Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-02-03

r United States have been ondcayor.
q ing to get Harry Vardon. the open
champion OF the world and recognized
as the best living exponent Of golf, to
play in this country. That they have
at last succeeded In getting a definite
promise only makes their JOY the
greater. Every student Of the game
who can possibly manage II will hasten
to Florida to see this remarkable player
and learn something, if possible by
watching his method OF making the va
rious strokes.
To the uninitiated It seems the easiest
thing In the world, while watching an
expert, 10 grab q club, swing 1t lightly
and send the gutta percha sphere flying
through space for u distance OF 200
yards or more, but the difficulty Of the
operation will be speedily realized after
few efforts with a driver.
It IS only the golfer. therefore, who
can appreciate at It's true worth the
wonderful skill attained by Vardon. A
man Of ordinary ability may possibly,
by means Of a wonderful streak Of luck
combined with unusually good play,
win from players far above him as q
rule, and thus gain an Isolated victory
now and again. But 1t Is the man who
can do this feat day in and day out,
year after year. who is the great golfer.
And. truly. Harry Vardon's reputation
hangs by no slender thread Of a freak
victory Instead his triple triumph at
the open championships In 1895, 1898 and
1889 proves him TO be golfer OF Won
derful oaliber. Not only Is he able TO
overcome his brother pros In the medal
game, but IL a grade above them In
match play. Time after time last sea.
son ne led at the end Of each qualifying
medal round by several strokes, and
also won the concluding stages, which
are generally decided under match play
conditions, thus proving his worth at
every style Of game.
Warden has style which Is totally
unlike that Of any other prominent
player. He uses rather short clubs of
fairly light weight and his method Of
holding them is different from that usu-
ally adopted. His grip Is what is known
as the interlocking one, In which the
left thumb is placed down the shaft,
contrary TO the usual method Of thumbs
round the wood. The left thumb is bur-
led underneath the ball Of the right
hand. The little finger Of the right hand
overlaps and is placed on top OF the first
middle joint Of the first finger Of the
left hand. II Ia the opinion Of those
who use this grip that overswinging 10
thereby reduced to a minimum.
Nardon's swing Is not Of the free,
dashlng order, but appears TO be more
Of a hit than a swing, The club, how
ever. comes down with terrific speed,
and the balls next resting place Is
some 200 yards farther on. A personal
observer says that the average length
Of vardon's drives is between 22O and
23O yards.
In brassie work vardon Is equally at
home, and his strokes are also noted
llltlI EAl vi AiI biitli
his form varies considerably, being
sometimes brilliant, sometimes poor,
This Is his only shortening. British
golfers are hoping that he will win the
open championship again this year, for,
II successful, he VIII have equaled Tom
Morris record OF three successive wins
Judging from present appearances the
coming annual meeting Of the United
States Golf association promises to be
a very interesting affair, and In certain
senses a unique one. This latter char
acteristic viii be understood when II Is
mentioned that several clubs will In all
likelihood be In the field for the honor
of having one OF the various champion
ships held on their respective links. In
former yearsit has beenthe rule that the
u. S. G. A. has had to assign the meets
to clubs without any competition for
them, as they were not then paying af-