Evening star., 1924-06-07


ever recorded in an open champion
snip. Not a round of the four was
over 70 and not one was under "A.
He had three 74s and one rs, the last
recorded yesterday afternoon when
he had the championship laid away
at the twelfth hole, with Hagen.
Jones and Mehlhorn, the only others
with chance, in, and all 800 or
over
Back to Atlanta today is travelling
4 fine sportsman, Bobby Jones, the
lad who until yesterday wore the
crown. But Bobby doesn't feel at
all badly about losing his champion
snip. He is rather glad it is all over,
Tor Bobby Is embarked on business
career and his golf days, except for
p tournaments, are getting to the point
where he will soon join the twice.
week brigade.
The first man to congratulate the
new champion yesterday as he holed
the three-foot putt that gave him a
Seventy-tWo-hole total of 297 was
hobby Jones, the same smiling Bobby
OF lnwood. no longer champion. but
bearing himself with the modesty
and grace that has endeared the
southern youngster to thousands of
people the country over, and just a
few steps behind were the rest of
the pros, for Walker is popular with
MS fellow brethren of the golf
brigade. Next to congratulate the
new champion, however, was our own
Leo Diegel. who finished away down
the list, with 316, playing with Walk
er. hut yet had good time, for he
brought in the new title holder
Walker Small in Size.
Our new United States open cham
pion is little chap, methodical and
pleasant, careful to the extreme, and
golfer who, notwithstanding his
size, holds his own with the longest
hitting pros in the world. Against
Diegel he was out in front consist
emily, and Leo is one of the longest
hitters in the bunkered nation. Care
and positive genius for getting the
ball in the hole from ten feet down
are the outstanding characteristics
OF the new title holder. He is slow
TO be sure, but he is much faster than
the Cyril Walker of three years ago
SO much faster that he does not ap-
pear to be the same man. Gone are
the habits, tiresome to the extreme
OF past years, for Cyril used to walk
lou yards ahead of mashie shot to
look over the ground, and used to
pick up every speck on the putting
green. he doesn't do that now, but
he still is careful.
Born thirty-three years ago in the
famous mercantile town of Manches-
ter, England, the 115-pound title
holder came to the United States
ten years ago. and located at the
Racebrook Club of Connecticut He
mas been there ever since, favorite
with eastern golfers and a man re-
spected by the professionals as one
OF the keenest students of the game
playing the tournament circuit
Walker learned his game at Hoylake.
England. the famous course in the
north of England. where history has
been made by American amateurs and
professionals
Walker was the man of destiny all
the way through this champions ship,
Just as Max Marston was at Floss
moor last year, even though Bill
Mehlhorn had figured it was his
turn to win.
Jones' Putter Fails Him.
Calamity Jane, the tool that Bobby
Jones calls putter, blew him right
out of his title, for had Bobby had
the breaks on the green yesterday
that Walker had he still would be
the open champion. Bobby has yet
to hole a ten-foot putt. They simply
would not drop for the defending
champion, and as the ball insisted on
his championship slowly receded from
view. Nine thousand people milling
from home to tee and from tee to
green. watched the great Bobby putt
ed with him in the doing, while five
holes back came Walker, breezing
along with strokes to spare. He could
have taken a seven at the eighteenth
hole and still have won by a shot
Bobby, however. deserves all the
credit that should go to one of the
greatest golfers who ever lived. The
breaks wouldn't come and nothing
went just right, but still Bobby
plugged along. hoping the putting
streak would materialize. The tenth
hole. a terrifying, bunkered affair of
$50 yards, was Bobby's real downfall
in this tournament. That and the
puts that wouldn't drop. For Thurs
day afternoon Bobby took a at the
tenth and again yesterday afternoon
into 4, would have kept him in the
struggle. After that Bobbys stout
heart faded and when he took at
the fourteenth, all hope was lost He
three puts from the edge of the sew
enteenth green. Yet he got a good 4
at the eighteenth to beat William
Mehlhorn of st. Louis by a shot. Bob
by's 7S yesterday afternoon is the
first time in four years of open cham
nionship golf that he has been over
70. If he isn't the finest golfer in
this country, then there is nothing in
comparative figures
Hagen Six shots in Rear.
Bobby led Hagen by two shots, the
sleek-haired former champion finish
lHS with oUo. SIX SnOtS DaCK OF the
winner, in tie with Bob Cruickshank
of Inwood fame and Macdonald
Smith, whom the dopesters had picked
as a favorite for the title. Abe Espi-
nosa of California, the only pro who
played the entire seventy-two holes
in a coat, finished in sixth place, a
shot in front of Mike Brady, who
also was regarded as one of the dark
horses over this testing course.
Leo Diegel, with BIG, was we'll
down, out of the money, although
he proved a fine pace maker for the
new champion, while Fred Mcleod,
with an 80 and Sc Yesterday was
away down with 323. The course was
too long for Fred and left him with
too much to do on the putting green's.
while the high wind that blew yes
terday didn't help the Columbia pro
a whit. Diege1. far behind at the
start and not hitting his shots at all
we'll, grew careless in the afternoon
and tried to help Waiver rather than
play his own game, with the in
evitabIe result Diegel putted better
Yesterday. but the long game was not
so GOOD.
Walker, with "a at noon yester-
day. had tied with Bobby Jones for
the lead for Bill Mehlhovn, who
was tied with Bobby Thursday
night. dropped a shot and was 223 at
the 54th hole against 222 for both
walker and Jones. Everybody
thought Bobby would surely repeat.
fn n O