The Washington herald., 1922-06-23
!. S. Trio Figured as
: Holding Winner for
Second Season.
Standings at Halfway
Point in British Meet

SANDWICH. England. June "a
Americas trio of golf stars ranked
first. second and NTH at the close
o. the first days play for the Brit
ish open championship today
TWalter Hagen tops the list with
q. total of 1I9. Jim Barnes. United
States open title holder. is tied for
second. third and fourth places, two
strokes behind the flying Detroit
wizard. Jock Hutchison hangs back
four strokes from the leader. still
In dangerous position with
fetal Of 1853 for fifth place. Jock
now holds the English title.
American stock High.
The American stock, which has
hren high ever since the invaders
landed on the shores, is still
higher tonight. for the Americans
have demonstrated they are just as
good playing in the wind on an
English seaside course as the ma
tiyes. Last year Hutchinson won the
championship over st. Andrews
largely because of his wonderful
pfay with the mashie. but if Hagen
NAC Guy AtAAS year Will DC
because of his putting.
sln both morning and afternoon
rounds Hagen had little luck on the
Greens or instead of his 149 he
WOULD have had something around
AS. But after thirteen holes in the
afternoon he had only one putt on
the next five green's, a new record
for st. Georges. II any Of the
British players are going to recover
the cup il will probably have to
he George Duncan. who along with
the veteran Taylor. is two strokes
behind Hagen.
HutchIson Receivers.
There was nothing brilliant about
Duncan's game. his two rounds be-
ing sound steady golf. Taylor. who
did a % in the morning when there
was no wind. followed this with a
- In the afternoon. but il will
cause much surprise even among
HIS most enthusiastic supporters If
he is able to stand the pace over
two rounds tomorrow.
Jock Hutchinson had a heavy han
dpap after he had finished his 70
in the morning, but in the second
round he played brilliantly to the
turn, which he reached in IS.
His game fell off bit coming
back. but still his total of "A was
the best afternoon score. with the
exception of Hagen's 20. Only four
strokes behing Hagen, Hutchison
must be reckoned well in the run
ming and quite capable of repeating
his last years performance. Joe
Kirkwood proved something of a
disappointment. and he starts to-
morrow under the heavy handicap
OF six strokes.
Hagen Puts Brilliantly.
Hagen began poorly in the morn
ing with two fves. and then fol-
lowed in sequence eleven tours.
There was only one three in his
card this morning. though he re-
quired only 80 puts for the round
thirteen Of which were taken on
the last nine holes. His chief weak
ness was with the wood from the
tees. and then only a matter OF di-
rection, for he was lashing out a
terrific ball. Perhaps his best hole
this morning was the fourteenth,
where after half topped drive into
some heavy rough he used a spoon
to get over the ditch and played
his third just short of the green.
Then Clipped dead to the hole. his
ball almost going dowr.
There was another story this af
ternoOn for then he played the
short holes perfectly and twice
might have had twos with a tiny
hit Of luck on his approach puts.
He was one under tours with a two
foot putt to the sink at the ninth.
There he nodded and had a five after
what seemed Ike a simple four Tor
a IS This slip seemed to annoy him
for his drive on the next hole was
none too good and his approach
went over the green into a bunker.
He played out into another so that
he was fairly lucky to hole out in
six.
barnes just Misses.
Thereafter he played unbeatable
golf with only one putt on the last
five greens. On the seventeenth
and the eighteenth two 81 the long
est holes on the course and difficult
par fives for most players he had a
four each. the gallery applauding
enthusiastically.
Jim Barnes seemed all set to lead
the field for the day when he went
out in 80 as 40 for the inward jour
ney looked like a simple matter for
the American champion.
But first came a five on the tenth,
then three more on the twelfth.
thirteen. fourteenth and a horrible
six on the fifteenth where his sec
ond went into the rough. He mis-
judged his third was on the green
in four and trimmed the cup for five.
being down in six. Two nice fours
followed.