The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-04
TRAVIS ARRAIGNS MATCH PLAY
FORMER CHAMPION on PRESENT
AMATEUR YINGCONDITIONS.
He would Retain the Quaiifytng Round,
but Have Only Thirty-twe Keep On
How the Pairings should he Made
Emphatic Talk From the Noted Golfer


How the Pairings should BE Mad
Emphatic Talk From the Noted Ge,fe'
Walter J. Travis. the former Nationa
and present Metropolitan Golf Association
champion. put himself on record yesterda,
a. to the conditions he favored for the anna
teur championship. What he said 10 Of
especial importance at this time as the execu'
tive committee Of the United States Coll
Association has taken the stand that thoes
who oppose the present way Of playing the
amateur championship would substitute fol
IL match play without q qualifying round
the plan followed In Great Britain. TIL
Sun. on last Sunday. showed the fallacy OF
this point Of view. the opposition that devel'
oped at the annual meeting having been
against the large number to qualify and the
system Of pairing. not against the qualifying
round or the principle II stands for
The present system, introduced last year.
permits sixty-four TO qualify at eighteen
hole medal play. who keep on at eighteen
hole match play to the semi-6nal and final.
which are at thirty-siI holes. Walter j.
Travis Ia not Of very communicative nature.
but as his remark at the U. 3. q. A. meeting
that amy system was better than the prese mt
one has been twisted into an Endorsement
Of straight match play. he was found willing
to break the silence he usually maintains
on questions OF golf policy.
There Ia every reason why should speak
freely on the subject. as ! did not have an
opportunity to express myself at the United
States Golf Association meeting regarding
the playing conditions Of the amateur cham
pionship and have since received a number
Of inquiries asking my opinions about them, "
said Mr.. Travis. Frankly. | am not In SYM
patty with the method Of pairing as adopted
last year. Theoretically. the object sought
was to make It impossible. by the luck Of the
draw. for a player OF comparatively weak
ealiber TO reach the final round, The aim
was so TO divide the players as to secure half
Of the strongest in each division the winner
Of a match to progressively meet a stronger
player each round and 80 insure the final
being played by the two best men.
we need only look at the practical working
Of the system on the two occasions on which
1t has been tried-the Metropolitan and the
National championships respeotively-to see
that 1t utterly failed OF its purpose con-
tinued the noted golfer with considerable
emphasis. THE cause Is not far to seek.
The plsn Ia based on false premises In that
the pairings at match play are decided by
the players performances at medal play.
Now. the two branches Of the game are en-
tirely distinct from each other. One man
may be a poor medal player and yet good
match player. and vice versa. obviously. any
attempt to arrive at any definite results, 10.
In these circum stances almost bound TO fail.
ties at medal play. This. Joined to the fact
that the difference of each single stroke in
the score theoretically, determines the alloca-
ton OF the players in the two divisions. upper
and lower. but by reason Of ties does not do
so practically. only adds 10 the com 81 cation
and invites defeat OF the desired aim by having
the other Moreover. the system Is wrong
in principle in that it confessedly discriminstes
has auatlisd he should not be dstriminated
against All should be on the same plane
Whoever devised the system has not dis
closed his identity, for which he cannot be
blamed.
-Qne reason why some people favored
Trays in reminiscent tone, was on account
Of the well-grounded suspicion that the draw
Ns not legitimate one, Il has even been
admitted that this has been the ease
-llow can better method be Ohtalncd7
The game now is essentially the same in
princlple that it Tasten or1%enty year. ago"
problem Is the handling Of a big crowd The
idsS OF having prSdiTln.ry round az s medal
to a workable basis This was the plan
adopted In the l.. \. a. A. championshi from
1899 TO 1901, inclusive. and 1t IL the same plan
which now obtains generally throughout
the country In open tournaments. Expert
ence has demonstrated that II works we'll
preliminary round. No man should be CON
sldered a finished golfer. certainly not a
champion. unless he can combine reasonable
~ Vat S nIs,a T6an TOO Tho nra,,ninnr,
nm ip ~ piay.ai inru, w. W, neiun.hhuI
ous or, na r,sa 49, nun ~ n
49, ~ a.SSLIns o ta. u, MaS ~
trire VIZ ~, a. ~ w III, IN soihe
, ,,,rl ,ma. u G ncknR ~ fha.cn Ply
AN Anu amaricsn tdas and very 80 ~ ena an
a. a ahnn ~, ,u'a' "u ay , "'' anu
nHioi"n I'M v ,o" aan ,b ne or'it au
ways: which J, for one, am not prepared to
Would straisht match play be an advance
OF - ~, - ism ,,, lo.L,.I r,u
see any mTSu adyantase Whatever IN discardinS
t,nr auSli, lle LoIii ann na, ln3 ihnich Iiay
1,mhay ,h Ma'Uh piny - oIsm TO we opJecai"h
.nai ueIe - sIra.eI tiuhIt % 'Ynpai a.
49,, ,S pooi H,aysr Wofk'h NJ .,s Way Dy easy
,ha, ~ H ~ IA - ~, y, us s. n, ~
t nan W ,h a. va! snss.sa ny tho
h Invk o. Ia uha law, as wv 'nity..no mho
nya, ~ i,naiin,, 10 t
suPvnoiip 9,t e tne reihah,ins ~, me iosl-
The number OF amaIser. oi fnI instsnne W.
W. nunoei VI puaiiHers' ioi hrt1hoe' W
et -, a..
- any ole VI 'ne auaintIs nay Ieasohanly
ps .ou.,, a,, OF 70 sihe nis oppohenI Iai
"a