Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-05
BIRDIE SAVES LIFE
. OF BUSINESS MAN
Rams Home 15-Foot Putt on
Final Hole for a 292.
PIay-off Today.
BY ALAN GOULD,
Associated Press Sports Editor.

Lne drama ana Lne fireworks
of the sensational battle for
the open golf championship of
the United States were crowded
into a few tense moments on the
home green today as blonde
George Won Elm, the self-styled
business man" of the game,
stepped up to 15-foot putt and
rammed it home for a birdie that
pulled him from the very brink of
disaster.
This spectacular final stroke by the
Los Angeles ace, one-time national
amateur champion and one of the few
conquerors of the great Bobby Jones,
ton 72-hole championship route in
tie with Billie Burke, one-time Connec-
ticut caddy and now the professional
of the Blind Brook Club at Greenwich.
Won Elm and Burke wound up their
all-day duel with scores Of 292, dead
locked for a crown that neither has
ever worn before, as they put to rout
one Of the greatest international fields
that ever started in the American open.
Have 1t Out Today.
They will play for the title for So
holes tomorrow. in the sixth extra
inning" battle the tournament has had
in nine years, to decide the successor
to Jones. a spectator to today's brilliant
finish. The playoff rounds will start at
10 am. and 2 pm. CE. S. To
While the rest of the favorites either
skidded quickly out of the picture or
failed to make more than few threat
ening gestures, Won Elm and Burke
put on a two-man show in the closing
round for the benefit of close to 5000
spectators. who first cheered the East
erner home and then galloped in the
wake Of the Westerner to roar acclaim
for his fighting finish.
Burke's four steady rounds showed
him with figures of 73-72-74-73-292
while Won Elm. alternately more bril-
liant and cratic, wound up with scores
of 75-69-73-75.
Starting the fourth and final round,
Won Elm, who had jumped into the
lead at the halfway mark and held his
advantage in the third round, clicked
off a birdie 3 on the first hole to
gain a margin Of four strokes over
Burke. BY the time they reached the
turn, the rest of their rivals were fast
fading, but Won Elms lead had been
sliced to two strokes.
Burke finished about an hour ahead
of his rival with a fine 70 as Won Elm,
harassed by the galloping gallery, be-
gan the homeward jaunt, and imme-
diately encountered difficulties as he
sought to hold his edge. The stocky,
souare-jawed Westerner dropped
stroke at the twelfth, where he shot
his third clear across the green. He
lost another when he was forced to
play a safety shot from the rough on
the fifteenth, and was all even with
Burke, three holes to go and three par
fours needed to tie.
When he three-putted the sixteenth,
Won Elm appeared to be slipping fast.
It took a fighter to save the situation
now and Won Elm again proved his
qualities in this respect by delivering
the telling punch on his last chance.
He got his par on the seventeenth,
then hit beautiful drive from the last
tee. His pitch was hole high, 10 1eet
to the left of this 325-yarder, set IN
a little hollow in front OF the cruz
house. with spectators banked on all
sides. The putt for the birdie and
tie was never in doubt after 1t lett Tn;
club head.
burke and Won Elm had two-stroke
margin over the rest of the field When
the anal returns of another hot and
drizzly day were posted. Leo Dlegei,
from Aqua Caliente, came strong with
a final u but it was only good enough
to give him third place with q total
of 294. In a quadruple tie Tor 1ourtn
place were Witty Cox and Gene Sarazen m
of New York, and Mortie Dutra o.
Long Beach, Calf, and Bill Mehlhorn OF
Pinewald, N. ].
Toss Away Chances.
In q triple tie for fourth place at
2e6 we're Witty Cox and Gene Sarazen
of New York and Billy Melhorn OF
PinewaId. N. j., all of whom nnlSneo
strongly. but too late to cause any up
sets Sarazen's 10 was his best rouno,
while Mehlhorn wound up with II
and Cox with r..
Tied at 297 were Walter Hagen ana
Mortie Dutra OF Long Beacn, Jail
each of whom tossed away golden OPP
nortunities on the closing round.
Dutra was only two strokes behind
burke starting the fourth round, out
tailed a rs as he skidded on the nome
ward nine. Hagen, prime 1aVorlts
with the galleryites from the start,
missed a good chance to blaze his way
to the front in the third round. Tnls
chance lost, he closed with meolocre
rs. pxu,-
Perkins of New York, the former Brit
ish amateur champion, who not only
led ali the amateur competitors as ne
finished with a fine par-breakmg ~
but finished far in front OF the neareSt
finisher among the disorganized 6rltisn
professional forces.
Only one member Of the British Ryder
Gun team finished, w. H. (Bnlie) Da-
yies posting q total Of BOT. the only
other Briton to stick the route was
Percy Arliss, representing Berlin clup,
with 3I5. Frances entry, Auguste Boy
er. wound up with 307 as the inter-
national threat all but vanished In con-
trast with the 1920 open at Inverness,
where Ted Ray won the title for Eng
land and Harry Vardon tied for second.
only II players, using the balloon
ball for the first time in the open,
showed SUFFICIENT scoring ability to
"break" 800 over q course where par
was II and the distance far less terri
flying than the hazards. At 29S were
three of the most seasoned campaignerS
Al Espinosa of Chicago, Johnny Far
rell of New York and Macdonald Smith
Of New York.
Frank walsh Of Chicago and Guy
Paulsen of Fort Wayne, Ind, a dark
horse contender until the final round,
Tailed an even 800 each and the quar-
tet tied at. 301 included AL Watrous OF
Detroit. 49hthorse Harry Cooper OF