Evening star., 1898-09-16
PLAYING gsEMI-FINALs S
Four Golf Experts Continue Their Efforts
for Supremacy.
Douglas Has Made by Far the Best
Showing In the TOurna-
~ment.

eight dSpirdntS TOT championship nonorS
fell by the wayside, looked fresh and conf
dent when they reached the Morris County
Links to continue their efforts for suprem-
acy at the old Scotch game.
The survivors are C. B. Macdonald CT the
Chicago Golf Club, Walter B. Smith of On
wentsia Club, Lake Forest, Ill; Walter ].
Travis of the Oakland Club, Bayside, L. l.,
and Findlay Douglas of the Fairfield Coun-
ty Club, Greenwich, Conn. OF those four
two are home-bred players and the others
learned the fine points of the game in the
Land O. cakes"
OF the quartet, Douglas has made by far
the best showing during the week, and his
play of yesterday was superb. His Won
derful record of seventy-six for the eigh-
teen hoies at once stamped him as an al
most sure winner. None of the men who
quahhed Tor the Semi-fnals today has
SHOWN anything like the form displayed by
the Fairfield county man, but Travis, with
whom he Is paired for todayS match play
may give him hard tussle for the honors.
travis mas the credit of being the great
est winner IN open tournaments held under
the auspices of the Metropolitan Golf As
soclatlon this year, and his play during the
last four days leaves very little to DC de-
sired douglas is Scotch-bred golfer and
mas not been in this country more than
eighteen months. AT the ST. Andrews Uni
Verslty he was captain of the golf club and
considered the premier player in the
younger set.
An Australian Player.
Travis is an Australian, but all that he
knows about golf he has learned in this
country, and should he be fortunate enough
to win from Douglas today his victory will
tend to make the game more popular, if
that were possible
Macdonald and Smith, both Of Chicago,
are strong players, but the youth of the
latter may prove a drawback, as his oppo-
nent is more matured at the game. Mac
Donald is a Canadian by birth, but as a
schoolboy picked UP the rudiments of the
game at st. Andrews, Scotland. Since
then he has constantly associated with the
past1me. and he won the first amateur
championship of the United States Golf
Association, which was played at New
port, r. ].
Walter b. Smith is the youngest of the
four, but he has an excellent record. For
two years past he was a member of the
Yale University golf team, and last spring
he won the local college championship at
New Haven. He is the home-bred cham
pion of the Onwentsia Golf Club of Lake
toreSt. H.. and is particularly strong on
driving. His short game admits of con-
siderable Improvement, but if he can re-
peat his performance of yesterday and the
previous day he ought to put up a very
creditable game against his big opponent
Lihks f1afu ana Dry.
The threatening weather in which the
play was concluded Yesterday was dis
PEELED this forenoon by bright sunshine
long before the contest was resumed. The
links We're dry and hard.
Douglas and Travis began their opening
round at 10:30 O'Clock, and twenty minutes
later the two Chicagoans began their test
of skill. Each pair was followed by a large
assemblaSe of men and women golfers, and
most interesting days play will un-
doubtedly occupy the attention of the spec
tators until the last hole is decided. In
the opening round Douglas drove the ball
splendidly, landing 1T on the old green
Travis drove poorly, the ball falling near
the fence along the railroad track. On his
second Travis sent the ball out of bounds
and he lost a stroke. Douglas WON the
hole, to @. Both drove to the green for
the second hole, which was halved in g.
Score: Douglas / up.
OF the second pair Smith had the honor
of opening the play but he topped his ball
badly and it rolled down into the punch
bowl. Macdonald drove to the old green,
and his second shot sent the ball to the
edge of the green. Smiths lofted pitch was
we'll executed, and he outputted MacDon-
aid. winning the hole, 4 to s. Smith was
unfortunate in his drive for the second
hole. as his ball landed on the hillside to
the left. Macdonald did not drive so well,
but got a better lie. His second shot sent
the ball within ten feet of the hole. Smith
played well also on his approach. but he
missed his put, and Macdonald holed in 3
to 4, which made the players even.
Travis Recovery.
Douglas and Travis halved the third hole,
but the next one was Douglas in to 4,
and the Scotchman then led by up.
Travis got on the fifth green in and held
out in i to 6, pulling down his opponents
lead 1 up. Douglas regained his score of =
up on the sixth hole which he won after
smashing second shot and put of Is
feet in 1 TO D. Douglas made beautiful
drive from the seventh tee, using an iron
for his second shot, sending his ball we'll
on the green. He holed out N to g. II
playing for the eighth Travis made WON
deriui recovery out of the sand back of
the green, sending the ball within four
inches of the cup and won the hole to 5.
The ninth hole was halved in s. which left
Douglas in the lead by up on the half of
the first round. Score for first nine holes:
Douglas, out. 3 , 1 i 4 D 5-;:y
Travis, out................ 5 3 ) q 4 ) 6 5-43
Smith put up very strong game against
Macdonald and led by 1 up on the ninth
hole. Scores:
Macdonald, outs, 8, s. g. 3, G. = i 5-45
Smith, out, 1, ), l. D, 4, 3, 8, 6-42
The third hole was halved, but Smith won
the fourth in to 6. Smith should have
won the fifth, but made poor put and the
hole was halved in ). The young player did
better on the sixth, winning the hole in 4
10 6- Smiths poor play at the short game
was very much against his chances of sue
cess, as he should have won the seventh
and eighth holes, which were divided in <
MacDonald won the ninth in to G. Smith
driving out Of bounds.
Col. Harries Sees the President
Col. Geo. II. Harries visited President
Mckinley this afternoon and talked over
the Santiago camDaign