New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-13
GOLF.
HARRY vARDON SCORES ANOTHER VIC
TORY AT LAURENCE HARBoR.
ENGLISH CHAMPION WINS EXHIBITION MATCH
BY II UP AND 10 TO Goa GREAT CROWD
WITNESSES THE CONTEST.

WITNESSES THE CONTEST.
Harry vardon is not only the golf champion of
Great Britain, but in the opinion of old stagers
who ought to know he is the best golfer who ever
swung a club. Yesterday, at the Laurence Harbor
links. he gave his first formal exhibition in this
country, playing the best ball Of two of the Lau-
Harbor amateurs, and winning the match by
II up and 10 to play. The contest was at thirty-sX
holes. eighteen in the forenoon and eighteen in the
afternoon His opponents in the forenoon half were
Mortimer NJ Singer and John NJ. Ward and in the
afternoon Singer and H. C. Villepigue.
Everybody knows that the professionals in golf
fine fellows, and it goes without saying that
between the king Of golfers and the pick Of the Lau-
renee Harbor amateurs the crowd we'll repaid
for its journey. And it a crowd Hundreds OF
people there in all going toggery, and
the best Of It all the enthusiasm OF the women,
who picked up their skirts and tramped through the
oozing mud with the most absolute disregard of
everything. R. II. Robertson, president-elect of
the Metropolitan Golf Association acted a referee.
Other great players may get their strokes away
as easily. carry them as far and land them dead
on the green. but Vardon, while playing up to the
top Of his game, what you might think to be
the top, always has ounce two In reserve,
and this gives him the power which made the
spectators remark to another that the
in class by himself. The moral effect of Var
don's powers of recovery, when he did happen to
make a slip told heavily in his favor. Every duff
fer knows the exhilaration of seeing his opponents
ball slip into a bunker go careening into the
rough but watched the English champion
yesterday. he realized the deadly strain of being
pitted against man who made his approach shots
out of a bunker ditch with easy confidence
and perfect a precision If the ball nicely
teed.
The amateurs played a plucky uphill game. but
you could see encouragement creeping over them
as Vardon stole hole after hole on the most heart
breaking shots. Vardon makes very long drive
he says his usual carry is about one hundred and
eighty yards-and his second shots are prodigious
There were times when his iron play bit
certain, especially on the second round But as a
rule his approaches, whether long short,
wellnigh perfection-that sort Of perfection that
tells you the has the whole topography Of the
course packed into the muscles of his wrists. There
is no doubt about Vardons deicacy and strength in
putting, though Ike all the great men of golf he
is not above missing a short put on occasions.
Isn't he nice lOoking?" was the profound golhng
comment Of of his fair admirers in the gal
lery." And certainly Vardon who at the moment
preparing to drive. looked the pink OF physical
condition, with bright clear eye, springy walk.
and Just the air and build of a man you would
pick out if you wanted one to fight the Beers
But not all the comments displayed this lack Of
appreciation Of his golhng merits The crowd in
cluded some of the best known in the metro.
poHtan district and it Is safe to say that none or
observers.
You read in books about strength not count
ing said one old player during one CT the inter-
walls, but don't you believe it. Vardon's strong
Which man would you back in fight" re-
marked a veteran close by, the man who had
only style, the who has fists and muscles
as wei?" But Vardon himself, when seen after
the contest was inclined TO disavow any excessive
~ 5 f b Ot course t 81, ne y @
! scarcely knew which to admire more-the amazing
power of timing that Vardon reveals in stroke
e the which fnabsd him to hit the Pa
seemed TO be uncontrolled abandon. For it Is
Z have beard lot about Vardon's driving com,
m 1'6 o4e OF the spectators and heard lot Of
nm Play pstore and can fully account for i now;
hsrdI ' D''' lar because ne "''' l. 80 OA'D'''
The wegtbar was of the sort that nobody asked
| and solden under foot with the air raw and
comfortable, totally unlike the smiling summer
skies that favors most of the big golf tournaments
Il Mould hardly DO to call the AFFAIR air
so far as the amateurs were concerned they sized
oday KIND Ro BAH 1f Is Sa The
had the privilege of counting the ball that
[ne same one throughout In other words 1t was
Others and. as was anticipated it was Vardons
The morning half was at eighteen holes, and here
Sne Engnsaman had as his opponents Mortimer NJ.
managed to helve the first hole with the visitor in
h har D. This hole measures Az yards The second,
o. singer I being a stroke behind, while poor Ward
! champion to take the next in perfect l. each of
| ms opponents scoring D. Vardon at this time was
he 6Rg the erfbS bail ali on g he
did not to gain the e a1 5OP all 19aT he
pardon played the next, the fourth in fine 4.
Singer taking long 6 drive and %l cRar W9eq
lste approach were responsible for Vardon's sue
! cess at the sixth, and then the amateurs scored
! their hrst hole of the match, both going down in
! to Vardon's ). This the champions lead
! down 10 up. The eighth, a nice OF 80 yards.
| was won easily by Fardon, who the green
| in two and down in two more For the home hole
OF 52 yards Vardon took G. Singer negotiating it i'm
I and Ward In g. This gave the champion a COM
Portable lead Of UP to start the second round
with. The cards up TO this point read:
S $$3; :::::::::i
On this second trip Vardon cut a stroke from
old story Of drive. approach and put. all executed
with the precision and accuracy OF clock work The
first two holes he won in 8 each the third he
halved with Singer in 4; the he won I'm the
same figure, but Singer took the fifth in a splendid
g. leaving the champion only up. At the sixth
Nardon topped his drive into the road, also topped
his brassey, which he played from a dirt lie but
| a splendid recovery on his iron enabled him TO
halve with Ward in 3. Singer down a long
put for the seventh hole, halvng it with Var
don in that figure. The latter made his only bad
error of the round on the home hole, for after
making sizzling drive he topped his brassey and
though fine recovery brought him out he took
for the hole. The cards
yardon .....................5 1 Ell
Singer ......................6 ! 3 3 o 4 s G-45
Ward .........-.....-.......7 @ . 8 5 3 $50
This left Vardon with score OF & UP to go IN
luncheon on, and after that the interest of the on
lockers became less intense. Ii was almost too
one sided even for those who realized that the
amateurs were match for their rival
After the interval for luncheon H. c. Viiepigue