Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-06
QUARTET OF VETS
BATTLING IT OUT
Willing Engaging Egan and
Johnston Facing 0uimet
in Semi.FinalS.
BY ALAN ]. GOULD,
Associated Press Sports Writer.


~ EBBLE BEACH, Calf, September
6.-Youth has had its fling IN
the national amateur golf cham
pionship of 1929. The battle OF
Pebble Beach, in its semi-final
stage today, brought together four OF
the most seasoned of American cam
paiRners and 1t was still Wloe-open
fight among them for the crown tnaC
a youthful splurge knocked from the
sandy head of Bobby Jones.
After brilliant third-round trlumpns
this quartet Of the old guard stepped
out this morning with DR.. Oscar F.
Willing, the Portland, Greg, dentist,
meeting a fellow Oregonian, Henry
Chandler Egan, champion OF 1904 and
1905. in the first 36-hole match, and
Harrison r. (Jimmy) Johnston OF 81.
Paul, veteran tournament inquire OF q
decade, opposed to Francis Ouimet OF
Boston, amateur champion In 1914, ana
open champion in 1913.
The thatches of all four have thinned
or grayed, with the exception OF john
ston, whose youthful appearance oelleS
the fact that he is well over 80 and
a match player of long experience.
Egan, titleholder IS years ago when
a student at Harvard, Is back IN the
limelight-at the age of As. semi
finalist for the first time since 1909.
paigned at home and abroad with dis
tinction. Ouimet, long one OF the
games foremost figures, Is around 50.
Ouimet Stops Little.
Youth, in the person of Johnny Good
man of Omaha, took the scalp Of ex-
Champion Jones. In William Lawson
Little, IT,, it cut swath through the
tourney that was finally checked only
by the great finish of Ouimet. Today,
however, there were four semi-finalists
averaging close to 40 years of age to
demonstrate that experience still cuts
o substantial figure.
This was the sixth time in 10 years
that Ouimet had reached the semi
finals, with Egan back in that bracket
for the first time in 20 years, but 1t
was q brand-new experience for both
Johnston and Willing. Johnston has
won the Western amateur crown, cut
some figure in the open championships.
notably in 1927 at Oakmont, but he
never before has gone beyond the third
round. Neither has Willing, whose
performances in Walker Cup and other
competitives nevertheless have stamped
him as one Of the foremost Of American
match players.
The Portland dentist gave convincing
evidence Of his competitive skill in man
to-man battle when he took the meas,
champion. Cyril James Hasting Tolley,
4 and ., while Egan was trouncing Jess
SvAeetser, and s.. Ouimet stopping
the rush Of William Lawson Little, IT.,
of San Francisco, up in 50 holes, and
Johnston outf1ghting George Voigt Of
New York up in q terrific 3o-hole
matchA
Nillings' Triumph Stirs.
The comeback Of Egan aroused senti-
mental enthusiasm, the triumph Of Will
ling stirred patriotic impulses, and the
pulse-tinglinS thrill, but the victorious
rally Of OuinAet packed the most dra-
matte moment Of quarter finals.
Picture the 540-yard thirty
hole along the oceans edge as the quiet,
bespectacled Bostonian, looking like q
college professor came down to the
finish with the stocky, curly haired
Western youth Of 10. Ouimet, In q fine
comeback, had overtaken his rival and
Little belted q magnificent shot down
the fairway, while Ouinnet pulled his
shot into q bunker to the right. TAX
ing too much sand, the veteran came
out weakly and was still over 200 yards
from the green as Little hooked
brassie to within 80 yards of the carpet.
Ouimet reached the green with mag
nificent spoon shot, the ball stopping
20 feet short of the pin.
Little, as deliberate as Willing In the
execution of his short game, studied
every angle and then laid beautiful
chip shot dead, less than feet to the
left of the cup. He seemed sure of a
birdie that would square the match,
but Ouimet stepped up and rolled his
long putt in to settle the issue with a
birdie himself. Not since he rocked
the golf world by beating Ted Ray and
Harry Vardon for the open champion
ship in 1918 has Ouimet ever received
q greater ovation than he got after
that marvellous finish.
Johnston and Voigt waged an even
closer duel. Most Of the day the New
yorker held the lead, although he was
never more than up and only once
that far In front. Johnston. squartng