The New York herald., 1922-09-03
Leads Torrance Of Scotland
Stroke in First Day of
Medal Play.
WETHERED'S JINX BUSY
Englishman Gets 83 and Faces
Danger of Reaching Title
Matches.
BY KERR N. PETRIE.

COUNTRY CLUB, BRooKLINE, Mass,
to explain the why's and wherefores OF
the deviating road which Roger Weth-
cred. the celebrated British amateur
golfer, is following. Mere linksmen are
baffied. Wethered is the star who last
year on the classic links of st. Andrews
would have won the British open cham
pionship and left Jock Hutchison and
| the rest OF the worlds famous profess
sionals lamentiug had he not trod on
his ball on the last day of play. AS 1t
was, he tied Hutchison and then lost on
the playof.
| But this Is another drama in the life
of Wethered and 1t looks as IL this
celebrated ace of the British links Is to
maintain unbroken his record for FAIL
ing to qualify in tournaments In the
United States by missing a place among
the thirty-two who will open the match
play for the American amateur cham
pionship.
To-day the annual classic was sent on
its more or less uncertain way over the
links of the Country Club of Brookline.
Mass, the circuit over which William
G. Fownes, Jr.. won in 1910. Those who
toe the line for the match test will be
the players who. tacking their Mondays
eighteen holes to the eighteen played
to-day. are yet of the thirty-two lead
ers. If Wethered is to be one of these
he will have to show some of that golf
which carried him to such high place
In last years British open. for the best
he could show for his open journey
| around the title links wes an SO.
Wethered's Assignment.
As there were more than thirty-two
cards ranging in the seventies, 1t will
be seen at a glance how the famous
Oxford far-driver fares at this stage Of
the conflict. IT was the guess of w. c.
Fownes that probably 161 on the double
| round would make the charmed circle.
but after all that Is merely a guess.
At best It is quite evident that wethered
will have to play both bravely and cour-
| ageously to overcome the tremendous
handicap under which he has been
| placed by his own weakness through the
fairways and on the putting green's Of
the country club links to-day.
| Should Wethered be unable to gain
access to the eligibility limit. his record
of tournament qualifying failure in this
country will be 100 per cent. perfect.
i Two years ago Wethered tried II in the
national at the Engineers Country Club,
| Roslyn. l.. T., and broke DOWN completely
| along with HIS travelling companions
from England. Cyril Tolley and Lord
/ Charles Hope Then. to follow up the
| thread of tribulation that has been
snarling the clubs of this fine golfer In
the United States Wethered started in
| the invitation tournament at the Ma
/ tional links little more than week
i ago. and although he was within Ave
| of 20 he used up no less than ten
strokes on the last hole of that wonder
| full course and finished outside of the
| qualifying limit.
| Wethered at the finish OF his round
| this afternoon made remark that
| would almost show him to be thoroughly
disgusted with his play in this country
and this despite hts fine thirty-six holes
| against Bobby Jones a few dSys ago
| in the international matches at the
| National. He was told that IS would
very likely see him through.
II would just as soon watch the
tournament as play in It," he replied.
other Britons Go Well.
1t is rather remarkable that while
Wethered was going so badly some OF
the other members of the British team
were playing with dash and brilliancy.
| There was, for instance, Tolley. who,
working as IL he did not intend that he
should be caught this time as he was
at the Engineers, rceled off mag
nificent "a and was we'll up among the
leaders. Also there was w. B. Tor
rance. who with e was out jostling
for the lead. Another such round by
Torrance on Monday and 1t Is easily
! conceivable that he will nave the gold
medal to take back with him to Edin-
burgh.
4 Torrance was neck and neck with
Marcus Greer of Llanerch. which, al
though IL looks as IL II might be some
/ where In the constituency OF Lloyd
George, Is in the Philadelphia district.
He was also one stroke ahead OF such
celebrities as Jesse Sweetser. the metro
politan champion, and Bobby Jones. and
two In front of the present national
title holder. Jesse Guilford. and Charles
| Evans, Jr., the former ruler of the
roost. However. the Scotsman had to
take the dust OF that fine American
player Robert A. Gardner OF Chicago,
twice winner OF the championship. who
was out there In front with II.
Gardner's Grert Round.
which must be true of any score where
par is epualed for eighteen holes. Par
| nj Brooklne Is II. and with greens
! shaved down fine IL Is a hard par.
| Ono contestant remarked after conciud-
ing his round that he believed the
| greens not only had been cut for the
day but that they had been cut twice
TO make Il harder. That may be not
only unknd but beside the truth. In
any case. the greens were lightning
fast. and those who could not hit the
centre OF the cup simply were out of
luck.
But the mere fact that there we're
80 many 1ne rounds played Is proof
conclusive that the greens were true
enough Gardner took three puts only
once and Il is doubtful if Bobby Jones
Continued on Page Three.
Giants W. PhiIa. to-day. 3 r. M. Polo 0rds.