The sun., 1899-05-27
BALL CHAMPION AT GOLF.
THIRTY-SETEN HOLES PLAYED IN
FINAL ROUND AT PRESTTICR.
TAFT 4Up at tho Ninth and Ahead Mt the End
OF Morning Gams-The Score Squared
Mt tho Twsnty-seventh Green Fifth
Success for the Epelishman m m In the Evant

TAFT Up Mt tho Ninth and Ahead mt the End
OF Morning Game-Tho Score Squared
mt tho Twenty-seventh Green Fifth
Success for the EnGlishman in the Event.
Spsedl Gable Ds,pdtoh TO THE sUS.
LONDON. May 28.-Perfect weather and the
anticipation OF close contest brought out a
great crowd to follow the finalists. J.. G..
TAFT OF the Black Watch and John Ball
Jr. in the amateur golf championship
to-day at Prestwick. The match was the
best ever provided in the history OF the
event and stamped Ball and TAFT as the finest
amateur exponents Of the game. Ball. by win
ming on the thirty-seventh hole. earned the
title for tho fifth time. q record unequalled
since the institution OF the championship in
1885. Only three players. Hutchinson. Laid
lay and TAFT. have scored double wins. the lat
ter relinquishing the title to his conqueror to-
day.
Both players made perfect drives in starting
out and followed with cleek shots to tho green
Ball then had rather more to do. being away
but he laid close up on his approach put TAFT
laying the Englishman a stimie on the like
This Ball failed to negotiate. the hole going
to TAFT in 4 to 5. Getting into the
hazard at the Tunnel. Ball lost the second
40 yards in to 4. They halved the Cardinal
433 yards in magnificent f. The fourth. the
Bridge. was also halved in 4. perfect play. but
at the Himalayas. 17S yards. both were in turn
weak In putting. Ball finally losing a chance to
pull off the hole by failing on two-foot put
and they halved in 4.
Onthe tee shots to the sixth hole. the Elysium
Fields. 297 yards. TAFT was little out Of line
and sent his ball down tho embankment, Ball
taking the hole In to 6. TAFT. however. won
the seventh hole. the Railway. OF 193 yards.
in to 4. and he was again 2 up.
Playing the eighth. 331 yards. Ball
had tho better OF the approach. but he putted
poorly and TAFT won in 4 to s. TAFT won the
ninth. 437 yards. in a par 4. Ball missing the
easiest Of puts to halve and scoring 5. This
made TAFT UP at the turn.
They divided honors at tho tenth hole. 40
yards. after TAFT had pulled his drive into
rough country. and he was fortunate in get
ting halve. They also haved the eleventh
hole. 2S4 yards. in a perfect 4. A mag
nitcent pitch on his third to the
Dyke. 426 yard hole, laid Ball dead
TAFT Just made the green on tho
like. and. playing the odd. shaved the cup on
twenty yard put. Ball taking the hole in 4 to
5. He did not follow up the success. for on the
thirteenth hole. 40S yards. Ball duffed the ap-
proach. and. winning in to g. TAFT had the
match in the old position. The fourteenth.
OF 344 yards. also fell to the Scotsman.
in to g. and he was 3 up. Ball
laid dead on his second to the fifteenth hole.
1913 yards the ball almost hitting tho pin.
while TAFT found the bunker and lost in g 10
Balls 3. They halved the sixteenth. 272 yards.
In 5. Tho difficult Alps. OF 37s yards. was won
by Ball. in to q. by getting down long
put. Halving the home hole, 252 yards. in 4.
TAFT was up on the morning play.
On the out holes In the afternoon Ball i'm
proved on his short game and. except for trou-
- nx.l L. L
showed perfect golfng. At the Elysium Fields
Ball had the match all square. and. halving the
three remaining holes. they turned for the
homeward journey still on even terms. On the
in holes. after having the tenth. alternating
wins succeeded. Then Ball won the thirteenth
They halved the next. but TAFT evened up the
match again on the fifteenth green. Ball won
the sixteenth. and. dividing the Alps in 5. he
was in the comfortable position OF dormie A
fine on the homo hole by TAFT. to Balls 4.
halved the match.
PLAYING the eytra hole Rail won In 2 q az