Ryder Cup Home

Two days last week, 18 men, professionals all, strode in quartets and pairs over the fields of Moortown, England. Very seriously they went from Windyridge to Punchbowl, from Lone Pine to Spinney. On the second day, long before the last of them reached Home, which was the name of Moortown's 18th hole, the people that were following them knew that the British had won the Ryder golf cup. It was big news. The U. S. had been expected to win as it won two years ago.* On the first day, when the foursomes were played, the U. S. had led, 2 1/2points to 1 1/2. Loose-jointed young Horton Smith from Joplin, Mo., did not play in the foursomes. Instead he followed Leo Diegel and Al Espinosa who, playing the best match of the two days, beat Britain's Boomer and Duncan seven up and five to go. The U. S. won two matches, dropped one, tied another. By lunchtime the next day, British golf enthusiasts were jubilant. The British team was leading in four matches, three were tied, and only Leo Diegel of the U. S. was ahead. Sleek, droop-jowled Walter Hagen, British open champion and captain of the U. S. team, and Britain's cadaverous Captain George Duncan, had halved eight out of the first nine holes. Then Duncan had gone ahead to a five-hole lead. "Sure, I'll win. I always do," was the Hagen attitude. But dour George Duncan won, ten up and eight to go. Best medal scores (par was 71) : Diegel, 65, second day; Diegel and Espinosa 66, first day; Duncan, 69, second day.

*Given by Samuel Ryder, British seedsman, in 1926, for U. S.-British professionals, the cup is played for in alternate years.