New-York tribune., 1901-09-09
Sygg SpyogRgIS
8pORTsr1fN'
COLE.
ALL READY FOR THE NATIONAi hAM-
PIONSHIP.
PRELIMINARY ROUND TO BEGIN TO-DAY
AT ATLANTIC CTTY-soME OF THE
PROMINENT AsPIRANTs-PRo-
GRAMAIE OF THE WEEK

Es.fore the dew has left the grass this morning
hundred golfers viii be tramping over the Atian
tic City links I'm competition for the amateur so
-haupionship Of the United States. Ihfty-sN
holes is the distance be covered before
and thirty-six holes viii be the daily rouho uh'i
Saturday. when the finals win decide the posses
sion of the amateur cup The entry hst Is 'he
largest ever posted The course is one OF the pes'
IN the country and the competitors are the PICK
Of twenty States. No tournament has opeheo VII"
greater prospect or success
For the man who wins il there will be only q
gold medal. but the club from Which ne coiHeS
will entitled the possession or the SlVOV chal-
lenge cup presented by T. A. Havemeyer Wheh
the association was organized in 1924. This cup is
held only until the next championship. The run
ner up will receive silver medal. and the tnlrd
and fourth players bronze medals
The contest will call for higher order OF skill
than has Vet been in this country Twelve
months has witnessed "a vast Improvement in the
form Of American amateurs. and the man VINO
survives Saturdays finals must prove inFinciole III
every department of the game. Endurance VIII
play an important part in the struggle, ior SIX
5a,,s. going over 4 course like that Atlantic
city IS a test physical strength as well as skill
At golf and the man who is not in the pink or
condition will fail.
While not as long some. the Atlantic city
links admit OF no deviation from the strict tenets
Of the snort By putting the tees back il has been
made 10 measure about 500 yards. In 1896. when
the chanlpionship was held at Shinnecock HIS,
championship took place over the Wheaton links.
measuring 5.SI yards. In 1895, at Morris County.
the championship circuit was $500 yards. In 1879
al Onwentsia. it was 5929 yards; and last year. at
Garden city the competitors covered stretch OF
6I34 yards.
II viii be noted that with each succeeding year
the conditions have become more exciting. but IT
IS also true that the winning scores have steadily
improved. As Illustration Of this II may be salo
that Macdonald's winning medal score in 1897 was
rd in las
.fying round was only l65 The detail distances at
Atlantic City
5 fs is i5s 5ss S aSs 5S5 @ IS "a "a IS sio ic III III
II is over this course that Walter J. Travis the
present champion will be called upon 10 defend his
Gun Travis has had more eoling this year than
any other in his experience Early in June he
went abroad for tour of the well known English
links and that trip has put him on edge for the
nght steadness is what tells in six day contest.
and Travis is steady as clockwork- But whether
Eteadiness even Of the Travis order. can win
against the kind Of briliancy that Douglas showed
at Apawamis is doubted by many shreTd judges
of the two men, Douglas is Acknowledged TO be
Traviss greatest rival. and this season Douglas is
playing better than at any time since his winning
wear Of ls9s Douglas at his best is undoubtedly
superior 10 Travis and the question resolves itself
into which of the two viii face the tee in form
At Apawamis Travis was beaten by Seeiey who in
turn lost 10 Douglas, but that in May, and
since then Travis and Douglas have not met
Travis has not appeared in competition since his
return from abroad, that comparisons are dan
cerous but the feeling among golfers generally
seems to be that If the two brought face TO
face BY the luck of the draw the chances favor
Douglas.
The men in whom metropolitan players are most
interested outside Of Douglas and Travis are John
Reid, IT.. of ST Andrews; c. II. Seeley Of Wee
Burn; C. n. Hamilton. of Baltusrol: T. T. Reid of
Montclair; F. ". Menzies of seabright; Archie
Graham, of North Jersey; / p Myers, of Fox
bills Percy r. Pyne ID, Of Morris County; Louis
Livingston, jr, Of Westhrook, and c. Tiffany Rich
ardson, OF Shinnecock Hills. Charles B. Macdon-
aid, though rightfully metropolitan representa-
tive, has posted his entry from Chicago and must
therefore be credited the West. He did APP
pear last year at Garden City, but he has been
prominent factor in every contest with that excep
tion since 1895. and is to-day playing the top Of
his game. Al the recent Ekwanok tournament he
captured the cup posted the lowest score in the
qualifying round, and cut the record of the links
TO IS
OF the other Westerners entered Walter Egan
of the Onwentsia Golf Club, has loomed up in the
last few days in way thar indicates greater
prominence Tor the CHICAGO delegation than it has
ever enjoyed before The date OF the championship
was changed from spring to fall at the earnest
solicitation Of Western players. who urged their
inability 10 get ready for spring meeting and this
proof of their contention in Egans has been
very gratifying I'm practice last week the On
wentsia man covered the course in 7S which re-
cIceo Inc previous record by a stroke Idis card
fS................... f&S1'..... 5- 5-iS-7,
Another dark horse from the ST. Louis distric; is
Burt McEinnie. who made his first appearance at
Atlantic city on Friday and chopped the record
still further ny establishing q The new record
fS... f&r''..'.......... E.5-77
These two scores indicate the men in whom The
chief reliance of the West must be placed
Thus FAR none OF the others has shown form 10
make him dangerous in the company now gathered
ar the links. Both William Waller and William
Hoabird, jr, have shown BY their play in the
recent Western championship that they can hope
FOR little prominence this week Holabird was
beaten by Raymond Russell of Detroit, who failed
70 qualify al Camden City last year. while Waller
old not qualify opening dav. and was not
admitted 10 the subsequent matches Bruce smith
and Il. o. Smith. TWO other Onwentsis entries
have sent word that they viii not appear. while
The remaining Westerners have nothing upon
which 10 base prediction Of success.
Territorially the East holds the talent that will
be displayed in the crucial rounds and this en-
braces, Of course. the New-England representa-
nycs, the best OF whom A. G. Lockwood OF
Alston; Charles Hitchcock jr, Of Point Judith; C
g. Cory. Of Wollaston: James a. Stilman. Of New
port and Samuel rockingham, OF Lenox
The younger set, and particularly college golfers
VIII also hgune largely in the weeks doIngs and
some OF them may upset the favortes Myers
.sSers. livingston Seeley, Reid. Richardson and
VIC are az 10 De reckoneo with In the earlier
-"unqs Reid covered the in a practice
match last week IN 7s. within OF the record
ana IS showing his ability get around ia par
lgures. Hitchcock wen The Sarraneansett Pier
ournament last month, and was OF those who
.lallheo al Garden city. Byers was runner up at
>aFIasansett Pier, and, like Hitchcock. was in the
lualhed division in the last championship. In the
ntercoueglete championship he was runner up 10
ialstead Lindsey, OF Harvard, and has come on