The New York herald., 1922-06-21
They Lead More Than 200
Players in Rounds at Sand
wich, England.
BY BERNARD DARWIN.

Special Gable to THE New York HEsALp.
Copyright, 1929, bu THE NEW York HERALD
SANDWICH, England. June 20.--I stuck
religiously to the three American COM
petitors yesterday at the Princes course
In the first qualifying round Of the
British open golf championship. and to-
day, when these three were at St.
Georges, was there also 1t was quite
obvious why a man should watch Jim
Barnes, because he was, comparatively
speaking, in the tolls. He had taken
SO to go around the Princes course and
there were nearly a hundred scores un-
der so on the two courses together.
So this great player. holder of the
American open championship. had to
hustle to make sure of qualifying.
I met Barnes after he had played a
few holes and asked him how he was
doing.
Il am all right to-day. or. at least. I
think I am all right" he answered,
smiling cheerfully.
There was no doubt he was all right
never wish to see any one play better
nor more gracefully or light heartedly
/ His game was not faultless. He had sew
eral rather loose second shots up to the
green. but time and again he recovered
with those little pitches or pitches and
runs. of which he is so palpably a
master. Often 1t looked as II he would
take three to hole out. and nearly every
time he boiled those three strokes down
to two. Thus, although he took three
puts on one green and missed fairly
short putt on another. he was out in 49,
Barnes Plays 1t snfe.
The Homecoming nine holes on this
course are longer than the outgoing
nine. And then. to-day there was a
good stiff wind blowing Barnes made
light of the wind and although he
dropped stroke or two at the finish
and had one s from very wisely re-
fusing to run any risk of the water
hazard, he finished In ~. This, added to
his 50. put him far beyond the danger
zone and everybody Is glad of It.
Playing not far behind Barnes was
Hutchison. Nothing could matter to
Jock. His II had made him compare
lively safe and he could afford to be.
as in fact, he was. perfectly casual. He
took 7S In itself a good score, but he
was still hitting the ball freely and con-
fidently wit hall of his clubs and he
is sure to make a big fight of It in the
championship proper.
Joe Kirkwood. had a 72 and was most
impressive. An extraordinary player
this Australian is, and he Is not to be
criticized by ordinary standards. His
style is not beautiful and that curious
ducking movement of the body as he
hits the ball makes one think that when
he is a little off his game terrible
things might befall him. Yet. In fact.
he is amazingly accurate and II he is
anywhere near the green In two he
goes down, in four with monotonous
regularity
Like Barnes. Kirkwood Is just as
likely to put a pitch dead as not and
that is the way to save strokes.
Having done my duty by our invaders
my next duty was TO see George Duncan.
who, after his 81. had a lot Of leeway
10 make up. and also TO cast an eye on
Walter Hagen. Duncan gave us all
most uncomfortable afternoon. Up to
the turn there was nothing to complain
Of in a s6. but then came an awful mo-
ment at the tenth.
Duncan Has Trouble.
His second Duncan hooked into a
deep. pot bunker near the green and
then took three niblick shots before the
ball reappeared. That came near
turning our hair gray and all the. rest
of the round was most anxious and
unpleasant business. Duncan was not
playing badly. but he was assu-odly