Evening star., 1939-07-28
Hawaiian Great Golf
Ny|ist, Coast Cop
Is Unorthodox
Szwedko of Pittsburgh
Faces Islander; Gordon
Plays Policeman
BY WALTER McCALLUM,
Star Staff Correspondent.

BALTIMORE, Md, July 28.-East-
ern public links golf had black eye
today as four men, all from west of
the Alleghanies, met in two 36-hole
semifinal matches for the right to
enter the final round in the National
Public Links Championship over the
Mount Pleasant course here. Not a
single fastener has survived the
hot firing of the four 18-hole match
rounds.
From far-away Hawaii, Arthur
Armstrong, $500 miles from home,
the darling of the Baltimore gal
leries and clerk in shipping Office.
clashed in one match today with
Andrew Szwedko, Pittsburgh mill
worker and quite chunk of man.
In the other, Big Jim Molinari, no.
body's golf stylist but a guy with a
lot of fighting heart, met Phillip
Gordon, an unimpressive-l looking
fellow with a swell-grooved swing.
Both Molinari and Gordon are from
California. Lantern-jawed Molinari
is a radio cop in San Francisco and
Gordon works in an insurance Office
in nearby Oakland.
The setting for the semifinal is
typical of public links golf cham
pionships, the most democratic lay
out in the game.
Armstrong Looks Best.
Armstrong looms as the winner
The slim Hawaiian, 81 years old and
kinky haired, has the grooved swing
and the all-around game of
champion. He plays most of his
iron shots with cut like Henry
Picard, the new P. G. A. champion,
and his ability around the green's
stands out like traffic light despite
his frozen stance. He lunches over
a ball like bronze statue, but they
get there. He has no pushover
today in the stocky Szwedko, but he
played much better golf yesterday
in winning two matches than did
the husky steel mill worker. Arm
strong played 20 holes in under
par for the hottest streak of golf
mari wasn't far behind. The big cor,
from the Golden Gate was under
par for the morning round, but
faded in the afternoon, while Arm
strong kept up his hot pace.
Szwedko Sober Player.
Szwedko is a workmanlike player
who goes about his business like a
mechanic. No lost motions, no fool
ing around, he just goes up and hits
the ball. Gordon is much the same
type of golfer, so most of the color
centers around Molinari and Arm
strong. They would make good
final, and on form they loom as the
two who will meet tomorrow for
the title.
Armstrong, hotter than the blaz-
ing sun, gave Steve Doctor a q
foot putt on the 18th green yes
terday. Steve had putted from 60
feet, and laid it close. At that point
Armstrong was 4 up. Gee, I'd hate
to see you miss that" said the
bronzed Hawaiian. That's one of
the reasons he has drawn the big
gest galleries here; that and his
ready smile and his good golf game.
I'D love to see this tournament
come to Hawaii" he said. Wed
show you some good golf courses,
and every one knows how well we
treat our visitors. I'd like to take
this one home to show our folks
how good you Eastern folks have
been to me-"
Cop Never Quits.
Molinari hits the ball from
crouch, knees bent, with his right
hand cooked under the shaft. He
plays all his shots from right to
left, which you won't find advo-
Gated in some of our better links
circles. But he gets them there. He
is very long from the tee, and he
never quits. Maybe the cop is the
fellow to win, but Armstrong is
the kind of golfer who can't get
very far off. With that grooved
swing anything over IS would be
bad.
So, on what they've shown so
far, We'll cast one palpitating vote
for Molinari and Armstrong. If
that doesn't cost them their semi
final matches today, the dope is
cock-eyed.