AMATEUR GOLF

Southland Times, Issue 21098, 2 June 1930, Page 7

AMATEUR GOLF

BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP JONES BEATS WETHERED BODYGUARD FOR PLAYERS IN FINAL (United Press Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright) London, May 30. In the amateur championship semi-finals, Bobby Jonte (America) beat Voight (America) one up; Roger Wethered (England) beat Leicester Hartley (England), two and one. Bobby Jones only won his way into the final at St. Andrews tournament after a thrilling struggle against his fellow American. Neither ever led by more than the odd hole. They were all square at the turn and again even at the 17th. The crowd lined the distance from the tee to the green at the deciding eighteenth hole. Voight’s second was short, while Jones’s was only five feet from the flag. Jones laid the approach putt dead. Voight was again short and had to hole a longish putt to halve and save the match. Despitfe the enormous crowd there was breathless silence. Voight pitted and just lipped the hole. Both players embraced and were almost carried off by the protecting policemen. The Final. Bobby Jones crowned his career when after nine matches in six days, entailing the loss of" a stone in weight, he carried off the amateur championship by defeating Wethered. After maintaining for nine holes, his reputation for playing his best golf at Saint Andrews he encountered disaster, losing four successive holes. He and his opponent were out in 35, turning all square, but Jones was four up at the end of the first round. Thereafter, Wethered continually blundered, not always redeeming himself. Jones played inspiredly, with unhurried, machine-like perfection. When the afternoon round started, the players appointed bodyguards to ensure elbow room, Ouimet and von Elm protecting Jones while Tolley helped to safeguard Wethered. Nevertheless, clearing the fairway of intruders necessitated several delays. Trains brought hundreds of Scots, swelling the pandemoniac crowd to 20,000, including fanatics with neighing bagpipes. None were hit despite stampedes from green to green. A diminutive woman spectator, stymied by the crowd, overcame the handicap with a periscope. The American was six up at the tenth hole in the last round, the eleventh was halved for three. The twelfth was the last of a memorable match. Wethered crossed the green in two and ran a yard and a half past with his next shot, missing the putt, Jones, who was dead on, won the hole, the match and the championship, 7 and G.