Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-08
WALTER WILL GAIN
NO BIG 1880 TITLE
Only Minor Championships
Left for Him Now That He
Is Out of Open.
BY FRANCIS J. POWERS.

~HICAGO. August 8-There will
be no championships for Wal
ter Hagen this year. He passed
I'D the British open. failed in
the United States and Canadian opens
and was unable to qualify for the Pro-
feesional Golfers Association cham
pionship. There remains few minor
championships in which the old duke
might break through, but they Will not
be negotiable in exhibition matches, on
which the Haig has capitalized heavily
for so many years.
It's a bit premature to say hagen
Is through as a championship CONTEND
er. But he's slipping Walter Is not
an old man. even in golf. where youth
most often is served but he has been
combating par for many. many years.
He made Ills national debut in 1913. at
Brookline. when Francis Ouimet turned
back rfre~-Srive of Harry Vardon ano
Ted Raw to become the first amateur
ever to win the open title.
A wear later. while sill kid, he
won the United States open champion
ship and has been a persistent winner
all over the world since. Ihere are
few championships Hagen has not helo
at some time or another. -Four times
he has held the British open. twice the
United States open and the P. q. A.
five times. In addition, he has won
the Western and Metropolitan opens
and minor titles too numerous to
chronicle.
Lacks Old Distance.
Hagen still is good for an occasional
scoring spree, but he no longer seems
able to get the ball up to the pin as
he once did-and that is the first ndl-
cation a golfer is failing.
There was a time when Hagen revelec
in trouble He could be yards of the
fairway and still come hustling up tC
the pin with great recovery shots anc
whack down a long putt for his pal
or birdie But he appears to have
lost much of that knack.
Hagen was one of the greatest show
men Of all time and when he was good
a championship field always kept ar
ear to the ground for the start OF one
of Walters last-round drives He hao
the faculty of coming from behind ano
never was more dangerous than wher
starting a final round two or three
strokes in the rear of the leaders
Jones now has uSurped that place ano
Hagen no longer is feared.
Walter possessed the most mdom-
liable nerve of any golfer ever to live
No putt ever caused him to tremble
and there are stories of his getting
down long ones in crucial spots that
would have baffied any other player
He was the Barnum of professional
golf: a real circus man in Knockers
He never failed to give his galleries a
good show, no matter how small the
crowd might be for en- exhibition, and
it is that faculty that may keep him
going for several years to come.
A Nomadic Linksman.
The Haig has played golf everywhere
All over America-and there were few
fairways he miSsed-Europe, Austral-
asia. the Orient, and even the imperia
gardens at Tckio knew the bite of his
irons. Walter elevated professional gol1
in America and made it more respected
in Great Britain.
He may be through, but he still will
draw a portion of the crowd so long as
his bronzed face, sleek hair and natty
toggery can be found on the first tee OF
q championship.
He was the second great American
born professional-Johnny McDermott
being the first-and always will rank as
one Of the leaders. When the Vardon,
Taylor, Braid and Herd group in Amer
lean golf is named, Hagen will be one
of it.
But the old boy may not yet be
through. He many only be resting for
1881