Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-13
BY BUNKER.

Oakmont June 14-16 and become the
first repeat open champion since
Johnny McDermott turned the trick
in 1911 and 1912. Still the door is not
completely closed to the many pro-
fessionals who will seek to enter.
Who has the best chance of lifting
Bobby's crown?
One Of the greatest of clubhouse
sports is picking the first 10 in the
national open. Last year this writer
selected Jones. Hagen, Sarazen,
Diegel. Mehlhorn, Cruickshank. Mac
donald Smith, Farrell, Macfarlane and
Klein. Only Macfarlane and Cruick-
shank slipped out of rank. Jones fin
ished first with 293, Mehlhorn, Diegel,
Sarazen and Farrell tied for third
with 297. Hagen's score of 298 was
the fourth best, and Macdonald Smith
and Klein were among those who
tied for sixth highest score with 301.
Hagen Should Get Better.
With the class of British golfers
competing this year picking the 40
best" is not to be attempted. Each
of the invaders has a chance to win
if he is at the top of his game.
Selecting 10 Americans having a
chance to win is not SO visionary
task. Class tells. If you watched the
scores through the Winter and Spring
tournaments you noticed that certain
men always finished around the top.
They were Farrell, Cruickshank, Tur-
mesa, Armour, Mehlhorn, Diegel,
Klein, Macdonald Smith, Watrous,
Golden and Burke.
Strangely, Walter Hagen did little
in the Southern events. But Walter
was overgolfed on a long Western
tour. He'll be one of the menaces at
Oakmont. Therefore, in making UP
list of 10 of our men having the
best chance to beat Bobby Jones, it
would be a just speculation to drop
consideration of the young and mex
perienced Burke, and of Willie Klein,
perhaps, and write down the names
of Hagen, Farrell, Cruickshank, Tur-
mesa, Armour, Mehlhorn, Diegel, Mac
donald Smith, Watrous and Golden.
Farrell should be the dark horse of
this group.
Macfarlane Has His Joke.
What is the mental attitude of
! man in a death struggle for an open
Championship?
Well. one of the pleasantest phases
OF golf is that, despite the terrific
strain OF the final stages of a tourna-
ment, deliberateneSs of action obviates
bitter tensity of the sort that rules in
a championship base ball or foot ball
game.
In the play-off for the 1925 cham
pionShip at Worcester, Willie Macfar-
lane and Bobby Jones, trudging over
the hills beneath a blazing sun, ex-
perienced devastating physical discom-
fort in addition to fierce mental strain.
But neither bit the others head off.
Bobby tells me that at one hole he
remarked to Willie:
"a fellow in the gallery just said
chat the thermometer registers los in
the shade"
Yes rejoined Willie, "but we're
not playing in the shade"
: Barnes Gets Factions, Too.
= In 1921, at Columbia, Jim Barnes
bed the field with 144 the first day. In
the third round he shot a IS, but there
were times when it seemed he was CO.
ing to gather an so.
At the first hole he took 5. He
followed this up by slicing his drive
into rough behind tree on the Sec
ond hole, and right there Jim had
great chance to blow"
Jim didn't ''blow." A great mashie
niblick shot carried over the tree,
droppedspn the edge of the green and
ran right up to the hole.
An official ran up to withdraw the
flag, believing it was holding the ball,
hut before he could arrive, the pellet
trickled in.
Amid a frenzy of cheering Jim turn
ed. to Pete OHara, his playing part
ner and grinned.
F''No luck. Pete" he said. mo
auck.''
That eagle was big help, for Jim
took SIS on the next four holes
GeTt looks like these SIS were get
ting to be habit with me-" he said
to member of his home club, the
Pelham Country Club. How would
you like to see some 3s?"
Damn wellv' exclaimed the other
s.All right" said jim. Promptly he
rang up IS on the seventh and
eighth holes. From then on he was
invincible and at noon was leading
the field by z strokes. He swept
on to an easy championship.
Can CruicISshank Keep Gait?
Lots Of folks believe that Bobby
C1uickshank this year will get even
with Bobby Jones for his defeat at
Inwood in 1923.
his game is not to be denied. After
winning four tournaments in the
South and West, he came North and
finished second in the Metropolitan
open. Since last fall he has PLAYED
% tournament rounds, with an aver
age medal of rs 21-53 strokes.
But you never can tell. The year
before Bobby averaged TIA strokes
IN DO competitive rounds in the South.
Yet, at Scioto, in the National open.
ne averaged 1912 strokes to the round
and finished in forty-sixth place.
Far."lPs Great Record.
Johnny Farrell looks like good
bunch at Oakmont. Although Johnny
didn't win single tournament during
the winter, he scored on the average
Detter than Cruickshank, Watrous.
HUTCHINSON, Diegel, Klein, Loos, Tur.
mesa Sarazen, Armour, Mehlhorn,
Hagen, Barnes and all the other a1'
perts. In 81 rounds he averages
~ 4-31 strokes to the round. Mac
smith averaged ~, but he played onlv
eight rounds. -'
Johhnys case proves that winning
utleS doesn't necessarily measure a
man greatness. Still, when he eot
Nofth, he COPIED the METROPOLITAN
ute ana now 1t looks as though this
may be his year.
Here is Johnny's scoring in the
elght tournaments in which he
payed through the Winter and
Spring:
Sacramento open ~ - - "a :59qq
santa Clara open II a "a 3Ydd
Long Beach open II - q SD
Los Angeles open - II "a "a * 5aS
Atlanta open ...,,.. "a 70 "a 20 500
(Play-off) ." 900
North and South ~ "a "a "a 40 ooe
metropolitan ........ rs ~ ~ "a 50d
This table tells story of remark
able steadiness. Especially signif1 =
cant is his scoring in his finals
rounds. Seldom did Johnny fade al