Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-24
nerve IS
Winning FACTOR
Fifty-first in 1920, American
Never Quit-CroWned at Last
in Smashing Triumph
ALMOST 1-2.3 U. S. FINISH

| Sandwich. Juno 24.--Walter Hagen
! provided the evidence in his first start
abroad that hc would over be n factor
! in golf ms long rs he laid a bag Of clubs
on the first tee.
The American home bred has Mt last
| written his name in fiery letters on the
roH pages of two Continents. Two
years ago he first went abroad in quest
Of golden fleece" but what man other
than n prophet would have detected the
promise in his showing then that he
would stand today open golf champion
of Great Britain?
Yesterday h" swept TO the fore one
stroke up on one of the best fields that
ever qualified for this classic title.
Hagen took 100 strokes and won tho
championship. III" starred in tho moG
complete golf triumph America has ever
| scored. For the three Americans en-
tered. Hagen. Jim Barnes and Jo"k
! 1Iutchison. virtually finished one, two.
three. Barnes was tied for second at
3Ol and IIutchison had the third best
score. 302. 1t was Americas second
| light win.
The first time Hagen went over th"re
was n great fanfare. He held III"
| American title. which he had won for
| the second time.
II was Hagen. the great American.
| They chuckled a bit over there. Amrri-
cans might threaten for the amateur
crown, but never in the open. Much
less an American born professional.
The Deaf Ear
The cxubcrant Hagen minded not the
chatter that he wouldn't even qualify.
tn. Interpretations in the public prints.
the curiosity and the throng of in
cdcnts that surrounded his arrival
there.
Then he started and seldom had he
! played so badly. He never was any
whore near anything except the tail end
of the procession.
Another than Hagen might have torn
up that pitiful first round card, :.
| Another might have allowed himself
TO bc laughed right ont of the tourney.
Ie stuck 70 It grimly. lie played
every round and turned in every card.
Ench. as has been told before, was as
bad If not worse than its predecessors.
His golf was miserable. lie must
have heard them talk behind his back,
must have blushcd for the shame of it ns
American champion in a strange iand.
but he stuck gamcly to it and pasted it
up there for them all to see. When
the returns were In he was fifty first on
! the list.
No one can blame them over there
for not taking him seriously that year
except for that one little thing. He
refused to quit.
And that nerve quality is just what
has made Walter Hagen. They had Il
glimpse of it two years ago, but 1t d;dn t
mean anything.
Indeed, there was a little surprise
when he came back there for another
try last year. That is. until the returns
were in again. There in the money was
the name of Walter Hagen. right up
there with the leaders.
His Passionate Desire
From that day he walked away from
the scornboard. head high though sub.
merged in the figures. his fondcst ambi
ton, his passionate desire, was to win
the championship.
Three years ago, fguratively speak
ing, he got the razzbury. Yesterday he
got the cup. the proudest links trophy IN
the world.
1t Is one of the greatest personal rol,
triumphS ever scored. He tied for th,
low score In the qualifying round an1
was close up with his first round thi,
week with IS. Then came his 73
which gave him n two stroke lead 70,
the first day. He had a $40 for Z
20 yesterday, but was four stroke
worse In trouble on all three last holes
His lead was snatchcd from him ant
that might have taken the starch fron
many u golfer.
After n ragged start In the afternoon
Hagen unleashed the full power of tn,
game that has made him the terror n
American links.
For five holes he was two owe,
thrces.
When you're leading the field.
Mike brady once remarked. "the mos
ominous noise in the world Is to heaI
them clapping Hagen bnck there. e
know he's coming from behind"
This time there was only the tin,
shout of the small American contingen
following. But 1t cast Its spell and /
was for n solid American sweep, thre,
of thin coming to the finish almost necl
and neck. storming the 'imprcgnable'
heights of the British stronghold, top
pling the home stalwarts right and left
Jock Hutchison pulled the first rocl
from this fort last year. the first in
yadcr from America to win British
open. But he was British born. Their
was some consolation In that.
This time 1t was not only Hagen
triumph. 1t was the triumph of Amer
lean golf. American born, American
bred, IIagen's triumph has written tn
handwriting on the wall-Americsn gol
has arrived