National Open

From a window in the locker room of the Winged Foot Golf Club at Mamaroneck, N. Y., you can see the 18th green of the West Course. Through that window last week, Al Espinosa, managing director of the Sportsmen's Country Club at Glencoe, Ill., saw something he will never forget.

Espinosa had just finished his fourth and final round in the National Open Championship. He was getting ready to take a shower. He had holed a 75, for a total of 294. That was two strokes more than Walter Hagen had predicted would win the tournament this year. It was only one stroke more than Robert Tyre Jones Jr. had predicted would win. Somewhere near the last hole, Espinosa knew, Jones was finishing out his own final round. Jones had been four strokes under Espinosa at lunchtime. For Espinosa to remain in the lead for the title, as he was when he turned on his shower, it would be necessary for Jones to come in with a score of 80. As Espinosa well knew, Jones very seldom requires 80 shots for a round of golf anywhere, at any time.

But astonishing reports came to the locker room. Jones had taken seven on two par4 holes. Incredible as it seemed, Jones, teeing off at the 18th, had already played 75 shots, the worst round of his medal championship career.

A groan, then a mingled roar from the huge gallery outside, told Espinosa that something had happened to Jones's second shot on the final hole. Heading for a trap to the left of the green the ball had stopped just short, in rough grass. The next thing Espinosa heard was a loud, but not wholehearted, cheer. Jones had pitched up, but his ball had stopped 12 feet short of the pin. "Let me look," blurted Espinosa and went to the locker room window.

Bobby's skinny caddy was holding the pin. At the top of it fluttered a vivid yellow Hag with 18 in black velvet figures sewed on it. Overhead the little white clouds seemed to have stopped moving for the moment. Because of a tree, Espinosa could not see Jones or the white speck that was his ball. But presently the speck rolled out from behind the tree. It had to go up over a bump in the green. Then it dropped out of Espinosa's sight. A second later it dropped out of everyone's sight. The hushed gallery burst into roaring applause, and Epinosa knew that he would have to play off a tie.

Next day, Sunday, under a threatening sky and the scrutiny of more than 5,000 pairs of eyes, Jones and Espinosa, having taken their wives to church, played together. Almost casually Jones scored 372 while Espinosa struggled around to a shocking 84. That really decided the matter but the rules called for another 18 holes. Jones treated the gallery to a dazzling 69, which he later called his "most perfect round.'' while Espinosa struggled around again, this time in 80.

P: Looking paunchy, with glints of grey in his hair, Jones wore a white sweater, grey knickers, grey socks, black & white shoes. . . . His huge bag is made of leather. Attached to it was a blue plaid umbrella. The bag contained three woods (driver, spoon, brassie) and nine rusty irons. A tenth iron, shiny and new, was the mashie-niblick with which he pitched his 293rd stroke.

P: Walter Hagen, flushed, played with practically no following, scored 309, placed 12th.

P: "Calamity Jane" is the name of the putter that sank the putt that made the tie that let Jones win the tournament. "Jeanie Deans" is the name of the driver that hooked the drives that got into the trouble that made it necessary for "Calamity Jane" to work hard. The man who made "Jeanie Deans" played in the tournament. He, Jack White of Scotland, 56, was the oldest competitor. He started out to be a major sensation by scoring a par 72 in the first round, including a freak shot on the lyth. With 175 yards to go to the green on his second, he bashed the ball with a mashie and hid his face. His caddie cried: "You've made it!"

"Made wot?" asked White, looking up and seeing no ball on the green.

"Why, you've holed it for a two!" answered the caddie.

In the second round old Jack White shot an 86, withdrew. In 1904, he won the British open.

P: To Espinosa went first professional money, $1,000; to Amateur Jones, a gold medal. Between the next 19 professionals was divided $4,000.

P: The Jones title record now stands: British Open twice, U. S. Open thrice (runner-up three times, once tied for second), U. S. Amateur four times.