Evening star., 1927-08-26

nH A semi.finalist in the ma
V tional amateur championship
i for the first time in his brie
golf career, Roland r. Mac
Kenzie of Columbia moved out toda,
over Minikahda's rolling fairways I
match shots with Chick Evans. far
famed Chicago master of the irons
for the right to clash in the final to
morrow with either Robert TYR
Jones, ir,, of Atlanta, British opel
champion. or Francis Ouimet Of Bos
ton, who held the championship whei
Roland still was prattling of toys.
Survivor of hectic thirdround en-
gagement with the veteran Harry q
Legg of Minikhada, whom he beat OF
the thirty-sixth green yesterday
Roland again was the under dog II
his match against Evans, whose care
full. methodical play was rated Il
overcome the slashing game OF the
Columbia youngster.
Jones, who shot 6S over the hts'
is holes of his match yesterday to
smother Harrison r. Johnston OF
Minikadha, was a topheavy favorite
to trounce Ouimet, whom he beat al
Baltusrol last year and at Merton In
1924.
The business of being semi-finalist
Is new to Roland. for this champion
ship marks the first time the Column
bia lad has gotten over the initial
round. And 1t may be that the strain
Of winning two 19hole matches Wed
nesday and his grueling battle with
Legg yesterday will tell today. But
Roland is only 81 years old, and youth
comes back quickly. He felt well as
he drove off the first tee against
Evans and said he hoped to win.
Has Played Evans Before.
He has background of friendly com
petition against the famous Chicagoan
for he played in several matches with
Evans just before the Oakmont cham
pionship in 1925 over the Burning Tree
course. And in those friendly affairs
while Bob. Chick and Roland were boil
stering up their game for Oakmont
Roland didn't fair badly at all.
Roland really played loosely
yesterday and was lucky to
win, for Harry Leeg probably
wouldn't duplicate his perform
ance at the thirty-fifth hole once in a
dozen rounds. That's the hole that
won the match for Roland, and he
needs to tighten up today if he would
beat the redoubtable Chick, for golf OF
the IS brand won't bring home the
bacon against the veteran ChicagOan,
And that is what Roland shot yester.
day afternoon to beat Legg after they
had finished the first round all square.
Had Legg played the last nine
against Roland as he did the day pre-
vious against Won Elm, the Columbia
lad would be in the gallery today. Still
after Roland had topped his tee shot
at the seventeenth he had the game
ness to stick a niblick shot within 8
feet Of the pin to win the hole after
Legg had played through three traps.
Out in 36 over the first round, Ro'
land reached the turn up on Legg
and was breezing along nicely until he
reached the thirteenth.
Here long second shot reached the
water ditch in front of the green and he
lost the hole. He also lost the fourteenth
when he was bunkered and missed a
10-footer for half. They split the
fifteenth in Is and Roland won back a
hole at the sixteenth, only to lose the
eighteenth to go to lunch all square
when he drove into the roadway in
front Of the green.
Jones Routs Johnston.
Meanwhile. Bobby Jones. breezing
along nicely with four brides, was
around in 6S and up on Johnston,
bringing to close the hope of Mime
apols for an all-Minnesota final, and
most of the gallery that had hopefully
followed Johnston and Jones broke
away to follow the other home town
favorite, Harry Legg, in his struggle
with the youthful Mackenzie. And
Harry blew five-footer to lose the
nineteenth hole after laying a pitch
shot practically dead.
Roland won the twentieth when
Legg's pulled second shot lay behind
a tree. Though both had 10-footers
for deuces at the third, both missed
and they halved in 8. Then came the
first break of the match. in Roland's
favor as it happened. although two
holes later he was to return the COM
pliment. A 20-foot bid for a at the
fourth laid Harry Legg the deadest
stymie the Minneapolis veteran ever
saw and Roland got a lucky half.
Both missed 6-footers for bird 5s
on the tricky expanse OF the nftn
green and then came the break
against Roland. On the sixth green
Legg missed a 4-footer to win with
3 and laid Roland dead stymie'
which the Columbia lad tried to me-
notiate with his niblicks but 1aiieo'
So they were all square playing me
one of those fearsome tee shots tnat
ha hits every once in a while. a far
ranging affair that wound up 2Su
Yards from the tee and left him q
No. q iron home. And Harry played
q great brassie shot to the back eoge
of the green, so Roland, ever pushing
"a break into the lead, holed a 20
footer for a bird g. The eighth was
loosely PLAYED, with both men trapped
hut thev haived in As after Legg nae
missed a shot in the trap, holding
15.footer for the half.
HaIve Ninth in SIS.
They split the ninth in SIS, although
I,eeg had to play great Wooden ciul
shot to get home for the hah. an, an,
+he match was squared at the tentf
xvhen Roland hooked to the Woous
Thev halved the short eleventh IL
mar figures and Roland failed 10 ge
chin shot dead at the twelfth, De
coming l down when Legg got
Even though Roland was nearl!
home with two fine wooden shots a
the long thirteenth he missed il
footer to win the hole, while Legg
bid for a struck the cup and staye'
out. There was Roland l down, ant
he missed a 4footer to win the Ioui
teenth. II looked bad then ana /
looked worse when the nervy Legs
sank a 15.footer for a half in
the fifteenth after Rolan nd's bid for ;
8 struck the cup and stayed out, Blu
Roland squared at the sixteenth whel
Legg's iron second went over tn
green and he missed l0-footer TO
the half in 4.
Then came that amazing seven