The Washington herald., 1922-06-22
BARNES BELIEVES
293 SCORE Will
WIN BRITISH OPEN
English Fear Cup Will
Again Be Won by an
American.

SANDWICH, June 81. - Jim
Barnes. American open champion.
will be, the last OF the
Americans to drive off tomorrow
In the British open championship
and consequently IL will be late
eyening before he finishes the first
half of his heavy ordeal Walter
Hagen starts an hour earlier. while
Jock Hutchison. the defending cham
pion. comes midway between them.
Barnes is hoping that the old BibIi-
cal quotation The Last Shall Be
First" will work out in. his case.
He and the other pros are also hop
ing that the high wind which was
sweeping over st. Georges this af-
terroon will be moderated tomorrow
Alex Herd and George Duncan
will be the very first pair to get
away and they win have almost
completed their first round before
Barnes goes away in company with
Tom Williamson.
2s3 should win-Barnes.
While Barnes thinks the winning
score will be za3 or over, Duncan
figures It will be below 292, which
means something better than aver
age 73s over the course where
elevn yars ago Vardon and Massey
tied for the open championship at
900. The majority of the players
share Barnes opinion that the win
ner will not be below 293.
Today some of the qualifiers par
ticipated in a driving contest, al
n forgh only few of the topnotrh-
ers were entered. Each player had
TO use three standard balls and three
over the regulation weight. A
strong cross wind swept over the
narrow fairway and such an accur-
ate driver as Roger wethered had
four shots out Of bounds. None OF
the competitors reached 800 yards
and a majority dropped short of $50.
although HAGEN had five balls just
short a few feet beyond this line,
The longest drive of the day was
made with regulation ball and
measured 277 yards.
The extra distance which can be
gained with the present day balls is
the reason why Esrnes and Duncan
figure that the winner of this
championship will be ten strokes
better than Vardon's total in 1911.
Two of the longest drivers in Bril-
tain will be seen tomorrow when
Tolley and Ted Key go off together.
Hagen is the favorite in the betting
with Barnes and Kirkwood as sec
| ond choices Few seem to fancy
| Hutchison's chances chiefly because
the championship has not been won
| in two successive years since Braid
took IL in 1905 and 'O6. That fact
is not worrying the present title
holder who Is fuli Of confidence
There is no mistaking the fact
! that the British are really alarmed
| and quite prepared TO see the over
seas contigent take away all tn
| honors. Their chief reliance is
rlaced in Duncan who has been play
ing brilliant and also erratic golf
and Is not the least bit satisfied with
his game. who Is going to stop
the Yanks" Is the question one hears
many times at Sandwich.
The British amateurs who will
| play the American team are Angus
\ Hambro. Willie Hunter. Harry Hi
| ton. Harry Braid. John Caven. Cyril
| Tolley. Roger wethered Aylmer. W.
| r. Torrance. Ernest Carter and Ber-
nard Darwin. II is Just about the
| strongest team which Britain can
turn out. but critics here doubt
| whether II can turn the tables on
Hoylake last year.
Miss Joyce Wethered is not goins
| to America this year.
| II the American pres are able TO
leave Sandwich Friday night they
will sail Saturday. Duncan and Nit
chell will follow a week later.