BRITISHERS VICTORIOUS

Evening Star, Issue 19616, 23 July 1927, Page 12

BRITISHERS VICTORIOUS

AMERICAN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP (From Our Special Correspondent.] SAN FRANCISCO, June 29. American sporting enthusia ts, who recently have been gloating over the downfall ,of John Full on the liela ot play, have been given a serious shock by being overrun in the ancient pastime of golf, when the contest was reaching its closing stages lor the open golf championship title of the United States. The tournament was held at Oakmont Country Club Links at Hulton, Pennsylvania, and attracted widespread attention throughout the American continent, and when the semifinal bad been played not a single American remained in the competition. In fact, two new golfers, new to the heights of golfing fame—tho oim a shot maker with few equals, the other brimming with rare confidence—played an exacting round for the open golf championship of the United States. Neither Tommy Armour (tail-effacing Scottishborn professional) nor Harry Cooper (of England, and Canadian-trained voungstei from the Pacific Coast) ever before climbed so high. Between them they pushed to the obscurity of also rails the'world’s greatest .golfers, including the. deposed champion, Bobby Jones, of Atlanta. The .‘sl d .scored by Armour aid Cooper in the tie which necessitated a play-off may not bnvo represented brilliant golf, but it represented a grei test of heart and nerve. , “It is a shot maker against a man who does not know when he is licked,” remarked a famous and discomfited professional, one of the many who failed, as he watched tho actors in this golfing drama preparing for the duel. Tommy Armour, who hails from Edinburgh, Scotland, and has recently been acting as “ pro.” at Rockville, Mainland, bad what his fellow-professionals designated “tho biggest bag of clubs in the game.” That is, they would say that he is the most nearly perfect of all-round golfers. And Harry Cooper, “ Lightliorse Harry,” who has recently beer, associated with Los Angeles, actually bet on himself, and by Iris coiicclonco nearly convinced tho onlookers that he was this year’s man of destiny He was a slight favorite in the betting, wlnca was 6 to 6 on Cooper. FIVE THOUSAND HELD THEIR BREATH. Across the smooth green surlacc ol the eighteenth green at Oakuiont late in the afternoon tall Tommy Armour sighted a 91t putt. A birdie 3 and a tie for the open golf championship or America hung upon tho accuracy or his stroke. Around the green 0,000 spectators literally held their breath while Tommy studied tho roll of the green and the direction of that little round cup that seemed so lar away. Tap went the putter, and the litt.c white ball rolled straight to the cup and plopped in. ~ Armour had tied " Lightliorse Harrv Cooper, of Los Angeles, with a total of .‘5Ol for the seventy-two holes. Sarazcn, of New York, swarthy Italian ex-caddy, crowded most closely upon the heels'of Armour and Cooper with 302, a single stroke away from the championship he won in 1922. Behind Barazen came Lmmetc French, of Southern Pines, North Carolina, with 304; “ Wild Bull ” Mehlhorn, a blonde nomad, who finished sensationally with 305, and , Walter Hagen, another wandering golfer, with 307. Others in what might be called the “first ten” were; Archie Corapston, Groat Britain, 308, Johnny l‘arrell, New York, 308; Harry Hampton, Memphis, Tennessee, 303; John Colden, Paterson, New Jersey, 308 When the final came a fighting golfer n-V- would not admit defeat was crowned United States open gull champion ot 192/ ' , ',i Tommy Amour, of Edinburgh, who came from behind to beat the Englishman, Harry Cooper, by three strokes in the mdse stirring play-off over the most difficult, golf course in America, won tho championship by lighting spirit, as much ns by the all-round supremacy of his p]ay.

THRILLING DUEL. Not only iu the thrilling duel with Cooper, which was witnessed by 10,000 stampeding spectators, but in the seventy-two holes of the championship itself, the tall Scottish professional overcame early difficulties to snatch victory at the eleventh hour. “ There is no greater till-round shotmaker playing to-day,” said Bobby Jones, of Atlanta, who for the first time in his golfing career was a spectator at a play-off for the national title. Those who knew Tommy Armour of old, Bobby Cruickshank, the diminutive Scot, of Purchase, New York, and other groat golfers and golf followers, stated that he can see from only_ one eye. Service with a Scottish unit in Franco cost him the sight of an eye, his friends declared. Armour turned away and would not talk of it, but obviously it had not impaired his golfing vision, for there is no one in the United States so accurate ns he. The play-off was the more sensational because of the desperate nature of the struggle between two highly nervous golfers. First one would win a, bole, and then the other. Of the entire eighteen boles played only four were halved. On' the entire eighteen only three birdies were registered—two by Armour and one by Cooper. For the rest it was give and take, like two boxers each bent upon delivering the knock-out blow. Over the course which had turned back the golfing efforts of the greatest field that ever contested an open championship the new title-holder won out because he refused to admit that the course was too difficult for him. It is the hardest and fairest of courses,” said Tommy when it was all over. “I was in trouble too much to suit me. and Harry was playing great golf; but I just decided I must got out and up to the pin, and I was lucky enough to do so.” A MODEST VICTOR. This modest statement, characteristic of the man who won, by no means tells the story, however. The short game, most trying to a golfer under competition, was mastered by the tall champion A If his ted shots were a bit inaccurate, and often they were, he came coolly bursting out of the sand or rough to get back on even terms with Ins ncivons young opponent. A remarkable finish, witnessed by a gathering of 10,000, gave Armour the victorv. A 50ft putt on the fifteenth started Tommy on his triumph. Brilliant recovery from trouble at the sixteenth. where he gained two more strokes on his rival, payed the way imthcr. And when the big silver cup had been handed to the weary Armour, amt he had mumbled his brief speed ot pride and thanks. Bobby Jones was the first to erasp the Scot s hand and slmko it warmly. , Tommv Amour’s score for the playoff round was 76. four strokes above par, and Harry Cooper’s was (9. It'was the play on the four short I'Mcs at Onkmont winch mined Liedit Horse” Harrv’s chances, and cost bmi t.lm victm-v 1m coveted so mrea%.; Dn e-mb of the short oims—the sr-th. ela-bth thirteenth, and sixteenth—-r-oner took four strokes. Armour nermtmted each of these in par mrem in three instances bv means of hrdhant from t-nr’da rmr the amen. Armnur v-s fomcr'v M-mr Tbonms Armour of the Ttovcl Tank Corns, cud P'o.vr- opg t ; mo n ,‘r, fW^rio.