Evening star., 1925-01-09

I'm going to bring you in, Cyril"
he told me.
There was a perfect gale blowing.
In view of this, my game going out
was very much the best l had played
since arriving at Oakland Hills. l
came to the ninth hole needing only
a three to be out in 35.
Goes Out in "a.
The ninth hole measures 240 yards.
Because we were playing dead against
the wind, l used a full drive, hitting
what 1 consider the finest shot l made
in the tournament up TO this time.
My ball ended up five feet from the
cup and I holed a birdie two. I was
out in "a, two under par and three
under the best score of my competi-
tors. Bill Mehlhorn had done 81
But if this was encouraging, sue
ceeding events were not.
At the tenth tee we were held up
by the galleries following the other
matches. At this stage 1 had only a
scattered following. But, breaking
through the other fellows crowds
was slightly difficult. Diegel was
worried lest be upset by the delay.
Keep COOL" he said. Don't let
anything bother you"
I'm all right" l replied. And in
truth 1 had no premonition of dis
aster Nevertheless, l took three
puts on both the tenth and eleventh
holes, and after doing the twelfth in
par 5 came to grief again on the
thirteenth. Only by solving one of
the most difficult problems of the
tournament did / escape even worse
trouble.
Left in a Trap.
Ny tee shot on this 14O-yard hole
left me in a trap. l was right be-
meath a steep bank, facing a terrible
shot, for the pin was close to the
trap. The green was undu1ating, so
that if you overran the pin the speed
of the ball would be Increased.
1 used a niblick, laying the blade
far back, hitting an inch behind the
ball and putting everything 1 had
into the stroke. The ball travelled
straight up, came down three feet
from the cup and held there. Then,
following this escape, 1 missed my
putt and had to take four.
Whats the matter with your de-
manded Diegel. you've got to stop
thiSw
I took hold of myself on the 46O-
yard fourteenth, where, by virtue of
a 300-yard drive and a straight-faced
mashie, L was on in two, with a
chance to get down in four, one un
der par. 1 missed a 3-foot putt, how
over, and took a five. Still, par was
not so bad
Putting Is on Color.
My putting had made me a bit
desperate now, and once more I tried
to cut the corner on the fifteenth.
Again 1 failed to carry past the traps
in the dogleg, and again 1 took a five.
And then, to top the thing off, I ran
up another five on the sixteenth by
missing a 4-foot putt
l needed a par three on the seven
teenth and a birdie four on the
eighteenth to come in with 40,
which would give me my third sue
cessive "a. This was exactly what L
did. The four on the 47S-yard eight
eenth was gained by virtue of a drive
and spoon that put me on the green
in two.
I went over to the scoreboard.
Bobby Jones had taken a 10, and l
found he and l were now tied for the
lead at 222. Mehlhorn was a stroke
back of US. Hagen was four strokes
and Bobby Cruickshank three strokes
to the rear. I went into the club
house with the appetite for lunch
which / had accumulated during the
morning round completely vanished
At last 1 had a real chance to win
the championship.
Loses His Appetite.
/ couldn't eat more than a bite.
The place was full of people, who
kept coming up, tapping me on the
shoulder and telling me how fine it
was that l was tied for the lead. 1
appreciated their interest. but l felt
that l must get out of there. l
duck ed for the locker room.
Down there I ran into numbers Of
players excitedly discussing the pros
poets of a, professional beating out
Bobby Jones. Naturally, the men who
make their living by golfing did not
want to see an amateur capturing the
open title twice in succession.