Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-10

NTERLACHEN COUNTRY CLUB,
Minneapolis, MINI, July 1o.-"This
battle will be the hardest champion
ship that any man ever won," re-
marked Walter Hagen as he looked over
the list, "and don't care who that man
Is. Here are $50 Of the best golfers in
the world. with only one or two left
out, and most of them are playing sur
prising golf"
This about explains the start Of the
open golf championship Of the United
States over the Interlachen course to-
day. where from the first tee-oR every
stroke may win or lose the greatest prize
IN golf.
There was day and time when Great
Britain, especially Scotland, dominated
golf. That day has passed. Today the
greatest prize of this ancient game that
goes back 500 years Is the open cham
pionship of q country that was diScov-
cred less than 500 years ago. The field
that Is battling at Interlachen now COM
prises most Of the great. professionals Of
the game and the pick of all the ANA
teurs.
And when you get right down to
&, the big feature IL Bobby Jones,
struggling to defend his title and
thereby win three major champion
ships in = row, something that not
even the venerable game of golf ever
thought to be possible.
THE remarkable part Of this cham
pionship," Walter Hagen continued, lis
just this: Here Is the greatest field ever
assembled on any golf course. Here you
have the survivors Of 1900 entries, and
yet it is the field against one man
Bobby Jones. Nothing like this has ever
happened In golf, from the days of Var
don and Taylor and Braid to the pres
ent moment. 1t is almost unbelievable,
but is 1t true"
Here at Interlachen, with its hills and
valleys, its rolling Northwest country,
there are veterans and youngsters Just
out Of the caddie class. Here is Mac
donald Smith, who tied for the same
open title 20 years ago. Here is the
amazing Walter Hagen, who after SO
days on the Pacific is back to try for
the big crown he won at Midlothian
first Is years ago, and who today is
playing the best golf of his career.
If you wander out on the course you
viii run across the alert Gene saraSen,
who won the open in 1922 and who Is
more confident today than he ever was
before. Gene has been training for this
championship for two months and Is
now at the peak.
You viii also run across Johnny Far
rel, who beat Bobby Jones In the play
on two years ago, and Johnny is keener
than he ever was in his life to win
again. You will run across the young
easy-going, smiling Horton Smith, one
of the star sons of Missouri, who is
gathering more experience day by day
and who will be worth watching, for he
Is playing well, and always using his
head, which IS one Of the main factors
In championship of this sort.
You will also meet UP with Tommy
Armour, the lean, lank, black haired
Scot, smart and skillful, one of the
great golfers Of the world. Armour Is
not only one of the greatest iron players
that ever lived, but also one of the best
wooden club players II his putter Is
working, watch out for Armour.
And then there is Leo Diegel, nervous
high-strung. but one of the great golf
ers OF the game, capable of breaking 70
at almost any start, over almost any
course.
These are only few Of the big field
that today is battling for the big prize
OF one Of the Oldest games, game that
has swept the Nation and has more
actual players than any game ever In
fYOdIinad iY1tO erorf