Evening star., 1925-09-02

uuSl1nCdtlOn tOlnQ 10 win the me- az
with score of las
Monday he scored II. one stroke
under par. Yesterday he scored "a.
two over par. his 3S-hole total one
shot over perfect golf in the rough
est test the amateurs have faced in
many years. Today finds him ranked
with Bob Jones as a championship
possibility. The first round has Ro-
land Mackenzie playing against Rich
ard !. Jones, jr., of Westchester Hills.
y. =.
Bests Many Stars.
Where Roland succeeded a score
more. figured before the champion
Ahip started to make the grade. failed
TO show. Among them were Max
Marston, the hero of Flossmoor; Bob
Gardner, winner in 1909 and 1915;
Davidson Heron. who beat Bob Jones
for the title here in 1919: Keefe Car
ter. Western champion: Harrison +.
Johnston last years Western title
holder: Rudy Knepper. the British
lion slayer Of Brooklins: Clark Cork
ran. last years medaist: Dexter
Cummings. eX-intercollegia title
holder: J. Wood Platt of Philadelphia.
and our own Chris j. Dunphy and
Miller s. Stevinson. Even Francis
q
decade ago, met the test and failed.
The sixteen who qualified are rug
Eed golfers. Roland may be elimi-
mated today. although that is not
probable. But Washington has pro-
duced a potential champion, boy
who is bound to win the national and
that real soon.
Never before in all the history of
this championship has there been
such slaughter of ex-champions and
today there are whisperings that
never again will the championship be
played with but Is to qualify The
richtness OF the theory is admitted,
but practically il is wrong to qualify
but Is men from such field. There
are too many chances. with no room
to make up missed shots:
Installed the favorlte by manv to
win the medal because of his II of
Monday. the old-timers gazed on
Roland yesterday with a ouizzical eve
expecting the Columbia lad 10 crack
wide open. Bob Hunter said il was
l0to-1 shot he would not get
through the first nine under 30. He
was ont in IS. Instead of cracking
he put on added steam. taking the
breaks as they came. and aided a-ain
by the marvellous putting of Ira vers
tthat got him the II of the day pre-
vious
Had Lucky Breaks"
Roland was lucky in several spots.
the twelfth and fourteenth for eX
ample, but one has to he lucky TO
win in such A championship field. He
never gave evidence of cracking. md
came through with a spurt a. the fin-
ish that gave him an insurmountable
lead
The Jones of New York whom
Roland met today was hardly more
than threat to the Mackenzie who
won the medal. Roland will have to
play good golf to win, but should
win by four holes or more. Jones
tied for last place and won on the
play-off.
Rolands path to the semi-fnal looks
rosy. but he probably will meet
Sweetser in the -penultimate round.
The bottom half is loaded with dyna-
mite, with Bob Jones. Won Elm. Gull
ford and Manion scheduled to do the
throat cutting. But the medalist from
the Capital is in A soft spot, the
softest he will ever find in wears of
competition, and has a great cha nee
to go through to the final.
The Young medalist from the Ca pi-
tai gave foretaste OF what he was
to do on the very first hole. driving
400 yards, and laying mashie iron
shot within II feet of the pin on
this par affair. He missed the putt
for an eagle ,. however. nut Sot his
birdie 4. only to lose stroke back
IN par at the second. where the tremen
dous length of the Mackenzie tee shot
found trouble. hooked ball caught
The ditch to the left of the second
fairway and Roland could not get
home with his second shot.
But at the third. where the short
drivers had trouble getting on in two.
the additional length Roland has
gained this year again stood him in
good stead. for again he was home
with short iron shot on the 42S-yard
affair and down in two puts.
Got Birdie OH Fourth.
Putting all the strength of his 6
feet > inches of young manhood be-
hind a pair of wooden shots, ne
reached the fourth green. 536 yards
and again just missed the 12-foot putt
for an Eagle 3, counting his second
fifth, 1856 yards, in regulation fashion,
securing a par 4, but pulled his iron
shot at the l72-yard sixth into trap
To take a 4. one over par.
His first really bad mistake came
AT the seventh, 395 yards, where he
topped his tee shot, half topped his
second shot. yet laid a. chip shot
within 10 feet and holed in par figures.
Roland laid a magni1cet spoon shot
within 20 feet Of the pin at the >25S-
yard eighth and almost got his birdie
z, hitting the cup. But he rang up
HE third birdie of the day at the ninth.
where a spoon shot brushed past q
bunker and a s.foot putt found the
bottom Of the cup after a fine chip
over another trap.
That put him out in "a. he lowest
figure for the first nine any man has
made over the trying Oakmont test.
one shot under par, and left him four
shots under Bob Jones. who had
passed the turn a few minutes ore
viOusly with an out nine of s.