Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08
JOHNSTON LIFTS
AMATEUR CROWN
St. Paul Sharpshoote:- De-
feats DR.. Willing in
Golf Finals, 4-3.
Continued From First Page.)

1
Jimmy" really began his uphill fight to
victory, scattering cheers echoed as
vikings second shot trickled over the
edge of the green into trap, from
which 1t took the doctor 2 to get out.
Again at the eighteenth, the partisan
spirits in the gallery groaned as VIII
! ling's approach shot, apparently headed
for a trap, just cleared the hazard and
made the green. 1t was on this hole
that Johnston made the most magnifl-
cent recovery shot OF the entire match.
+ He had just cut vikings lead from
three to one hole by taking the sixteenth
and seventeenth in succession, but 1t
locked dubious when Jimmy" pulled
his brassie over the bank and down to
| the edge Of the ocean. The surf Tapped
around his ankles as he took his stance.
but he clouted the ball to within six
yards Of the green. Just short of a trap,
| from where he Clipped dead to the
pin for the par 5 that gave him a
half. Willing requiring two puts to
get down.
| Johnston Missed Puts.
Had Johnston been able to sink at
| least a half dozen short puts hanging
| from four to eight feet. he would have
won the match long before the thirty
third Jimmy" was nervous and wild
at the start, finding traps. woods or
rough on six of the first nine hoes.
He steadled down after that. got his
irons and wood under control, but re-
peatedly lost chances to win by failing
on puts that looked ridiculously easy
Fortunately for the st. Paul star. his
opponent was having similar trouble
Otherwise they might have battled to
dark. ~
On both the fourteenth and fifteenth
holes in the morning, after beautiful
pitch shots, Johnston missed short puts
by inches, for wins. Both finished the
| first round in even 80, eight over par.
to show the extent of their poor scor-
ing, but Johnston redeemed an cratic
outward 43 by coming back in 81, only
one over par. In fact, Jimmy" played
| the last eight holes Of the first round
in even par. Willing was out In Al,
back in 80.
They started shakily again in the
afternoon, both taking shots out OF
traps on the nineteenth to reach the
green, but Johnston got down in to
win the hole and square the match.
Thus encouraged. Johnston took COM
mand of the situation for the first time.
He began to hit his shots with more
confidence, boldness and accuracy. He
missed a 5-foot putt for a win on the
twenty f1rst, but took the lead on the
| twenty-second for the first time when
willing three-putted. Jimmy" planked
his tee shot to the l6O-yard twenty
third hole, 10 feet from the cup. and
won the hole with 3 after Willing
was trapped and exploded to the oppo-
site Of the green.
Johnston, Gets Break"
Aided By a break" Johnston won his
third straight hole and virtually settled
the match, on the long 5o2-yard
twenty-fourth. which bends around the
cliff at the oceans edge and finishes
uphill.
ond shot, using a spoon, Johnston bali
| topped the ball and it barely carried
over the cove that cuts part way into
, the elbowed fairway. He was still sixty
! yards short of the green, but laid q
| chip shot dead, eight feet from the
cup. Willing Clipped short, missed his
! putt and Johnston hoied for birdie.
the FIRST and only one of the entire
contest.
I willing was game. right down to the
! finish, but he was beaten man from
| then On. Johnston, on most OF the
holes. was putting for the win while
DOC" was struggling for the half. On
! the 11o-yard 25th. Johnston missed
6-foot putt for birdie 2, which would
have made him 4 up. wiring had to
get Down in putt on the 2cth to get
hat. He won back hole at the 9th,
when Johnston was trapped, but the
end was In sight
up again, when vikings second shot
| sliced over the ocean bank.
! Doctor Makes Recovery.
The. Doctor made a remarkable re-
! covery with his niblick, reaching the
| green, but he could not sink 20-footer
| Both were in trouble on the short 30th
but Johnston finally took it with a 4
to vikings 5. This hole marked the
| fourth time in the match that Willing
took shots to get out of a bunker.
It seemed that what hopes he had
were buried in the sand, for on each
OF these occasions he lost the hole.
| All Johnston needed to protect his
margin of up, was to halve the next
holes and he did 1t. helped on the
31st as well as the long 32nd by bril-
liant chip shots that enabled him to
offset mistakes and get down each time
| in putt.
Johnston thus marched to his first
| national championship at the age of IS
| in tournament that knocked the dope
| d1 ObGE oSdCIt dI1Q tII6 sur
rounding California countryside So
lightly were "Jimmy's" chances regard
ed that he was only No. in the rank
ing list used for seeding" purposes.
DR.. Willing was No. z. But all those
higher in the rating fell by the way
side. Champion Jones went out In the
first round along with George Won
Elm, while Jess Sweetser. George Voigt
and Cyril Tolley passed out in the third
round. Yesterday Johnston disposed
of Francis Ouimet, while Willing con-
ouered H. Chandler Egan in the semi
finals.
Long one of the most popular anna
teur figures in the game, Johnston has
been a formidable contender for ma
tional as well as sectional honors fire.
ouentIy. but he never got beyond the
third round Of this tournament before
or won any title of greater importance
than the Western amateur. Usually o
good medal player. Johnston's support
ers were astounded when he went out
in 43 this morning, but he redeemed
himself by doing the same nine in 81
this afternoon. He played the last "a
holes In only three over par, while DR..
| Willing was 10 over perfect figures for
the same stretch.
For failing to keep to its time table
| h v~on+o~ k,.r a.. Cot