This score has been at
tested by Howard Henderson and A. e.
Tauk members of the club