The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-15
GOLFER TRAVIS IS An
INTERESTING CHARACTER.
bEiIENEs IN LUCK, HOODOOs AND
ENPERiMENTING-HA IMPROVED
VERY MUCH RECENTLY
BEGINNING TO LEARN
THE GAME.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
New York. July H.-One more pationa
golf championship is over, and must 1
future be referred to as Il matter Of history
On Saturday Walter ]. Travis won IN
proud title OF amateur golf champion OF tn
United states by defeating Finiay s. Doug
las by up In memorable 3g-hole mate
over the links OF the Garden City Golf Club
The new champion Is a member OF the clu
In question. while Douglas represents Fair
field County. "a he always has since arriv
Ing In this country
This memorable contes: furnished a clea
| Illustration OF what brains and science cal
DO. even when handicapped by physical con
ditions. When Travis began playing golf
about five years ago his driving was de
| cidediy short and uncertain. and for tina
matter, his tee shots were not heightened
out TO their present average until some
| thing Tess than a year ago. just aftei
Travis defeated Douglas. the writer hat
quite long talk with this student OF tho
game. Among other things. he touched
upon his long games as follows:
why. l never knew how to drive until
| last fall. Before then. 1eo to 10 yard balls
were about my limit. Now my drives have
been increased fully twenty-five yards"
How do you account for your improve
ment IN this branch of the gamer asked
the writer
"It's due principally to a more perfect
follow through. combined with wris. ac-
tion.' was the champions reply with
the long game Douglas was playing to-day
l would have been beaten easily had hot
improved over a year ago."
As Travis picked up his clubs and start
ed 10 walk out of the clubhouse toward the
station he startled the writer by remark
ing: Il am only just learning this game"
DO you mean TO say that You are likely
TO work up your game to an even greater
degree OF proficiency in the future?" asked
his companion.
Well. l should say so." said Travis
my. am now just scratching on the
outside. and II l don't improve my game
by at least three strokes by another year
l shall be very much surprised There's a
peculiar circumstance with regard to my
putting During the early part Of the week
Johii Brooks Of Scranton asked me where
that club was that l putted so Well with
In the championship at Morristown two
years ago. l recalled the fact that I did
hole some fairly long puts with that club
curing the Morristown week. but later got
tfed OF the weapon and tried to give 1t
away. The person / gave 1t TO tried the
cluD, but soon returned it with thanks at
the same time pronouncing II to be good tor
nothing.
since then 1t remained unsued I'm my
locker. 1 am always experimenting "A good
deal with clubs. and It occurred TO me when
Brooks MADE the remark previously mea-
TONED 10 give the club another trial I
began using II on Thursday and have rarely
putred better since playing the game
To me, one of the charms OF the game
mas been 10 try this and that club. do not
ona;nse ND irons SO much. but am always
gong from one wooden club to another. IL
II had not been for my inclination TO expert
inert 1 never should have improved my
game. at least TO the same marked degree
oh. Aithoush | competed in the amateur
weatsla. did not feel that my game had
been perfected sufficiently to carry me
tnrough the week undefeated. told my
heavily on my chances. Not then, l said.
Wait till next year. I may be heard from
III INe When l saw how l was playing for
some time past L became convinced that my
chances this year would be excellent In
Tact, throughout the entire tournament my
con,lasnce IN my ability to win out re-
For the FIRST time In the history of the
came IN tnis country the winner Of the
ehampionship also carried of chief honors
peTed that Travis had low score on the
cpSning day. Only triie more than two
months ago he defeated Herbert NJ. Harri-
man In the final round Of the Metropolitan
so the honors for the present,
at least. all belong to Walter. j. Travis.
But 10 return 10 Saturdays final round.
Befofe the players started out on their
mornings play opinion seemed to be pretty
evenly divided as to the probable outcome
OF the match. A good many could not see
anything but Douglas. even though reco2-
nizing the fact that his putting would be
almost sure 10 cost him good many holes
before the days play had been finished:
bother Travis. and consequently looked to
see the former Oakland captain fall OF
somewhat from the standard ne had MAIN
tanned in his earlier matches. on the other
hand, all the Travis admirers had to do
was to point to the record of their man
during the other rounds. to say nothing OF
when he defeated Douglas in the final
round for the chief cup.
The match had not proceeded many holes
before It became evident that Travis was
In a deadly putting vein. He was either
holing his first put OF else laying It up 50
close as to make 1t almost a certainty that
he would get down on his next Douglas,
In his eagernesS. was OVERRIDING the thing.
ofttimes going too far on his approach puts.
rravis's weakest exhibition Of putting was
On the thirteenth green, where he missed a
Iwo-foot chance for halve. The green Is
On slope, and seemed to bother the golfers
throughout the weeks play. 1t was there
Dn the day previous that Hartman missed
The easiest kind OF put. From the thir-
Ieenth hole home throughout the mornings
play the Fairfield mans golf was of a
mediocre quality. at least for him. Those
ives. skies and a single four-spot did not |
Indicate championship going by any means. |
The trouble seemed to be due to over
anxiety to get distance with his wooden
Tubs. and also give his opponent more 20
10 around the green by getting up closer |
On his approach shots. On several Of those |
asst holes of the morning round there Is no ]
loubt that Travis outplayed his man. but l
1t that the new champion had his share OF l
uck playing the eighteenth. After topping |
lis iron drive into the pond, Travis dropped |
mother ball. The latter new away as |
straight as string. stopping within a few |
eet of the hole. That made his third shot. |
tut by holding the put he secured a halve l
n 4. Douglas, as usual, putting indiffer- |
Save for the scotchman's poor work on
he green. In the afternoon. the pace he set /
would have been practically Irresistible. |
Toward the last, when his remarkable long |
,ame seemed to be having its effect on /
travis, the Fairfield man lost a hole in a |
most unfortunate manner. 1t was the six
eenth, which Is over 40 yards long. Travis |
layed two excellent shots with his wooden |!
Tubs, the ball stopping some forty yards /
hort of the bunker guarding the green. /
oled the put for a par 4. Douglass two L
ong shots were beautifully executed. with !
he result that his brassey second put his /
all plump into the bunker. He had been /
enalized for getting 400 yards in two shots.
lie made the green on his next, but needed |
5 before the guilty" was down. Taking
all in ALL the match was the most stub
ornly fought of any of the championship
mails during the past five years. The two
asst holes were played in a binding thun-
erstorm, which tended to make the finish |