Golf

French Champion. At Chantilly, France, A. M. Vagliano dug his ball out of the cuppy, sandy lies; kept it out of the briars and birchwoods along the boundaries; evaded the gullies near the clubhouse; holed his putts on the bleached, worm-ridden greens. Against him played strapping Andre Gobert, onetime French Davis Cup (tennis) player. Andre is a newcomer to golf, stiff of wrist, mathematical with his backswing, monstrously strong at long shots; but he needs his gracious, white- toothed smile for such opponents as Monsieur Vagliano. The latter vanquished Andre, 6 and 4 in 36 holes, became French Amateur Champion. U. S. contestants who reached the third round: C. E. Van Vleck, Garden City N. Y.; Louis V. Cochrane, Lake Forest, 111.

Thousand Guineas. Down the spacious, windy fairways of Gleneagles, Scotland, perhaps the grandest golf course in the world, professionals from far and wide beat their balls as they qualified to play for the annual bag of a thousand guineas ($5,000). Vivacious Aubrey Boomer of St. Cloud, France, led them all with a record 69, until swart Abe Mitchell passed him with a pair of 70's for the two rounds. Joe Kirkwood, sole U. S. entrant, was lucky to qualify with 153, the first 80 strokes of which were somewhat impeded by a family of ducks that paraded across one hole and a family of weasels which he helped to slaughter at another.

Through the match play, the veteran Mitchell lasted splendidly until he ran against spry young Archie Compston of Manchester in the lucrative final. From 5 down, Compston crept back to 2 down, 1 down, 1 up, and the gold was his.

Canadian Champion. Americans crossed the border stalking the Canadian Amateur Golf title. They soon collapsed. Max R. Marston, crinkly-haired 1923 U. S. Amateur Champion, was let down at the 38th hole by C. Ross Somerville of the London (Ont.) Hunt Club. George H. ("Porky") Flynn of Pittsburgh, a familiar young figure on Long Island links, passed away before Don Carrick of Toronto in the next round, 2 down. Carrick and Somerville were the finalists, the former spurting steadily ahead to win, 5 and 4.

Chicago Champion. At Chicago, out of the past, strode a handsome figure. Burdened with business and a family, Robert A. Gardner, National Amateur Golf Champion in 1909 and 1915, is little heard of these days in the wider golfing circles. Last week, at his home club, Onwentsia (Lake Forest, Ill.) he clenched his putter firmly, ended a sweltering match with a 35-ft. putt that beat Tom Frainey, Chicago public-links player, 3 and 2 for the Chicago District Championship, held, last year as well, by Gardner.

Par. In Manhattan, it was recognized that women golfers are not what they used to be. They are more so-stronger, harder-hitting. The Women's Eastern Golf Association, last week, elevated feminine par from the old yardage scale :

175 yd. and under ....................................................Par 3

176 to 325 yd ............................................................Par 4

326 to 450 yd............................................................ Par 5

451 to 575 yd ............................................................Par 6

576 yd. and up ..........................................................Par 7

to the following*:

190 yd. and under.......................................................Par 3

191 to 350 yd ...............................................................Par 4

351 to 500 yd ...............................................................Par 5

501 yd. and up ............................................................Par 6

* Yardages for men's par:

250 yd. and under ......................................................Par 3

251 to 445 yd ..............................................................Par 4

446 to 600 yd ..............................................................Par 5

601 yd. and up ............................................................Par 6