HAGEN’S RECORD

Southland Times, Issue 20772, 13 May 1929, Page 5

HAGEN’S RECORD

FOURTH BRITISH OPEN FIRST THREE PLACES TO AMERICA GOLFING UNDER DIFFICULTIES (United Press Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright.) London, May 10. Walter Hagen, the American, won the British open golf championship with a score of 292. Perfect golfing weather yesterday turned to-day to a furious half-gale, which tested everybody, especially lightweights like Allies and Sarazen. Certainly Mitchell knew how to beat the wind, but putted badly. He started finely with 4-3-4-3, then took three putts at the eighth and ninth. He reached the thirteenth from the tec, but took four putts. ■ Thus the greatest British hope vanished. Hagen was the chief American danger. Diegci, who is known in America as “Three-round Diegel,” went to pieces. Going out in the morning he took three putts at the fifth, sixth and seventh, while the ninth cost him seven. At first he was bunkered, then took three putts. Hagen brought all his skill to bear and succeeded in beating the elements better than the others, but marked the first six in six rounds at the fourteenth, where he putted three times, and another six in the afternoon at.the ninth, when he pulled his second under the wall and played out lefthanded. A third was then adjudged. He moved the ball during the address, but the committee revoked the penalty after hearing the facts. After Mitchell's failure British hopes depended upon Alliss, but he did not play convincingly. He lacked crispness in his approaches, while his putting was mediocre. The Right Temperament. Hagen was unruffled all day, despite an incident on the third green in the last round when he touched and moved the ball in addressing a putt. The marker gave no decision until the end of the round, when he declared that it would not be a penalty as the club had not been grounded. It would have worried many to have to play fifteen holes with such an issue undecided, but it did not affect Hagen, who reached the turn in 35 and came back in 40. His only bad hole during the whole day was the fourteenth, where he duffed a mashie and took three putts. When Hagen finished Diegel and Farrell were the only dangerous rivals. They needed 09 and 68 respectively. Both failed. Mitchell’s 78, which might easily have been 72 with better putting, meant that I the championship was virtually decided at the end of the third round. Therefore I there w-as no last-minute excitement, for j when Hagen finished with 292 everyone | knew he had won, though fhe closest fight I ers were still ‘far away on the links in the middle of their last effort. Critics agree that Hagen’s fourth victory in the Open Championship is a superb and unique achievement, which is all the more admirable for the manner in which he recovered his nerve and self-confidence after his smashing defeat by G. Duncan in the Ryder Cup. Eight thousand people welcomed Hagen on the last fairway. Hagen stated that he had landed in England with two cups, but had lost one at Leech. He was delighted at taking the other back and only wished the British players could come to America in force. “It would be a grand thing for the game if one of them lifted our cup,” he remarked. “It has been a great struggle. I think I really won in the first round when I managed to finish with 75, despite being drenched by a thunderstorm. I believe I have never played better in any championship, and I am proud that there was only one six in the seventy-two holes.” Hagen to-night, accompanied by other ■ Ryder Cup players, motored to Gleneagles, the famous golf resort in Scotland, as he ! said, to escape the crowds and rest after j a strain of the championship. He is going , to spend a quiet week-end playing golf. Following were the leaders and their scores:— ‘

Qiagen (U.S.A.) . 75 67 75 75—292 Farrell (U.S.A.) . 72 75 76 75—298 Diegel (U.S.A.) . 71 69 82 77—299 Alliss (Brit.) . . 69 76 76 79—300 Mitchell (Brit.) . 72 72 78 78—300 Then followed:— Cruickshank (U.S.A.) 301 Barnes (U.S.A.) 304 Watrous (U.S.A.) 304 Sarazen (U.S.A.) 304 Armour (U.S.A 305 Havers (Brit.) 306 Golden (U.S.A.) 308 Jolly (Brit.) 309 Boomer (Brit.) 309 MacD. Smith (U.S.A.) 309 Duncan (Brit.) 311 T. P. Perkins (Brit.) 312

