The New York herald., 1922-07-09
S26 GOLFERS FLOCK
B TO SKOKIE COURSE
Chick Evans Among Those
Missing for National Open
Championship.
BY KERR N. PETRIE.

July S.-"For the old order changeth,
giving place to the new" Chicago and
environs. known throughout the world
for it's activities in packing pork. is
now busily engaged packing golfers
into every nook and Granny.
The very latest returns from the
U. S. G. A. headquarters. now removed
from New York to this section. where
the national open golf championship
begins Monday. shows that there are
326 players here. professional and am
ateur. to try for the title won at
Washington last year by Jim Barnes
OF Pelham. From the loop" district
and the Skokie Country Club It is easy
enough to trip over bag Of golf clubs
at any old corner
To-day most of the entrants were
out on the links with the idea of
familiarizing themselves with the
course over which they will be asked
to perform next week. Tho scene was
reminiscent Of what Is to be seen on
the busiest days at Van Cortlandt
Park. From daylight to dark there was
never let up. and with one or two
exceptions. most OF the stars were
afield. playing either eighteen or
thirty-six holes.
Among the notables not yet on hand
are the three amateurs. Charles Evans,
Jr.. Francis Ouimet and Jesse Gull
ford. Ouimet entered on Friday. and
at this writing Francis Is on his way
from Boston in company with the ma
tional amateur champion Guilford.
The failure Of Evans TO report was
some surprise. and the fact that he
lives virtually around the corner gave
rise this afternoon to a report that he
would not play However, the latest
is that he will be on deck in plenty Of
time. AS he Is to qualify Monday he
will have to do his practicing to-mor-
row. Those who remember Chicks
eleventh hour arrival at the Columbia
Country Club a year ago are not worry
ing over his procrastination.
Barnes on Hand.
Barnes, the champion. left New York
on the Twentieth Century Limited Fri
day afternoon and reached the scene
of strife in time for round this after
noon. Others on the Twentieth Cen
tury from the metropolitan area were
| Tom Mcnamara and Tom Kerrigan of
| Siwanoy and Tom Harmon of Hudson
River Country Club. Peter Harmon
Joined the train at Syracuse, where he
is now professional.
Barnes played this afternoon in n
four ball match. in which he and an
amateur were pitted against Walter
Hagen, holder of the British champion
ship. and another amateur. Barnes did
not express any great admiration for
the course. In fact. he was rather
inclined to voice word of disapproval
for he found TO the surprise of all
waterlogged Fasteners that Skokie is
baked to a crisp from a drought OF
some fortytwo days. From Pelham
or any other course around the metro
politan district to Skokie Is jump
in condition that would almost shock
the imagination. All the way around
Jim seemed to be wondering II such
thing could really be- The golf balls
were flying from the adamantine sur
face like splinters from a chopping
block. The only green patches were
the putting greens, which have been
kept UP in wonderful shape
Barnes's first judgment, like that Of
many others. is that Skokie. as 1t stands
at present, is not exactly suited to a
championship. There are other opinions.
For instance, George Duncan, the British
star, who Is not exactly used to these.
asserts that the man who drives straight
has little to fear. The greens play beau
tifuly and good putting greens was
what the boys did not have at Wash
ington last year.
| 6S for Sarnzen.
| After a look at Skokie. 1t Is not diff
| ficult to believe the stories of the low
scores that have been made in the last
week. There were none of these to-day.
! Among the best reported were a 6S by
act lad
now professional at Pittsburgh. and a
| SO by Abe Mitchell of England. Sara
zen. who played around in the morning,
went out in 33, and came home In 35.
Mitchell logged around in the after
noon, following a morning round that
was not so good, in 35. and "a.
Mitchell played in four ball match.
partnering with George Mclean OF
| Grassy Sprain against Cyril Walker Of
Englewood, and Bobby Cruickshank of
Shackamaxon. The first mentioned
pair won by hole with a best ball of
65. 33 out and 80 back. The other pair
were 32-35. 81, Cruickshank alone
making TO- Mitchell was driving
beautifully. but holed only one decent
putt, this coming at the home hole.
| His card was:
Out Out ..........4 s44s AZ $si CO
| lnere lS no accounting lOT lHc WHlipS
of golf gallery. With Hagen and
Barnes playing together It might have
been thought that these two great cham
pipns would have taken all the gallery
with them. They carried only a hand
full of spectators. The spectators were
| busy trailing a match with flavor OF
Chicago versus Atlanta.
Jock Hutchison, last year British open
champion. and Bob Gardner. former ma
tional amateur title-holder. tackled
Bobby Jones and Stewart Madden. the
former pair winning by and 3. De-
spite the interest OF the gallery, the
match was not marked by sustained in
divdual brllliance. Jones in particular
was a disappointment. From start to
| finish his game was ragged. While
others were cracking 20. II took him all
this time TO beat an so. But figures
alone are apt to be misleading.
Jones was not hitting the ball at all
well. either with wood or iron. His
judgment and his timing appeared to be
out on this day at least. Bobby. 1t
transpired, recently underwent an oper-
alton for varicose VEINS and although
that was before the southern champion
ship. In which he played brilliantly, he
still wears bandage on his leg. This
alibi Is offered by the Atlanta youth.
| Still facts arc eloquent His leg Is stiff
enough to cause the trouble.
Alex smith I'm Form.
There Is one golfer here about whom
| for some years no paeans OF praise have
been sung, but who, nevertheless. is go
ing like a racehorse. In point OF age he