The Washington times., 1904-06-05
TRAVIS THE FITZ
AMONG GOLFERS
Mot Too Old TO Win English
Championship
STUDIES ALL THE TIME
Plays With Best Professionals and
Hears Their Remarks-'I Told You
Sc" Brothers Busily at Work.
STUDIES ALL THE TIME

Golfers are still marveling over the
wonderful feat of Walter j. Travis. the
American representative, who, on Fri
day. captured the amateur championship
title of Great Britain. at Sandwich. In
cidentally. II must come as hard NOR
sci for the few to swallow who a cou-
pie Of years ago imagined they detected
falling of in the veterans game
Travis is getting old. nearly forty
hVe. and must now step aside in favor
OF the younger element they said
Travis view Of his own game. as ex-
pressed Immediately after he won his
first national championship at Garden
City in 1900. was shown in the remark:
i am only just beginning 10 learn the
game. merely scratching on the outside
American for a. That.
Others who have FASTENED to remark
that the new Anglo-American champion
Is not an American by birth. should find
slim consolation IN this fact when ii Is
remembered that the Australian learned
the game in this country Travis is a
naturalized American citizen and proud
OF the fact. His retort. once made to a
Chatting remark about the land Of his
birth, was timely; II am a better Ameri-
can than you are. sir. for 1 took the
trouble to become one. while you could
not help yourself
NOW that Travis has gone triumphant
Iy through the strongest field of anna
teurs possible for Great Britain to pro-
ouce' there will be plenty who will
hasten to his shrine with az told voI
so stories. The only golfer Of promi-
nence. however. prior to the Sandwich
Tournaments W huH he
mold Travis up as a likely winner was
Alec Smith, the Nassau professional
he then said:
Smith a Prophet.
i would not be at all surprised to see
him win out. This is his second visit
to the courses over there The first was
for experience and also to familiarize
himself with the greens, but now he is
aIter the amateur championship and no
mistake He will undoubtedly spend
most Of his time at Sandwich. and by
the time the championship comes off he
viii have the course down as fine as he
has Garden City. I'll venture TO say
that with the possible exception OF
Stewart Gardner. no one has had more
matches with Travis than myself. and
the more 1 see of his game the more
firmly am / convinced Of his ability to
win
From the start. Travis has ever been
an advocate of medal play qualifying
rounds in amateur championship tourna-
ments and he also prefers thirty-six
hole matches. Last year at Nassau. in
the championship conducted along the
all-match play system. with matches
consisting OF eighteen holes. except
the final at thirty-six he won the cham
pionship impressively, defeating z. NJ.
Byers in the final
= Similar conditions prevailed in the
recent tournament at Sandwich. which
only again served to prove his right TO
be classed as a master at all branches
Of the game.
Travis Quick Progress.
Travis first appearance in a com
peutive way was at Van Cortlandt
Park, in 1896, when he returned a card
Of 10. He promptly became infatuated
with the game and studied out princi-
pies and theories. He never took les
sons from professionals, but frequently
played with the Scots. watching closely
their style and listening attentively 70
their remarks.
Throughout 1897 Travis golfed a great
deal, showing steady Improvement
twice winning low score honors in anna
teur open tournaments, and once tying
for the distinction. The gross and net
score honors In handicaps were also
his on two occasions. He also made
the best gross score in three other
handicaps and won four cups at match
play.
Although his general play showed i'm
provement, Travis was handicapped be-
cause Of an Indifferent long game when
pitted against such men as Findlay S
Douglas. The latter defeated the "old
man in the championships of 1898 and
1899, chiefly because OF a superior long
game
Improved Wrist Action.
In the 1900 championship at Garden
City. Travis surprised everyone BY his
greatly improved work from the tees
Most Of his drives were good for 200
yards or more. so that when the home
bred man met Douglas again in tho
final. the Scots advantage from the tees
was comparatively slight.
After defeating Douglas By ? up In the
maj Of this championship, Travis re-
marked that he had really learned to
drive only a few weeks before. and.
when asked the secret he simply re-
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