The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-10-01
CURIOUS ARE
WAYS0F FATE
Small Incident al Minikahd:l
Throws George NOigt En-.
tircly Off Game
BY O. Il. Keller

curious are the ways Oh fTOVl-
dence, especially on golf course,
and more especially in golf cham
pionship.
Now at Minikahda, in the recent
national amateur title melee. there
were two young men who were
particularly eager to encounter one
another-Roland Mackenzie and
George Voigt, both from Washing
ton, and both players of consider
able rcnown.
Roland was playing in his third
national championship and quail
fled with score Of 1856, with no
great margin to spare. as the
1865 played off for place in the
sun. the play-off, incidentally, fin
ishing by candle-light, as play-offs
have way of doing.
Makes Ambitious Start
Mr.. Voigt made really ambi-
tious start toward qualification and
through the sixth hole his card was
one below As. But at the sixth
something had happened which, it
is no more than reasonable to as
sumo, knocked him loose from a
place in the 30 who started match
play on Wednesday, and postponed
his engagement with Mr.. Macken-
zic in national event at least un-
til next year.
/ should estimate the contre-
temps at something less than the
diameter Of golf ball at the end
of shot Of nearly 200 yards
surely as inconsiderable a margin
in a shot as ever set a deserving
young golfer back on his heels and
ultimately out of tournament.
Noigt was partnerod for the
qualifying round with A. Bullock
Webster, most agreeable Eng
lishman from the Pacific Coast. At
the sixth tee Noigt, driving first,
spanked fine iron to the green,
1875 yards away, ard Bull Web
stcr followed with another, Writ
ual duplicate Of the first shot.
Too near duplicate, indeed
Webster's ball, rolling slowly to a
halt on the green. lightly struck
the ball belonging to Mr.. Voigt, dis
placing it-not very far; couple
of feet at the most. 4 spectator
near the green noticed and reported
the fact
Was a Trifle clustered
Mr.. Voigt instantly was alert to
a situation that required the APP
plication Of a golfing rule in the
department known as medal or
stroke competition as differentiated
from match competition. Indeed,
he was a trifle clustered by the
question.
what shall l do?" he inquired
Of the universe generally. "What
shall I do?"
A diversity of opinions at once
obtruded. Mr.. Webster fancied one
thing, a spectator fancied another.
The attention of John Anderson and
Doc Willing, on an adjoining tee,
was attracted, and each was quite
sure Of what Mr.. Voigt ought to do,
but they were in total disagree
ment with each other and started a
heated argument as to whether the
ball should be replaced b core Mr..
Voigt played his next shot.
The casual spectator disagreed
with both, and Mr.. Voigt, now des-
perate, again lifted up his voice in
appeal to the world at large.
Played It Both Ways
Finally he decided to play it both
ways. He first played out with
the ball from where it lay. sinking
a fine putt for 2 He then re-
placed the ball as near as possible
in the spot from which it was dis
placed and holed out in a par 8.
Both scores were entered on the
card with note to the champion
ship committee.
But the incident-whi would
never have been an incident had a
somewhat officious spectator re-
Trained from announcing something
neither player had observed - had
shaken Mr.. voigt a bit and his
play was ragged from there on.
He finished with q 70. counting the
deuce, and so, counting the trey.
The committee ruled properly that
i was trey. / do not recall that
that single stroke kept Mr.. Voigt
from qualification; but the fact re-
mains that he had fine round un-
der way and nished lamely after
the incident at No. 6.