Evening star., 1926-04-13

~1IlS STUNT OF DuLlCdU . was, VI
course, an unusual one. but the
tournament was one of those topsy-
turvy affairs in which nobody could
say what would be happening the next
minute. Duncan followed his third
round Of II with a fourth Of 72. He
had suddenly hit a great scoring
streak, and furthermore felt. no
doubt, that he had little chance Of
winning, and so went out to shoot
golf without any worry about any
thing else.
The last round of a big champion
ship always Is an interesting thing
to study after it is all over. Occa-
sionally it happens that some one
player has a good lead on the field
| and with just good, steady golf can
and does win. But more often the
last round starts with several players
pretty we'll punched, where any one
of three or four or, possibly d hail
| dozen. can win. Here Is where things
| happen. And the hardest thing in the
| world is to keep from losing hope
after one or two slips early in the
round, and then to keep from making
the mistake Of trying by desperate
measures to make up for 1t, usually
with sad results.
Last Round Is Toughest.
The last round is the toughest OF
all for the player who still mas hopes
of coming through. Here, IN one IRE re,
spect, the strain is much harder tnan
| in match play. You know there are
| several who have a chance, and while
Won may feel that each and every
| one of them is quite as likely to make
| mistakes as you are yoursen, you
can't get away from the feeling tnat
, not ali Of them are going to slip.
| Then there is the further consloera-
| ton of different starting times, wnlcn
may mean different playing conul-
! tions. Also it means to the iate
starters that they will know before
| thew nlay the last few holes just
what they are going to have TO 90.
no some players this may be an al
vantage; to others it is handicap. 1
! could name more than one player
who has had an excellent cnance 10
win out in the last round, WhoSe
| chances have been wrecked oy some
! well meaning friend rusnlng up a. :"
critical period and telling him What ne
| had to do. - :. ,,ora
dasira ble to know just what you nave
80 do 70 win. In some respects II
NAV be preferable to get away 10 an
| 90 riv start and so finish out hrst. You
Ennw then what you have and that
Tho rest have to shoot at II. but
this too. can produce its anxious mo-
ments. 1t is decidedly uncomfortapie
to know that you can't do any more
,,o,rself. while there are two or three
ond mavbe more still out there VINO
LaVe at least a fighting chance 10
come through and nose you OUT;
have sat in that position more tnan
once / have, had the satisfaction OF
oaaiY,, NV mark win, after the rest
bad their chance to shoot at II, ana
then again / have seen somenooy
come in later and top me. Eltner
way Il is a nervous wait' you may
! be sure,
Vardon Leading Field.
Our own championship was played Ga,,n
that wear. 1920, at the Iverness Coun'
trv Club near Toledo, and It was Qulte
typical in many respects OF the merry
scramble that sometimes marks tne
nlaving of a final round. Startins
this last round, Harry Vardon, VINO
with Ted Ray had come over Tor q
series of exhibition matches, was
leading the field with a total OF ZlS.
There were 6 others who were nc
more than 4 strokes back. and al
least 10 who were not over strokes
| ont