, 1923-07-08
BIC LIST MAKES
FOUR QUALIFYING
DAYS NECESSARY
Smith, Hagen and Sarazen
Are Favorites.

When the FIRST golfer tees OF tomor-
row morning in the American open
golf championship at the Inwood coun-
Try club. Long island. he win open the
greatest classic yet held in the his
tory Of the old Scottish game. Never
before has such q galaxy of stars been
entered for an open championship and
the fact that the British and Scottish
headliners win be absent viii not be
noticed
In point Of numbers the field far out
distances any other tournament ever
held. either here or abroad. more h
$50 Of the best amateurs and profess
Gonals IN the country being entered.
So large Is the entry List hat the off,
eials have decided upon four qualify
ing days instead OF three. and as a re-
suit the tournament viii extend over
the whole week, being decided next Sat.
urday.
Four Qualifying Days.
Under the ruling of the officials as
authorized by Robert A Gardner of
Chicago. chairman of the champion.
ship committee. the field VIII be d.
vided into four groups of about ninety
each for the qualifying rounds. n
group shooting each day. A certain
number Of the low scores each day.
possibly twenty. viii qualify to shoot
IN the championship. thirty-six holes OF
which win be decided on Friday and
the remainder Saturday.
Gene Sarazen, the youthful New
York pro. who won the title at the
Skokte club. Chicago, last summer, will
defend It. but in Walter Hagen, Mac
Donald Smith. John Black, Joe kirk
wood Jim Barnes, Jock Hutchinson,
and q score Of others, both amateur
and professional. he is going to have
some tough opposition.
Smith the Favorite.
Close followers of the game give
Smith. the California pro who created
somewhat Of a sensation in the British
open championship in Scotland a few
weeks ago. a better than even chance
to win. Although he has been playing
golf in America for years. this is the
nrst American open in which Smith
has competed. His showing abroad.
when he shot consistent golf in a half
a dozen different Journeys, finishing
third In the British open, two strokes
behind Arthur Havers. the winner,
places him in the front rank of Amer
lean golfers.
Walter Hagen, former holder Of the
British open title. who LOST It to Ha-
vers this year by n stroke, is an
Afhn- nnr,-
serious consideration. Hagen Is a
golfer who is always up among the
leaders. Many of the old timers are
pulling for John Black, another CALI
fornia professional. II capture the title
this year.
John Black Entered.
Black. the canny Scot, who admits
having grandchildren, but who re-
fused to tell how old he is, got off a
train from California last summer and
went out to the Skokie club and tied
b club record without any practice.
That was the first the majority Of
spectators had heard of Black, but
from then until the end of the tourna-
ment the elderly gentleman and his
ever present pipe were very much in
evidence. He tied for second place
with Bobby Jones, the Atlanta ANA
teur.
Incidentally there are a number Of
amateurs entered who are apt TO be
heard from, although II is not often
that an amateur cops the open crown.
Chick Evans. who did It a few years
ago IS entered and may do it again,
although Young Jones and Jesse Gull
ford. the college star. are given better
chances.
Joe Kirkwood Has Chance,
Another player who has a good
chance to win is Joe Kirkwood. the
Australian trick shot wizard. who now
makes his home in America. Joe can
do anything with a golf ball but mako
It talk when he is giving exhibitions,
but he always seems to have just a
little bit Of hard luck when he is shoot
ing in tournaments. In exhibitions he
slices. pulls, and does other wierd
stunts at will. and In match play he
also does them occasionally. but not
because he wants TO. He was fourth
in the British open. however.