Evening star., 1928-06-19


fense of his national open golf
Il championship tomorrow with a
new and different slant on the
chase for the title that he declares is
s'the easiest thing in the world TO win
and the hardest thing to keep"
Out Of the experience of countless
championships in which he has COM
peted over the last two decades, Armour
has decided that not only is unusual
golf not needed 10 win the open cham
pionShip again, but that If any man in
the field goes out and shoots four ordi-
nary rounds of golf he is more than
apt 10 win. That is new mental
slant on the championship and bellies
the popular impression that sonnet ethine
unusual III the way of scoring must be
done. Most of the young professionals
60 10 the championship scene de-
ternlineo TO burn the course tp with a
conaagration OF brides The oldtinlers
know that nothing Of the sort is needed.
Here Is Armour's philosophy for the
championship: In the first place, the
open championship is a medal play
event. Therefore, the way TO win Is TO
avoid getting in unusual difficulty and,
aooVe all, TO avoid 6s on the score card
Iry 70 play your usual game. not striv-
ing Tor great distance from the tee,
nor attempting TO lay your pitch shots
dead 10 the pin. Always play the
safest shot. even though you may have
70 get down lengthy putt Always
piay well within yourself. and only take
the wraps of and go after everything
Wnen you know definitely what YOU
have to do
Quite BIT unusual. this Armour
philosophy for the championship. But
Tommy has been playing so well around
washington and since he arrived in
Chicago that four ordinary rounds by
MIN IN the way he has been PLAYING
would win any championship in the
world. We dare say that no man in
America Is hitting the ball better than
the defending champion. So it will
resolve itself. as usual, into a putting
contest, for most Of the walls and
complaints al the championship are
porn OF missed puts. The pros know
now 70 keep out OF trouble, and if they
get in they know how to get out.
So Tommy is in Chicago prepared to
play four Ordinary rounds of golf in
defense of his championship He says
that II he plays four rounds of golf
II the way he has been PLAYING at
Congressional and Burning Tree he will
win again And We are confident he
Is right. after watching him perform
asnce his return from the British open.
OF the other Washington contestants
Fred Mcleod of Columbia. Alex A.
Armour OF Congressional and j. Monro
Hunter Of Indian Springs-we believe
Armour has the best chance to finish in
the money. In better physical shape to-
clay than for many months. and playing
better golf than he has played for
years, Sandy Armour may surprise the
talent in Chicago, for he has the game,
the temperament and the ability. He
viii not win. for Sandy hasn't quite
enough gl6 TO win the big tile. Then
ne have j. Monro Hunter, the mighty
hitter Of Indian Spring, a seige gun
from the tee, but lacking in the finesse
o. the short game that means so nlucl
n medal play. And Freddy Mcleod. a
comparatively short driver from the tee,
but a great man around the putting
greens. Tommy may win again. and we
look for his brother TO be in the first
70, With that mental attitude, IL would
not be at all surprising TO see the
Armour name on top OF the heap once
more.
Et has always been amusing to witness
me tenor Of the yarns that come from
the championship courses when Bob
Jones Is tuning up for the title. 1t seems
that Jones Is never playing well before
good enough to be In there fighting for
top place when the championship nears
It's end. Jones is too fine a player and
too experienced 10 put forward his best
golf until the championship really
starts, so the yarns that he is not play
ing well may be thoroughly discounted
A comparative novice at golf, Willis
Thornton. sports editor OF the News
Is the new holder Of the famed Cleland
trophy With a handicap of a strokes.
Thornton dubbed his way around the
Washington Barracks course yesterday
in net score Of ~. his gross reading
e6. to Lead Ray Bryan Of the Herald
and H. H. Fry OF The Star. by four
shots. Bryan and Fry had net cards of
T6 Bryan, the defending holder of the
tin cup that has become historic in so
far as newspaper golf around Washing
ton is concerned. was placed at scratch
and played golf to register gross 76.
Immediately after the close of the