Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-03
vARD0N WINS OUT
Champion Plays Steady Golf Against
Local Professionals.
TUCKER And BALL PLAY WELL
Match Was Nip and Tuck From
Start to finish.
VICTORY WON BY ONE UP

Today's rainy weather put damper upon
the local golf enthusiasts. but the match
play between Champion Vardon and Pro-
fessionals Tucker and Ball went on just
the same. Harry Vardon is In such great
demand by the golf clubs of the country
that his time lor the entire playing season
is taken months ahead. These engage
ments prevented a postponement of the
champions appearance on the links OF the
Chevy Chase Club today, and a result
the drive-off of the first tee was made
shortly after IL o'clock this morning.
The dismal weather conditions are to be
deplored, there are many golfers in
Washington who had made up their minds
to witness the play of the champion but it
required the stoutest of hearts to face the
possibility of pneumonia by going over the
links in the driving rain. With fair weather
the gallery would have numbered several
hundred. but this morning the enthusiasts
that watched the play could have been
numbered inside two score and ten
While the weather prevented a large at
tendance of spectators, it had a very small
detrimental effect upon the players The
course at Chevy Chase is in such perfect
shape that a forty days deluge would
hardly damage it enough to prevent
good playing thereon, and as a consequence
the display of golf by Messrs. Nardon,
Tucker and Ball can be classed as unusual-
ly steady, if not brilliant. Champion Var
don is evidently in almost perfect physical
condition, as his playing this morning was
almost tlawless, the wet green being the
only handicap encountered in first-class
put ting.
Willie" Tucker, the professional in
charge of the Chevy Chase links, was given
the honor of leading off in the match, and
his drive from the initial tee was a beauty,
as, in fact, were those also made by Var
don and Ball. Both Tucker and Vardon
made nice approaches, but a drive into the
first bunker by Ball pushed him to the
rear. the first named taking the initial hole
in four strokes, while the other two took
five.
The second hole was haIved, each player
covering the link in four strokes apiece.
The third and fourth We're also halVed, five
and three being the strokes required for
each hole. These four holes were made
in excellent form by the trio, neither play
er having shade the best of the golf
argument
On the fifth hole great piece of luck
permitted Vardon to capture the honors,
his approach shot striking small wooden
bridge over the gully, the ball going onto
the green, while Tucker and Ball were
digging the little white sphere from the
mud and grass therein. Vardon. captured
this hole in five strokes, while Tucker and
Ball took five
Nardons prettiest drive came from the
sixth tee the ball sailing through the air
and clearing a distance of fully -22J yards:
but Notwithstanding this brilliant stroke
llie pest lie Coulu 90 was TO naive the hole
with Ball in five, Tucker taking six On
the seventh. eighth and ninth holes the two
local professionals shared honors in halv-
Ing the drives with the champion. First it
would be Tucker who kept in stroke with
Nardon and then Ball would take I'D the
running and prevent the great player from
forging ahead On the seventh hole Tuck
er and Vardon took four strokes each.
while Ball took FIVE
On the eighth Ball required six strokes
While the other two went over the link in
hve. On the ninth Tucker dropped to the
rear with four strokes. while Vardon and
Ball fought it out with three each, UNI
usually pretty playing.
Inc tenth hole furnished the surprise, as
Ball captured it in three strokes. Vardon
and Tucker taking four each to complete
the link. Ball had secured a poor start in
the match, and faced several hard luck
drives, but he certainly pulled himself to-
gether on this hole. his drive approach
and put being unusually accurate and sure
Up to this time the trio had been PLAYING
golf on almost similar lines the small de-
fects in each others play being about
equally divided. On the last eight holes this
order continued, Vardon forging to the
front on the fifteenth link and winning the
match on one up. The total score of the
match was:
,I,,o ...............tIb
tucker. .......................... 81
Dan SIS
While these scores do not get within hail
Ing distance of the records for the Chevy
chase links. they be cIassed as extra
ordinary on account of the Wea her Cham
plon Nardon went over the course Yesterday
with Tucker and Ball and his short expert
ence evidently benefited him greatly
Inc afternoons match was to have start
ed about O'Clock. The gallery had in
creased cOnSllera bly in Nv,