HAGEN’S WIN

Evening Star, Issue 18045, 12 August 1922, Page 8

HAGEN’S WIN

FIRST AMERICAN-BORN OPEN GOLF CHAMPION; DUNCAN’S GREAT EFFORT. For the second year running America has won our Open Championship (wrote Bernard Darwin, in the ‘The Times after the great event). Walter Hagen won at Sandwich, and thoroughly deserved to. He is a great golfer, and a great tighter. He once came near to collapsing to-day, but his last round was a wonderful effort of skill, concentration, and courage. If there is one thing more than another which won him the championship, it was his putting, and it becomes tolerably obvious that, unless our younger professionals do some hard thinking and learn to hit the hall truly, on the green, America will win again and again. It used to bo good enough to play wonderful shots upon tlio green and then waste a gentlemanly number of putts. Against a player of Hagen's class (it is not good enough. The ball must be hit on the greens, and we do not hit it. There is the matter in a nutshell, and wo should be grateful to Hagen for teaching us this lesson. I say this deliberately. even though Duncan’s wonderful but just unsuccessful rush in the last round redeemed British golf to some extent, and redeemed a hundred times over his own failure an the caudal third round. Still, it was the putting that did it, and that cannot be rubbed in too hard. Describing the last round, Bernard Darwin writes ■ Barnes was fighting Ids way home gallantly. He never again lost his grip on the gome, oame back in 39, and finished equal with Hagen and two strokes behind | Hutchison. Just before half-past 12 Duncan, the Chief of British hopes, began Ids third round, and Hutchison and Hagen began their fourth rounds just behind him. About twenty-five minutes after they had started a violent deluge of rain descended on Sandwich, and every man jade who was out in it _ must have been soaked nearly to the skin. Hagen., who was out in 35, started home witli a five and four, and then a lovely pitch and putt gave him a three at the 12th. He had a five at the 15th hde, and a great shot up to tho 14th and another putt gave him a four. There was a haylwOn four at the 16th bole, and then he played the grandest imaginable tee shot to the 16th hole, ruled all tho way on the pin and ending six feet away. His putt went right into the hole and out again, and even so he was one under fours with two to play. Everyone felt now that he was watching the winner. Two noble shots reached the 17th green, two putts, and there was one four done. The last ho .missed by the veriest inch and ended in 72. So now we knew. Barnes had a 72 to tie, Taylor 73, Whitcombe 72, Cassia! 73, and Duncan and Vardon 68. U seemed hardly conceivable that any of them would do it, but Barnes came within one stroke, and later so did Duncan. Barnes made an amazing effort, for he had a. six at the third hole, which should bo a three or at worst a. {bur. From that ■point his golf was perfect. He holed no long putts, but be clung to an average of fours until finally he liad a four to tic. Has drive was a fine one, but his brassie shot, was pushed out and finished in the rough. He pitched boldly up, but the hall ran a dozen yards past, and so l.e took five and ended in 73—an unsuccessful spurt, but one unsurpassed for bravery and fine golf.

Duncan did the first 12 holes in 46, hut still things seemed hopeless. Then came a terrific three at the 15th. and suddenly the thing seemed possible, especially as Duncan was putting everything near the flag. He had a. putt for four at the 14lh hole, but missed it; another for three at the 15th, and missed it. To tho 16th he played the greatest shot of all, and flown went a six-footer for two. Two fours to tin now, arc! lie got the first, although ird without a struggle. To (ho 18th ho lot two grand shots amid tire most breathless excitement, and lay just off the green. Alas! he was short", very abort, with his pitch-and-run, and. though he. fried hard, the putt never looked like going in. And so ha was beaten, but there was certainly never a more glorious defeat.