GOLF

Evening Star, Issue 17696, 24 June 1921, Page 6

GOLF

THE OPEH CHAMPIONSHIP. . KIRKWOOD’S MISTAKES AND RECOVERIES. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, Juno 25. (Received Juno 24, at 19.40 a.m.) The leaders in tho first of the four rounds of the Open Golf Championship at St. Andrews are; —Hutchison (L..5.A.) 72, Kindi 75, Massy, Duncan, Hagen, and Kerrigan 74, .Herd and Hunter 70, Kirkwood, Havers, gind White 76, H. Vardon 77, A. Mitchell 78, Ball and Ockenden 79, J. 11. Taylor and Last 81. The leading aggregates for the first two rounds are: Hutchison 147, Ray, Barnes (African?) .143, Duncan, Herd, .Massy, and M'Leau 149, Kind), Khkvvuod, and Havers ISO. Kirkwood was among tho earliest to commence the first round of the championship proper. He did not find his top hum inr the lir.-t nine holes, for which he took 59. Coming homo lie made no mistakes, i-”L lie had the hardest of luck in thrice just billing to hole long putts. Ho began badly. At the first hole lie fluffed his secvinl .--hot into the famous Swilwm Burn. At the .'cmiid hole he had .hard luck to miss a ICyils putt for a 3. He had his first bad drive at the fourth Hole, where he sliced off the fairway amongst the hummocks, bur la; recovered well, but socketed bis approach. At tho sixth hole he sliced his drive into a bunker, but recovered well with Ids second, only to take 6 for the hole. His next three holes were faultlessly phiyed, and he finished in 7.

Kirkwood's second round was played in warm sunshine. It was notable for Hie brilliance of toe first nine boles, his score for these being only 54. But on the home* ward journey he throw away half a dozen strokes, and took 40. His figures were: Out — s, 5,5, 4,5, 3,4, 2. 5—54; home—4, 5. 4,5, 4. 5,4, 5. 4-40. Total, 74.

At the first hole Kirkwood began badly. He sliced his drive oil the course, near the marquee enclosure, and had to have a. tent-peg removed in order to play his second, for which he courageously took the wood and recovered finely. Coming home he played with magnificent steadiness, driving splendidly, particularly at the sixteenth.. where he look the line lor liis drive along the railway, trusting to the wind to bring it over. At the seventeenth (456 yards) ho hit a glorious second with a bnffy, and finished syds from tire pin. /n Kirkwood's second round the green beat him again at the second hole, where he almost holed his first putt. At tho third hole, alter a perfect drive and approach, he holed a. 4yd putt. The sixth was his next eventful hole, as there he holed a putt from outside the green fully 20yds from the pin, great cheers greeting the shot. At the eighth hole his tee shot laid him 2yds from the pin, and lie holed tho putt for 2. Coming home his troubles began at the eleventh hole. He played an iron shot from tlie tee, and the ball swerved into a pot-hole. He niblicked it out at right angles, but tho ball found a corresponding pot-hoie on the left side. Ho got a- bin? 4 at the long fourteenth hole, due to a splendid second with the baity. At the fifteenth hoi© he missed a yard putt for a 4, and at the seventeenth bole lie had to get a niblick chip over a pot-hole. Kirkwood is baldly playing with the complete assurance -and confidence which characterised his play in Australia. Today lie iiad a tendency to heel his drives and spare his approaches. Nevertheless, he is still well in tho picture. Though Australian spectators were somewhat disappointed at Kirkwood's falling away in the last nine holes this afternoon, al'l agreed that ho had done marvellously well iu bringing Australia to tho front in the golf world. Kirkwood’is not worried, but full of confidence for the last two rounds, for which Gassiat, tho Frenchman, is his partner. As for as the incompleteness of the cabled figure? allows, the following table shows the position after the first day’s play :

The American team of professionals competing in the Open Championship comprises Hutchison, Barnes, Hagen, French, Hampton, Hackney, Macieod, Loos. Holfner, Maclean, Kerrigan, and Melhorn. A fair number of these have qualified, ,as several of their names appear in the cabled list of those leading.

-6 c: H 04 H Hutchison 72 75 — 147 E. It ay ... — — __ 148 Barnes — — 148 CL Duncan 74 75 — 149 A. Herd ... 75 74 — 149 A. Messv 74 75 — 149 ’[‘Lean ‘ ... , ... — — 149 Kirkwood 76 74 — 150 Kinch 75 77 — 150 Havers 76 74 — 150