The Washington herald., 1922-09-02
|BRITAIN'S ASSAULT
ON AMERICAN TITLE
IS GREATLY FEARED
Bobby Jones, Ouimet and
Guilford Lead De-
Tending Forces.
By GRANTLAND RICE.


There's a will-o-the-wisp. a jack
o-lantern. fiuttering over the Coun-
try Club course at Brookline today
ss hckIe a. a mirage above a West
ern desert.
This will-o-the-wisp of sport is
J. the Amateur Golf Championship Oh
the United States. pursued oy the
greatest galaxy of amateurs in the
history of a game that was 800
years old before John Hancock at
tached his signature to one OF the
most famous documents of history.
We are betraying no intimate Sc
crets in announcing that the con-
test which starts at Brookline to-
morrow with the first half or
36-hole qualifying test will bring
together a greater number OF star
amateurs than any golf champion
ship that was ever played. any
where at any time.
This statement may be passed
over lightly as one of the usuai
ballyhoos attendant upon all cham
pionships. The ballyhoo here gives
way before the onslaught OF soild
facts. For where has there been
championship before with eleven or
the finest British amateurs standing
face to face in the lists with such
artists as Ouimet. Guilford. Evans.
Jones. Gardner, Sweetser Johnston.
Marston. Rotan. Knepper and many
others capable of turning par inside
but at moments notice?
British Threat Real One.
We pause for a reply. There be-
Eng none. we can take up the main
business of the meeting.
sIn addition to the civil strife
among our own best amateurs this
championship brings the strongest
British assault upon our lines in the
twenty<six years of crown making.
The eleven knights of wood and
iron who have entered the jous'
from various British clubs include
Tolley, wethered. Hunter, Hooman
Torrance. Aylmer. Cavrn, Mckenzie
Darwin ard the two Armours
Tommy and Sandy. The Armour:
are now located at the Westchester
Fillmore Club. but their entries
came from the other side.
II may be all very well to speal
Nightly Of this British danger. ou'
\ here are six or eight men from thi:
n lIatoon who can play enough goot
Il golf to beat anyone in the world
Certainly no American golfer car
afford to take Tolley. wethered
Hunter and Hooman softly II the,
are hitting the ball anywhere neal
/. their top form. Armour. Caven anC
b Aylmer will be dangerous in any
lone match. and so will Torrance
They are better from the tee as &
e-oup than any set of amateurs we
have ever seen. and those who fol
low them will lay their astonished
Ieyes upon some prodigious hitting.
The British assault this time is {
real threat. and it would be in M
way surprising to see one of then
eieIding a -cudgel-in the final round
'Hn Saturday next. Not bit OF it.
ouimet and Jones stand Out.
ON the part of home talent. two
# the most formidable figures in the
party are Francis Ouimet and Bobby
Jones. Yet who can say that eithel
would predOminate over Chicl
Evans or Jesse Guilford in thirty
. six hole test with either party o
the second part on his best golf be-
havior? The sterling guesser, wht
is usually willing to take his chance
is baffed here. Golf is full o
enough upsets and surprises with
out Juggling ten or fifteen of tht
greatest amateurs in the world to
gether and then trying to call th'
sAlrn.
In any golf test the main factor:
are timing and putting touch, and
no prophet can say when thest
tickle birds will come and go. A u
is easy one round. and a 70 is a
heart-breaking struggle the next
B.but there will be neither mercy OF
hope in this championship for the
man who falters in his stride. even
for a round The one who Is or
his game will win. and il you can
name him now you can make $1,000
coo without turning a hair.
Certainly Jones. Ouimet. Guilford
Evans. Gardner. Tolley and Hunter
are all capable Of winning this
championship. and if Jesse Sweetser
p or some of the other youngsters
> happen to be in a winning mood
they may go a long way. Ouimet
looks to he the most dangerous man
In the field over course that
brought him his first golf glory nine
years ago. over course that he
knows and plays like book. For
this reason if we had to name one
man at Brookline. our choice would
be Ouimet. despite the steadiness of
Evans. the staunchness of Guilford.
and the magnetic brilliancy of
Jones.
17O To Start Today.
However. before any hostile blow
is struck at match play. there is
first this matter OF two qualifying
sounds to be settled. There will be
10 starts tomorrow morning.
These will play eighteen holes Sat-
urday and ghteen holes On Mon
i day. And by Monday night there
will be just thirty-two survivors
with the hopes of the disconsolate
13s buried from sight in the bosky
dell of forlcrn adventure. You may
recall 1920. when TolIey, wethered
and Hope all failed to qualify-and
when Guilford. the champion a year
later, was among the tragic figures
who watched the scoreboard with
waning hope late into the deeper
fringes of twilight.
They can't all slip through. Into
ZACH life some bunkers must fall,
Some puts be short and weary.
With the eleven British stars on
Phand to raise the average, there
will be a heavier toll than usual
this time and even by Saturday night