Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-09-22
Sweetser and
MarstOn to Clash
in Final Today

Flossmooi. Sept 2l-(By A. ~
Jess Sweetser OF New York got step
nearer his goal today in his defense OF
the Amateur Coli championship. by
defeating Bog Gardner OF Chicago,
twice holder Of the title. and Z. in
the SEMI finals The champion played
one stroke better than perfect golf In
the morning round was even with par
for the eleven holes played in the
second round while Gardner. slipping
at times with various clubs, took 81
for the first round and was two over
par when he lost ut the goth hole.
Max Marston of Philadelphia will
be Sweetser's opponent in the final
round as the result of his victory 3
and over Francis Ouimet of Boston.
While Marston did not shoot remark
able golf, taking 81 for the first
round and being only a trifle better
on the second. Ouimet could not get
his game in working order and finally
slipped on the last few holes letting
Marston get an advantage that his
game Of today could not overcome.
After Ouimet had played worried
game for 80 holes and had finally
squared his match with Marston with
birdie fours on the goth and Goth,
the only two holes he played under
par all day, he dropped the match on
the shortest hole of the course by
missing a two foot putt for a birdie
two after Marston had sunk 50-foot
one for his two. The play on his
short hole, surrounded by trees and
pits was the most dramatic witnessed
during the day. Marston's tee shot
was wild and would have carried
over the bluff of the plateau green
which is downhill from the tee, if the
ball had not hit a Boy Scout who
was trying to keep back the excited
gallery. Ouimet's tee shot was so
perfect that it hit the flag pole and
dropped back two feet from the cup
and it appeared almost certain that
the Boston player would get lead
of one up. Marston measured the
side hill putt carefully and gauging
the distance perfectly, tapped the ball
with just enough power to PUNK it
into the side hill cup. The resultant
cheers from the gallery apparently
upset the Bostonian and he missed
his easy two foot putt for "a half and
was one down.
The effect of this play came at a
time to cost Ouimet the contest for
he played his second too gingerly on
the 32nd and while he got a par four,
Marston sank a nine footer for a
birdie three and was up.
Marston's shot to the gallery on
the 33rd did not help him and like
Ouimet had to play short of the brook
in two. The Philadelphia was to the
far corner of the green in three while
Ouimet was within 20 feet of the cup
but Marston ran up to within five
feet of the cup and halved in five
when Francis missed the tin by
inches.
The contest ended on the 34th when
Ouimet drove to the rough. fell short
of the green in two and made a poor
five to Marston's par four.
Play started today under adverse
weather conditions. an overnight rain
having slowed up the course which
was swept by a cold northeast wind
that quartered many of the holes.
Only few faithful friends followed
the Sweetser-G Gardner match at the
start. but gradually the skies cleared
and bright sunshine greeted the spec
tators who rapidly increased in num-
bers until each match had a thou
sand or more in it's gallery The
favorites of the gallery lost in both
matches but the remarkable shooting
of the champion was loudly applaud
ed and Marston got his share of
plaudits.
The strong wind did not materially
affect the driving of Sweetser or
Gardner, both having learned to cheat
the breeze through their experiences
on the golf links of the British Isles
and Ouimet who had been through
the same school, did not ascribe his
poor drives to the wind while Mars
ton whenever he was off the line from
the tee, brought his powerful ply
sique into play to make good recov-
cries. Both Gardner and Ouimet dis
missed their defeat with the remark
that it was not their day.