The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-10
Sarazen Plays Great After noon Round To Lead First Group Of Qua|ifiers At h. wood

oidleu fresS.)-Gene Sarzan, goll wizard of Briarcliff Lodge and pres ent open champion, turned the diffi- cult Inwood course twice today In l4S strokes, the lowest card of any of the Is who led a field of 90, and qual- flied for the 1923 national open cham pionship to be played Friday and Sat urday. The field was the first of four that will attempt to qualify.
 While many of the experts had pre- dicted that the cards of 155 or under would be needed to qualify, those who negotiated the 36 holes in 160 today won places in the final 72-nole play. Emil Loeffler of Pittsburg Pa. open champion, set the first low mark for the otheSs early In the afternoon, turning In a card of 152 This was equaled by Francis Gallett, the young Scotch professional of Fort Washington, N. Y, who, with Sarazen, had led in the morning round with "a. one over par.
 Jock Hutchison of Chicago, un- daunted by early bad luck, or bad form, as he chose to call 1t, changed his knickers before the afternoon started and got in with 152
 Rallied In Afternoon,
 Sarazen's low score came late in the afternoon, when Abe Espinosa. the Jaunty Californian moved into second place with a 151. He was two over par in the morning and had v m the afternoon. William Mehlhorn or St. Louis and William Creacy of Kansas City had 154s. Leo Dieeel of Washington, one of the most brilliana Pro1esslonals in the tournament. Sathered l55 after it appeared that he would be among the also- goffed.
 .Dlegel took 76 in the morning, then Ptaved poorly on the first nine in the afternoon for total of 41, against the 40 of Sarazen, his companion for .ne day Then at the turn he made a birdie three, due to a well played pitch shot which left him scarcely F inches from the cup. On the eleventh ne took three butts for a five. He foliowed this with three puts on the goldfish pond twelfth hole, the green of which is reached with a mashie niblick shot. On top of this his drive on the thirteenth found the rough, his second shot bounced into a sand trap at the right of the green and another six was added to this score.
 Braces Up.
 Then he braced. A birdie four at the long fourteeath gave him confi- dence. He placed his mid iron shot on the fifteenth to within three feet ot the pin and sank his putt for an- other birdie. The sixteenth he played IF par but added another birdie on the seventeenth with an eight-foot putt He was forced to play safe after a hooked drive on the eighteenth, but got In one stroke over par for the hole. His brilliant work on the last nine placed him well within the quail flying limit.
 Sarazen's long and accurate driv- ing and pitch shots accounted for his 36, one under par on the first nine in the morning. His putting was not at best, however, and this probably pre- vented him from setting a course record. He trimmed the cup several times going out and coming in, but made the second nine in 37, two over par.
 In the afternoon, a stiff wind blew, making the course at least strokes harder and Sarazen found trouble . in keeping his shots straight down the fairway. On the thfd hole, 522 yards long, he took a seven, includ- ing three puts after being in a trap to the left of the green. On the fourth, another par five hole, Sara en Sdnk putt or elRnt rect TOT a birdie four. At the fifth he had a chance to clip another stroke from par, but missed a putt Of three feet The sixth hole gave the champion trouble all day. In both morning and afternoon rounds he was over the cI each occasion. On the fast nine Sarazen was at his best, finishing with par 35.
 ''Chick" Evans Survives.
 With 33 amateurs -who took part in the tournament today, Charles "Chick" Evans of Chicago was the only survivor. The other, Kenneth Reid of Ardsley, and Larry Patton of Boston, fell by the waysde. Reid took two too many. while Patton used up so many precious strokes in the morning that he withdrew in the afternoon.
 Evans was off form in the morn ing. taking an S2. He started on the first with a birdie three. but after possibility of elimination staring him in the face Evans perked "r in the afternoon, negotiating the first rine in 3S, one over par. On the incoming nine his play was steady, and he finished with another 3S. making his total for the round 76. He was aided somewhat by a lucky break on the seventeenth when his mashie shot caroomed off the edge of trap to within three feet of.the pin. He sank his putt for a birdie three. His 15S strokes for the S6 holes was two the first eighteen. Several other fla nous amateurs, including Bobby Jones of Atlanta, Ga. did not play today but will qualify later. Tn. aual,fier..o O o Q
 The ejehteen who qualified and their scores were:
 Gene Sarazen, New York, 7s-75-14s
 Abe Espinosa, Oakland, Cal, TAFT --151.
 Francis Gallett, Fort Washington, 73-79-152.
 Emil Loeffler. Pittsburg. Pa., 75-
 william E. Mehlhorn, St. Louis, 75-
 w. M. creavy Kansas City. IT. 77-154.
 Leo DiegeI. Washington. 7s-7s- 1853.
 Fred Baroni, Coropolis. Pa. 77-79 1856.
 Jack Burge, St. Paul. Minn., 7s-7s-
 Eddie Williams. Pexoria. H.. 7s-7s 157.
 Charles Chick" Evans. Chicago. S2-76-15S.
 Bob Macdonald. Chicago, 75-ss- 1858.
 Ben Parola. Linden. N. J., ss-7s- 159.
 Fred Canausa, West Point, N. r., S1-7S-159.
 - c. L. Booth, Putnam, Conn.,, 76-84 16O
 Joe Turnesa, Elmsford, N. r., S1-79 160.
 James West, Rockaway, N. r., s0- S0-160.
 Dan Goss, pro of the Woodward Country club of Birmingham, turned