Evening star., 1929-06-29

n n AMARONECK, N Y, June
HH 29.-Bobby Jones faced an
N other of the gruelling struggles
that have been his lot in every
United States open golf tour
lament when he teed on at Winged Foot
for the final two rounds OF the 1879
competition today.
Instead of leading the field as his
nnasterful display of shots on Thursday
has presaged, the blond wizard from
Georgia, with 144, was two shots behind
Gene Sarazen, the professional from
the Meadows Club Of New York, and Al
Espinosa Of Chicago.
Jones is in the position preferred by
Walter Hagen and some other profes-
Sional stars---a few strokes behind the
leaderS-but an uncomfortable one for
Bobby. great uphill fighter. never
theless he likes to have q slight lead for
the last stages of the battle and his ex-
pected advantage was washed away Fri
day.
Jones played his second round under
weather conditions that would have
broken the heart Of brass OK and his
rs does not represent bad golf. For
many days prior to the championship
diskruntled pros complained Jones al
ways given a preferred starting time by
the United States Golf Association.
There was nothing preferential about his
starting time Friday. Rather it was tor
rental.
Conditions Hurt Bobby.
A heavy gale blew in from the At
lantic and changed the complexion of
many holes and was accompanied by a
he&Vy rainfall. For 16 holes Jones bat
tied through the storm and dropped
many shots along the route that nor
n1ally might have been saved.
Theer were many others caught in the
mid-afternoon rain and of them only
George Won Elm, the Detroit amateur,
was untroubled.
Won Elm splashed through the puddles
Of water and played on sodden green's
to score q 70--the low round Of the
day. Won Elm had f1ve brides on his
round and only twice went over par.
Hts sterling performance pulled him
within seven shots of the leaders and
made him an outstanding possibility to
win in the field laps
Jones at the start of the third round
faced the task of beating one of the
greatest fighters in golf-Sarazen. It
has been some years since Gene had
such an opportunity to regain the cham
pionship he held in 1922. He is playing
splendid golf, and his two rounds of
Till are the best the championship
has produced. Sarazen is hitting q long.
straight ball. making few mistakes and
putting like q wizard. Espinosa, who
always has been good for one great
round in a championship. also win be
difhcult to drive from the top. Tied
With Jones for third place was Dens-
more shute of Columbus, Ohio q pro-
fessional only two years. Shute has
played fine golf in this championship.
Tall but slender, he has one of the
slnoothest swings in the game and is
constantly straight from the tees.
Armour Is Close Up.
Right behind Jones and Shute was
won the open championship at Oakmont
in 1927. Armour, like Jones, caught
most Of the storm, but blistered the
outside line In "a strokes, the lowest
score made there In the championship.
Tommy started in well and had a
chance to tie for the lead until he
reached the seventeenth, where he drove
into trouble, took and a II for the
round.
Johnny Farrell. defending champion,
passed completely from the champion
snip arena when he tackled an 83 to
the miserable "a scored on the first
round Farrell was among those un-
able to qualify for the final SO holes
and Is one of the first champions to
meet that fate in many years
Walter Hagen was another to fail in
the championship test. The four-time
British champion had an S6 Friday for
a total Of 157 and was unable to battle
his native breezeS with the same skill
that he masters British gales. Walter
was wild and. as predicted by the writer
before the tournament, could not score
on Winged Foot.
Prospects for q tie At the end of the
men Of the staying qualities of Jones,
Sarazen, Espinosa and Armour In the
battle. The experts had revised their
opinions as to the winning score at the
start Of the final rounds. Before the
championship 2s6 had been selected for
the low score but 1t now appears that
II viii take better than 290 to capture
the most coveted crown In Golf