The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1929-06-26
BOY WIZARD
ON HIS
. CAME

unINIL-
MAMARONECK, N. Y, June
26.Bobby Jones, the Atlanta
golf wizard, appeared to be in
perfect shape today as ne
waited for the opening Of the
national open tournament at
the Winged Foot course here
tomorrow. \
Jones is a hot favorite to win the
tournament among the golf en-
thusiasts who have been watching
the practice round.
Jones, Johnny Farrell, Horton
Smith, Billy Burke, Leo Diegel, Bill
MeIhorn, Walter Hagen. Gene sar-
azen and other stars were followed
by larger galleries as they went
through their PAGES yesterday.
Jones shot the course in an approx
1mately II.
Horton Smith, the youthful
Joplin, Mo-, phenOm, showed TO
advantage in fOursOme with
Walter Hagen, George Won Elm
and Jimmy Johnston, OF 81.
Paul.
Farrell, defending title holder,
als0 looked well in practice. He
predicted ne would retain his
crown and thereby become the first
golfer to win the open twice In sue
cession in many years.
Can Johnny Farrell win the 1923
national open golf championship?
That's the question that the title
holders admirers are asking as
the time draws near for the battle.
It isn't on the cards for the
champ to come through again this
year, but IL he does 50 he VIII
break the hoodoo that has tratled
the crown-wearer since 1911 and
1912 when little Johnny McDermott
established a two-year win.
But Farrell, because Of his
knowledge Of Westchester soil
conditions, and the fact that he
Is perfectly at home on the
Winged Foot course, which pracs
ticaily adj0ins his own club,
Quaker Ridge, has . better
chance TO repeat than his pred
eceSsOrs.
One essential at Winged Foot
will be a long accurate drive, and
Johnny is hitting a wallop to COM
pare with any one In the field.
McDermott, it win be recalled, was
the first homebred to win the Amer
lean open, and both he and Farrell
are Irish-Americans The similarity
doesn't end there, for each learned
his game as a caddie and struggled
up from the ranks.
What the pros did to the WestcheS-
ter-Biltmore course during the New
York open last week was a shame.
Billy Burke, winner Of the champion
ship. negotiated the four rounds in
= one stroke under par. He was aided
by a 68, the first time 70 ever had
been broken from the back tees in
competition. Clayton Attridge, assis-
tant to Alex Smith at Westchester-
Biltmore, had a 6S to his credit, but
that was not in competitive play. In
cidentally, that marked the first time
the MISREPRESENTATION mark ever
had been bettered by any player.
Just about the time every one
began to think Burke's So would
stand the acid test along came
August Nordone with a 81.
There was a generous collection
Of 70's and IT'S and any number Of
players equaled par during the
championship.
As golf courses go, there is not a
great deal of difference from a
scoring standpoint between West.
chester Biltmore and Winged Foot.
The course where the open will be
played has smaller green's and a
more formidable collection Of bunk.
ers, but there are not nearly so
many hanging lies from which to
play second shots.
1t was freely predicted that
q score In the neighbOrhOOd Of
800 would win the open this
year. Then along came Bobby
Jones and carded O 20 and fol-
lowed up the next day with q
So. Yesterday he scored IL.
These performances caused .
great many golf deVOtees to
amend their original opinion.
Bobby was around Westchester
Biltmore Saturday afternoon and
had a chance to see some of the
pros hit their shots. He perhaps
left the place with a feeling that
Billy Burke will be real treat in
the open. There was not a single
professional of note who did not
heartily agree that at the present
time Burke is red hot and may
cause a great deal of trouble at
Winged Foot. Billy's golf in the
New York open was not a flash in
the pan. He has been going like.
a house afire for more than
month.
Two weeks ago he played four
consecutive rounds over the Green
wich Country Club course in better
than 20. For his first jaunt he
registered SO. This was followed
with sc, then another SO, and
by way of making it unanimous he
carded IS. The latter score might
well have been So, as Billy missed
two puts which he ordinarily drops
( into the cup.
Burke gave a fine account of
himself at Shawnee, where he fin.
ished second to Harry Cooper.
n