Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-25
HAGEN HASD|EG
z DOWN At 18TH
Professional Champion and
Contender Playing Close in
Garden City Finals.

GARDEN CITY, Long Island, N. Y.
September 25.--Walter Hagen was 2
up on Leo Diegel of New York at the
end of the first 1S-hole round of their
36-hole final for the professional golf
championship at Salisbury today.
Diegel was buoyed in his attempt
to break Hagens four-year winning
streak by kilograms from friends.
Remember, Leo, two champions fall
every week" read one message. DO
Tunney for u.s." urged another.
Diegel, accepting the match light
heartedly, showed both kilograms to
Hagen, and the rivals, who had a 40
hole struggle last year at Olympia
Fields, laughed.
First Hole Halved.
The first hole was halved in par SIS.
Diegel outdrove Hagen from the
first tee by 80 yards, lacing a 3OO-yard
smash straight down the fairway.
Both failed to reach the green on their
seconds, the champion slicing to the
rough and Diegel topping his ball
Both Clipped on with their thirds and
then took two puts.
Hagen won the second hole with a
birdie to Diegels par 4. The cham
pion dropped his approach within four
feet of the cup and was down on his
first putt while Diegel was taking the
conventional 2.
Hagen was 20 yeards longer from
the third tee than his opponent. Diegel
then lofted his approach far beyond
the green, while the champion was
nicely on with a we'll played second
Diegel Clipped his third within five
feet .nf thu nd in,
putt for his half in par As.
> Sinks 25 Foot Putt.
The fourth and fifth holes were
halved in par. Diegel drove into the
rough at the fourth, but his second
was almost under the flag. Hagen
was short, but Clipped up closely and
then was down in one putt for his a.
A 25-footer saved Hagen at the short
fifth, where the champion dropped his
tee shot into a pit. Diegel was safely
on but missed his first putt by only
a fraction of an inch. Both then went
down on their thirds.
Two Up at Sixth.
The champion became 2 up at the
sixth, when Diegel, finding the rough
on his drive, was short with his Sec
ond. Hagen, within 10 feet of the
flag on his approach, almost sunk his
first putt for birdie. but needed
only a par 4, as Diegel took two
puts.
After the seventh had been halved
in Is both drove over 900 yards on
the eighth. Hagen's run-up shot
struck the pin, while Diegel was Is
feet short. The former Canadian
open champion then sunk his first
Co. I, It'd LIarr ,s1C,
ed an eight-footer, reducing the lat
ter's advantage to 1 up.
Hagen outdrove Diegel ny 80 yards
at the ninth. The latter then hooked
his mashie into a mound, but ii car
omed back into the green. Hagen,
on with a safe approach, was partly
stymied Is inches from the cup by
Diegel's first putt, but curved his ball
into the hole for half in As, leaving
Hagen still l up at the turn. The
cards:
Hagen. OUT. S 3 4 4 3 4 4 I 4-35
Diegel, out. -. 5 a 4 3 5 4 3 4-36
Diegel Takes Tenth.
Diegel won the tenth with a par
to Hagen's 5. squaring the match.
The champs drive was in the rough,
while his second was short. On in
the contender was down in par fig.
ures.
Hagen came right back to sink a
| birdie at the eleventh, becoming l
up again. Here his approach was
feet from the flag and he dropped
his first putt.
The twelfth and thirteenth were
| halved in IS. both playing straight
sure golf, with Hagen outdriving and
| outapproaching his rival. but having
! poor luck on his first puts.
Drive. iron and two puts apiece
halved the fourteenth. but at the
fifteenth Diegel missed a chance to
draw even again. Here his approach
fell only 8 feet from the pin. while
the champion was fully so feet away
Leo was wide with his first putt. how
ever. and Hagen gained half in As
| Hagen thep holed a 35-footer al
the short 155-yard sixteenth for q
birdie to Diegel's par 8, the cham
-piou once more becoming up.
n