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Show 0' t7ales of a3 Wmm ttkgy y GRANTLAND RICE Copyright, 1922, New York Tribune, t Inc. What about the chance, of Hagen. rtorn. - m,l Hutchison In th- British 'open, wh.i ii cr'i. M the classic links of Sandwich In the next fortnight? Batch one has about one chance In seven or eight, and the three together have a very fair chance but you know the canny and uncanny ways of golf 'and what quaint, queer developments , can take place in a given round, i "When star professional, get to-'gether." to-'gether." remarked Alex Smith some time ago. "It is mainly a matter of good or bad timing You will find three or four from the field who on that particular occasion are meeting the ball in the right way. gutting re-anlts re-anlts without any great effort Thw usually take the tournamen in their hands, and then it falls to the one who . has a shade in the- luck and Is getting his putts down. But no one can tell when three or four of the best will happen tn be off that week, where with uncertain timing they arc out of It." THE BIG i Mi;: i On past performance dope these three are the best Uncle Sam can bank on In a big classic. It may be that all three will be Just 'about at top form, hitting the ball as it ought to he hit If this h ippens they have Just u9 strong a chance as Dutacan, Hay and Mitchell or any other three picked from the" British Isles But here is where the morose odds come in. It Isn't likely that all three will be at the top of championship form, with the putter doing Its share, and you can't afford to have many delinquents where only throe are carrying car-rying the burden. Against these three Great Britain can offer Ducan, Mitchell, Ray, Ha-vers, Ha-vers, Klrkwood, Wethered. Herd, Tay-. Tay-. lor Vardon, Braid, Ockenden and some five or six others of top rank. I From these, twelve or fifteen possibilities possi-bilities six or eight can be off, lacking the proper touch, and there will still be as many others rambling around between T'J and 76. Great Britain may have several stars : vv ho are putting poorly, with u reserve ; on hand that may be putting extremely well-- and the putt Is a big part of any championship, not only a grent score .maker, but a steadying factor for flut-I flut-I tering nerves Ol it I II i S Will Hutchison, Hagen or Barnes make the best showing? ! llutrhison. probably the moat hrtl- liant golfer In the world, and certainly, one of the mont spectacular, carries I heavy burden In defending his title. But If Jock can only get wy br.-kly and blithely he will be hard to hold in check. HI. ChanCS depends mnrn npon nts I start than anything el.c His gnme, I has been a trifle erratic, following the I (long 10.000-mlle three-month Journey, I t but onee the inspiration comes upon him the san.ly-halred Chicago-Scot can come upon miracles In a hurry. B urns, baa always hoen consistent. Be finished flt'h in 1920 and tied for sixth In 1921. after leading the field at the end of fifty-four hole.. He was not physically able then r a heaT fusillade from a flock of bolls, to go the full route. Hagen is about due to make a better bet-ter ahOWlng. He finished 55th In 1920. i - ,. it iter four bad rounds, and la6t rum rked his way down to sixth J place. Hagl n has never been quite as consistent con-sistent since he retired from the active I professional field and gave up his work upon u golf course. Yet he is still a determined player, a fin. p. uter and has his chance to go far. There is no great difference among r three Last summer Hutchison the British opn. Barnes the I nited Btatea open and then Hagen. I with both Barnes and Hutchison en-tered, en-tered, won the Western open and the Profi sional Qolfera Championship It comes down to a matter of touch or feel on the days of the championship champion-ship The duffer has nis day when ho ! Is much better than usual and his I day when ho 1. much worse. Tho same appllee to the best o fthe pros I Blrkwood recently led Duncan. Ray. Mitchell and others 13 strokes In a 72 hole medal round That was Klrk-wood's Klrk-wood's wek. Mitchell, who ha. been j way off, may be due to start back. I he may be coming on In place of going I back, as he was the last two ears. I Duncan will be exteremely dangerous. In fact the three leading British en- I tries now seem to be Duncan. Kay d Klrkwood with the far hitting Wethered a dark horse. Wethered is one of the most Improved golfers in '.ho world since June a year ago. Sandwich Sand-wich from the back tees will suit his nrl If he happens to be hitting his putts he will be a factor worth watching But In a field of this cal-li.re cal-li.re the final allotment belongs with 'the gods |