The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-06-05

AT Flossmore, near Chicago, last
September, when the amateur cham.
pionshir was being contested, a
writer remarked that that champion.
ship was to decide who among the
starters. was the best bond sales.
man." and it might be said today
that as far as the professional en-.
tries go, this championship will de.
ternine who will be the biggest
drawing card on the transforming
circuit for the next twelve months.
1t Is better than even money
that the winner Of this event. be
the player a professional, will travel
many thousands of miles, engage
IN a great many exhibition matches
and collect about $4,000 in cash
before the boys meet again in 1925.
This and the glory of being the
champion, had the contestants dig
g1ng their toes in when the first
pair left the tee early this morning
Weather conditions were perfect
for good golf but even SO it was
estimated that the player who got
around in 14S today would be lead
Ing the field at the end of the first
thirty-six notes.-the halfway post
In the journey for the coveted title.
This will be a Bobby Jones
tournament as far as the galleries
are concerned. The fact has been
already demonstrated i'm the prac.
tice rounds which have been play.
ed by the stars in warming up for
the great test. Golfing crowds
seem to prefer the amateur to the
professional in the open cham.
pi0nship these days. Sometimes.
one thinks. ''Lo the poor profess
siOnal." Strange but a great many
seem to resent it because a pro-
fessiOnal golfer who wins the
open, makes a few thousand out
Of it.
The professionals, having seen
the title slip away last year into
the possession of an amateur are
out for revenge. In their camp the
slogan is: "a professional must win
this year"
Jones, however, ruled an equal
favorite with Walter Hagen, at 5
to against, when play started.
There was talk of IL to against
these favorites, but the only man
one could actually lay ones hands
on, who was willing to wager real
money, insisted on holding Jones
and Hagen as short as to l.
Jones, in six practice rounds here
has ranged from IA to II, good
enough to convince all that he will
make strong effort to turn back
the professional tide. Last year,
o. B. Keller, Atlanta writer, who
keeps a Watchful eye on Jones,
announced that the southern beauty
had done some of his training on
Cicero's orations. and this year
Keller informed friends that Jones
was keeping his mind off golf by
solving the intricate problems which
developed during the chess masters
weeks ago.
Jones is a resOurcefuI young
man. He has the benefit Of two
university degrees in his bag and
even the open golf championship
is won as much with the head as
the hand and the heart. Accord
Ing to Keller, Jones moves his
knights and his bishops with the
same wonderful coordination as
he does his brassies and spoons.
Gene Sarazen astounded the en-.
thusjasts when he appeared in the
latest things in trousers; those
things which are so wide about the
ankle and look like sailors traps.
They flap in the wind and probably
originated on Bond street in Eng.
land, although Sarazen informed the
writer they were the "Sarazen
model" and that by coming out
first with them, he had leaped one
jump ahead Of Hagen, in the COM
petition among these two for ton.
serial splendor.
Hagen has been quiet for a num-
Der of days. He is taking the mat.
ter very seriously. He is carrying
around on his face one of his best
and darkest competitive masks. He
will be hard to beat, over this
course, where he held forth as pro.
fessional for two years and amused
himself with giving instructions to
pupils by showing them now he
did it.
Joe Kirkwood. Johnny Farrell,