New Britain herald., 1929-05-23
:. BY IIGGER

Horton Smith, the Flying Ghost of Joplin, Mo. attained his ma ajor- ity yesterday and celebrated his twenty-hrst birthday by winning the international golf championship for professionals at St. Cloud, France, with the record breaking score of .73 strokes. A gallery of 5000 at- tended an impromptu birthday par ty on the home green when Smith holed his last putt to finish five strokes ahead of Aubrey Boomer. professional of the course. Smith, the new star of the golfing world, added round of % and An- other of Il to his brace of S6s scor- led the day before on the s507 yard course. He commenced the days play with a comfortable lead of !: strokes over his nearest competitor. He shot the final two rounds in 141, one under par and yet his margin was cut to five strokes because of the most remarkable round in the tournament, played by Boomer who made . 61.
 Gene Sarazen finished third by playing a 67 on his third round. Fourth place went to Johnny Far rell who scored 2s0. Andre Boyer made fifth place with :S2 and Wal ter Hagen tied with Henry Cotton for sixth place. Most Remarkable Event The tournament proved to be one of the most remarkable events Tn modern golhnE history, esta ablishinz as 1t did records that are likely 10 stand for . long time in the annals of the royal and ancient game. It pitted against each other two out standing young pros. each of whom had burned up courses in their short careers. Aubrey Boomer, British professional, shot a 65 in the French open at La Boulje in 1922. over . course of 6646 yards long. going out in 31 and returning in s4. Starting yesterday fourteen strokes behind Smith. Boomer shot | 61, ten strokes under par and then match ed Smiths previous records of 6s Ito finish second only five strokes beyond his rival for modern golfiny honors.
 It took iron nerve for Horton Smith to stand up under this terrific drive against his lead but the youngster from Missouri stood the gaff and never faltered. Hagen kept him out of the foursome matches in the Ryder Cup play because he felt Smith was too inexperienced. But when the Joplin Marvel got in the singles he scored a victory Of { to 2 to win one of the two matches taken by the Americans.
 In the British open he qualified and played 313 strokes to tie with five others for twenty-first place. In the thousand suineas event he quail flied with 152 and one his first match and then was eliminated by his Ryder Cup teammate. Fl. Dudley.
 Got Early Start
 When he was sixteen he enter ed the tate motor tournament of Missouri and got to the semi finals. Joe kirkwood. trick shot pro. en- countered him twice and twice was beaten by the kid from the show me" state. You are good. boy" said Joe. Not quite good enough" |" countered Horton. Wait . couple of years."
 This winter the period of grace was up. Smith went to California and Florida to try himself out. He prov ed to the satisfaction of the Ameri- can Solfing public that he was more after tournament and copped some thing like S15.000 in prize money. And a few years before his father had discouraged him from taking the game seriously. You can't make . living at Solf," he had prophesied to his son.
 On Ryder Cup Team
 Smiths record during the winter won him q place on the Ryder cup team. the youngest American ever to
 
 had to give up his set of steel-shaft- ed clubs and adapt himself to hickory -shafted ones. This was con- sidered to be a handicap that might put him out of the running. But he overcame the obstacle and proved to Europe as he had proved to America that he had the "guts" to win.
 His pair of 66s tied the worlds record for championship golf. Wal ter Hagen scored 67-s5-132 on the $500 yard course at Delaware Water Gap, Pa. in 1926. Boomers 61 is be- ing compared to other remarkable records. Going back to 1913, it is recorded that George Duncan in . minor event. the Open Champion ship of Lucerne Lakes" shot two 2Ss over the Axenfels links. He scored s2-5s-1ls but the course is shorter than St. Cloud.
 Colin Aylmer scored hs in match play over the ManelaEh course and