WALTER HAGEN'S GREAT WIN. THE AMERICANS’ TRIUMPH. (By “Cleek.”) There was great rejoicing when the British professionals beat the Americans in the Ryder Cup matches, and the hope was entertained that this year the British professionals would follow up their victory by recovering the British Open Championship from America. But it was not to be. Last year, just before the championship, Compston gave Hagen a tremendous beating in a match over 72 holes, but Hagen went on to Sandwich and won the championship. This year Geo. Duncan beat Hagen even more decisively in the Ryder Cup matches, but Hagen has again won the championship, while Duncan is away down the list, twenty strokes behind him. The laugh is undoubtedly with Mr Hagen. Furthermore, Americans fill the first three places, and of the ten players at the head of the list eight are Americans. This is America’s eighth win in the last nine years, and just at the moment Britain’s prospects of recovering the greatest golf prize in the world, her own championship, seem as remote as ever. Walter Hagen’s win at Muirfield on Friday was his fourth and as brilliant as any in his record. On the last day the weather changed, and the players at Muirfield had to contend with a gale of wind and drenching rain. Their scores went to pieces. Diegel, who had two rounds of 71 and 69 to his credit, took 82 for the third round. Abe Mitchell, who had done two 72’s, followed with two 78’s. Hagen hammered his way round the long and testing Edinburgh championship course (under conditions which proved too much for the great majority) in two sterling rounds of 75. Muirfield is over 6700 yards in length and heavily bunkered, and to get 75 in two consecutive championship rounds' called not only for great skill, but for grit and determination in the highest degree, 'as well as exceptional J physical fitness. Hagen proved again that ■ he has all these qualities. The Open Championship is usually a ' desperate affair of a single stroke. The fact that Hagen’s score was six strokes bet- < ter than the second man’s speaks for itself. i Only once before has that gap been opened; < that was in 1927 when Bobby Jones broke < all records with an aggregate of 285 at St. j Andrews and the next best score was 291. . Hagen got his first win at Sandwich in , 1922, when his score was 300, and Geo. 1 Duncan just failed to catch him, playing a 1 magnificent last round of 09 to score 301. . At Troon, in 1923, Arthur Havers just man- < aged to get home with 295, Hagen being second with 296. Hagen got his second win at Hoylake in 1924. His score was 301, and E. R. Whitcombe was second with 302. In 1925 Hagen did not compete, but he v was back again in 1926. In that year, J however, Mr R. T. Jones, jr., was in the a field at Lytham and . St. Annes, and with a a score of 291 equalled the best aggregate I ever made in the championship. Hagen S was third with 295. In 1927 Bobby Jones 1

defended his title at St. Andrews and began another of his triumphal marches, establishing the record of 285 already referred to. Hagen was not a competitor, and by staying away saved his time as nobody could live with Jones in that championship. In 1928, however, at Sandwich again, Hagen held the trophy for America in Mr Jones’s absence. His score was 292, and Gene Sarazen was second with 294. This year at Muirfield Hagen scored his most decisive win and equalled Bobby Jones’s feat of winning in two successive years. Truly Hagen is a great golfer, and he appears to revel in championship battles on British courses. His record in the championship of his own country is not to be compared to his deeds in the British Open since 1922. Hagen won the American Open in 1914 and again in 1919, since when he has been in more or less inconspicuous positions among the “also rans” and Bobby Jones has overshadowed him. Bobby Jones will be in England next year with the Walker Cup team. He will almost certainly try for a third win in the British Open, and it is to be hoped that Hagen will be there too. Meantime, so far as golfers the world over arc concerned, it is "Hats off to Hagen.” The following are the winners of the British Open Golf Championships since 1898:— Where Year. Winner played Scr. 1898 H. Vardon Prestwick .307 1899 H. Vardon Sandwich 312 1900 J. H. Taylor St. Andrew's 309 1901 J. Braid Muirfield 307 1902* A. Herd Hoylake 307 1903 H. Vardon Prestwick 300 1904 J. White Sandwich 296 1905 J. Braid St. Andrews 318 1906 J. Braid Muirfield 300 1907 A. Massey Hoylake 312 1908 J. Braid Prestwick 291 1909 J. H. Taylor Deal- 295 1910 J. Braid St. Andrews 299 I 1911 H. Vardon Sandwich 303 1912 E. Ray Muirfield 295 1913 J. H. Taylor Hoylake 304 1914 H. Vardon Prestwick 306 1915-19—Not played. 1920 G. Duncan Deal 303 1921 J. Hutchison St. Andrews 296 1922 W. Hagen Sandwich 300 1923 A. Havers Troon 295 1924 W. Hagen Hoylake 301 1925 J. Barnes Prestwick 300 1926 R. T. (Bobby) Jones St. Anne’s 291 1927 Bobby Jones St. Andrews 285 1928 W. Hagen Sandwich. 292 1929 W. Hagen Muirfield 292 *With rubber-cored ball from this date.