The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-10-01
New Orleans Pro Plays Two Great Rounds to Tie Abe MitcheII-To Play Tie Off Today
By Associated Press

Belle Meade Country Club. Nash vile. Tenn, September 30.-Seventy two holes of record breaking playing by e4 of America's premier golfers over the Belle Meade Country club course here today left the title of open champion of the south hanging in the balance with Leo Diegel of New Orleans and Abe Mitchell of England standing at the top of the list in 8 tie for first honors, each with score of 2S0 four strokes under par.
 Starting out with a n for his first qualifying round of Is holes on Thursday, Diegel found himself far down the list. He set out yesterday, however. with dtermination that carried him through the qualifying 36 holes with flying colors. when he covered the course in 6S, three strokes under par. Encouraged by his improved game, the young Cres- cent City player came back today and gathered in two more record smash ing rounds each.
 Abe Mitchell, who had made good getaway with 6S-69-1S7, which put him one stroke ahead of the field. also went into the final days strug- gle with a good start turning in an other 69. The powerfully built Briton weakened on the final round, though. and duplicated DiegeFs opening round score of "A, much of his trouble coming from a butter that refused to work accurately in the pinches.
 Diegel In Form.
 Playing with Mitchell was Emmett French, who despite his card Of 76 In the last round today. played one of .4on la,- eyay nf a tournament, and kept the nerves of the hundreds of spectators on an edge from start to finish.
 Unlike Mitchell and French, Diegel played to little or no gallery. He started with brace of threes, having an eagle at number one but ran into trouble at the third where he took six. On the 416 yard third his drive was in the rough and his iron ou. found the sand in a bunker. He dubbed his niblick, the ball landing on top of the bunker from which lis he reached the green and took two butts. He encountered another six on the dog-leg seventh where his drive was in the creek and he took the penalty. He was on in four and down in two. He pulled his iron sec- ond to the ninth to the right of the tee and holed out his mashie ap- proach.
 On the back nine Diegel after a hooked drive to the tenth from which he made a marvellous approach for a three began cutting down Mitchells lead. He continued piling up his stock of threes but a putt which struck the back of the cup at the fourteenth cost him five. He had birdie three on the short fifteenth and his failure to be bold cost him a birdie on the 127 yard island hole. Standing on the seventeenth tee. Diegel had five-four for win and the championship. He took five five. He narrowly missed six-foot- l CT on the seventeenth for a birdie ftur. He sliced his drive coming home into the rough and his iron second found the ditch but was on grassy cross ridge. His approach was twelve feet from pin. He rolled up within six inches of the cup and was down for a five and tie.
 Bob Cruikshank. whose 66 in the first qualifying round gave him top position on the record sheets, failed badly in his three remaining rounds, 1 finishing well down in the list of ! the leading twelve.
 Jim Barnes. playing golf free of spectacular features, reached his po- sition in a tie with French for third place in four steady rounds of l 70-69-72-72. two under par.
 | Goodchnux Leads Amateurs. l Frank Codchaux, runner up to Bob- 1 by Jones in the southern amateur meet this year. led the sprinkling of non- professionals who finished the i, seventy-two holes of play, his score totaling 29S.
 I Several of those who started the final rounds dropped out on the way. The scores of those-who completed 1 the seventy-tow holes follows:
 Abe Mitchell. England. 2So; Leo DiegeI. ! New Orleans, 2S0;s Jim Barnes, Pelham, N. Y., 2Ss; Georgia Duncan. England, 2SR: John Farrell, Quaker Ridge, N. r.. 2Sf: Bob Cruikshank. Shackamaxon. N J.. 23S {: !, Mike Brady. Birmingham. Mich, 2ss; l Walter Hagen. Detroit. 2ss; Jock Hutchi- son. Chicago. 290; Bob McDonald Chi
 oaso. 2so; Eddie LooA Chicago. 2s2;