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V o 1 • XXVII APRIL 1 2. 1 924 Number 17
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Another Champion Retains His Title
(W. D. Richardson) ; •
TWO brilliant starting
rounds which gave him
a four-stroke lead over
his nearest rival, plus the ability
to force his game beyond its
natural inclinations, enabled
Walter Hagen to successfully
defend his North and South
championship at Pinehurst last
week. The peerless Walter
travelled over the 72-holes of
play in 283 strokes, six less than
he had in the 1923 championship
which at that time established a
new record for the Pinehurst
classic.
In gaining the title for th$
:hird time, Hagen accomplished
a task quite beyond the ordinary
for in the field against him this
year were not only the cream of America’s salaried brigade but
also the two British stars, Arthur Havers, open champion of John
Bull’s kingdom, and James Ockenden, holder of the French open
crown.
As was the case last year Cyril Walker, of Englewood, finished
in second place by dint of a wonderful sprint made in the final
day when he turned in a 70 and a 71 on the exacting No. 2 cham
pionship course. This was the best set of figures made by any of
the competitors and elevated the New Jersey professional intOi the
runner-up position with a total of 285.
MacDonald Smith, of> San Francisco, and Johnny Farrell, of
Quaker Ridge, respective California and Florida West Coast open
champions, tied for third place with 286. Jock Hutchison, of Glen
View, Western open champion, was fifth with 291; Jim Barnes,
former Pelham professional, and wee Freddie McLeod, of the
Columbia Country Club, Washington, were tied for sixth with
292. Eighth place went to Gene Sarazen, of Briarcliff Lodge,
P- G. A. champion, with 293. Joe Kirkwood, newly appointed
professional at the Rockwood Hall club in the metropolitan dis
trict, was ninth with 296 while the ’last to ‘finish in the money
were Henry Ciuci, eighteen-year-old professional who learned his
game as a caddie on the links around Rye, N. Y., and Tom Boyd,
°f Fox Hills, who had 297 each.
The first two rounds, played on No. 3, left Hagen four shots
abead of Hutchison, five ahead of Barnes, seven ahead of Farrell
aT1d Smith and eight ahead of Walker, Kirkwood and Alex Ross.
Luring those two sorties, Hagen made the game appear ridiculously
epsy as he proceeded jauntily to click off his pars and birdies.
Walter Hagen, who successfully defended his title as Open
North and South Champion.
Sufficient proof of his marks
manship is seen by a glance at
his cards which showed only one
5 and one 6 for the thirty-six
hole rout, the 6 coming at the
last hole when he hooked into
the woods. Twenty-three 4’s
and eleven 3’s made up the bal
ance of his card which, with the
par of the course, follows:
Par—
Out ..444 433 454—35
In ...445 434 354—36—71
MORNING ROUND
Hagen—
Out . .445 433 443—34
In ...444 334 444—34—68
AFTERNOON ROUND
Out ..433 433 444—32
In ...443 434 446—36—68
But whereas he was in a relentless scoring mood on the opening
day when pars and birdies came without effort for him, there was
quite a different situation confronting Hagen on the final day’s
test. He had to struggle throughout the two concluding rounds,
fighting desperately for everything he got, one minute threatening
to crack and the next producing some masterful effort to avert
disaster.
For the third round Hagen required a 74 which enabled Walker,
Farrell and Smith, each of whom turned in 70’s,'to pick up four
strokes on him and to throw a decidedly different light on things.
Hutchison) who was paired with Hagen, picked up two strokes
and started the last round only two shots in arrears.
By the time that the ninth hole was reached in the final round,
the only ones that Hagen had to think about were Smith, Farrell
and Walker, for Hutchison had taken a 39 and Barnes was well
out of it with a 42. * . '
Smith, playing just ahead, went out in 37 and, therefore lost
a stroke more to Hagen, thanks to Walter’s birdie 3 at the ninth
when a 5 looked more than likely after he had played his tee shot.
Walker and Farrell, playing behind, were not setting the world
on fire, although they were holding on grimly apd were in a
position to take advantage of the slightest slip-up on Hagen’s
part.
Two crises came to Hagen on the final round and the manner in
which he solved them are interesting in that they show why he
is paramount in tournament golf. "The first of these came at the
385-yard ninth hole where, as stated before, his drive reached a
trap only a few yards short of the green. From where his ball