The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-07
GOLFERS TO MEET AT EUCLID
AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP OPENS
TUESDAY AT CLEVELAND.


Players Expected I'm the Contest.
Tho thirteenth annual amateur cham
pionsnip contest Of the United States Golf
Association will begin next Tuesday at
the Euclid Club. Cleveland. Part. OF tho
course 10 on property owned by John ID.
Rockefeller, who 10 an honorary member OF
the club.
None Of the players thinks there is a
hoodoo hidden in the thirteen connected
for the event. In fact IL is the fifteenth
championship. for two informal contests
were held prior to the organization OF the
ruling body In the game. The golfers are
arriving at the links to-day in unusual
strength from North. South, East and West
and there Ia an exceptionally keen desire
TO win in the heart OF every entrant.
Since he won the championship last sum-
NOR Eben NJ. Byers has been on the Scotch
links and he was an unsuccessful aspirant
for the British amateur championship at st.
Andrews. A rich young man Of Pittsburg,
who cares for nothing sporty but open air
recreation. Byers has lone little but play
golf since he has had the title, and he may
be relied on to defend it properly.
On his game Byers Ia nm almost unbeat-
able proposition, and no laggard In training
may hope to put him out ut Cleveland.
To a consistent long game he adds deadly
skill In approaching and putting.
Euclid will help his chance. as the Engle-
wood course did last year. for II favors the
short game more than long driving. The
round is 800 yards and the one long hole
Is 9. Sc yards. The par Ia II. as the Euclid
ties figure il. A special incentive TO spur
on Byers is the desire to wipe out the recol-
lection of his downfall at st. Andrews.
Another entrant with a chip on his shoul-
der is George Lyon of Toronto. whom Byers
only pea in the final by two up in thirty
six holes. Lyon had the lead for the greater
part Of the match. and he has always oon
tended that only by sheer luck in putting
was Byers able to win.
The Canadians may only play as the guests
OF the. United States Golf Association, but
should Lyon win he would take the title and
cur. This is true. too. Of an English an
trant, but there Is little likelihood OF a
guest winning this year.
Among the younger entrants none Ia
regarded az stronger than ID. F.. Sawyer
and Warren X. Wood Of Chicago, Jerome
d. Travers and Fred HerreshofY of New
York and J. G. Anderson. the boy who has
just won the Massao husetts championship.
Yet there are players Of unknown pc wer
entered from California. Texas. Louisiana.
Oregon and Maine. 30 that no one may
foretell with confidence where the title Of
1907 will fall.
But golfers are faithful TO their idols
and they do not set up strange gods to
worship or to wager on until their favorites
have vanished. On this account four Of
each five met at Cleveland tomorrow will
be supporters Of Walter j. Travis or H.
Chandler Egan as the winner.
Travis was the winner in 1900. 1901 and
1903. besides winning the British champion
ship in 1904. while Egan held the title in 1904
and 1905. They are both playing very we'll
this season and it would be a wonderful
match should the pair be the f~inalists.
Although so prominent in the game West
and East, Travis and Egan have never met
In a match for one reason or another.
Should the luck Of the draw bring them
together at Euclid the match will be the
greatest on record.
None OF the dashing youngsters can
afford to disregard the presence Of the
former champions, Travis and Egan. for
although veterans by title, they are still
in the glow Of their golfng prime. Egan
being Just out Of college and only %.
They are as diff erent in their methods
as In style. Egan is as graceful in every
swing as Harry Vardon or young Tom
Morris, but he In apt To- begin a match
with loose play and to shuttle along either
I up or a couple down until q crisis ID i'm
pending. Then comes q few few holes Of
superb gof-four holes In threes and five
holes In fours-and loi ERan 10 the winner.
Travis has marvellous ability and a self
formed style that seems more odd thar
pretty. In a match he tries to make every
hole the winning one. He is always in
perfect command Of nerve and temper
and he displays his best grit and steadiness
In an uphill match against a more brilliant
player, al when he beat Travers at Garden
City In the spring. Against Travis the
opponent feels as though be were playing
against a maohine-a sort Of goling Ajeeb
but to golf with Egan means a sOciable
round, ever though it end in defeat.
A solace to those who fancy Travis ID
that John Ball. Jr.. who is Of about the
same age. has just won the British amateur
championship for the sixth time. His
first was in 1888. the next four at regular
intervals until he went to the Boer war
as O volunteer.
Ball could not get into the first flight
again until this year.. when he won with
ease. Though pressed on all sides by
dashing young players the veteran proved
himself to be . greater master Of resource
in all departments Of the game and his
play showed no sign Of deterioration In ito
brilliant quality. Travis has been beaten
in the championships since 1904 and a
revival is due from him. and, as Balls
victory revealed. great performances may
always be expected from great veterans.
This will be the first time the champion
ship has BEEN at Cleveland, and the Euclid
Club did o gain the tournament without
q struggle. In the preceding twelve tourna-
ments seven have been on links about New
York, q at Atlantic City and four on
courses near Chicago.
A Boston course had been selected by
the United States Golf Association oom-
mittee for this years championship, as IL
seemed time a Massachusetts, club should
get the blue ribbon tournament Of the
year, but the delegates from the Euclid
Club smashed the slate at the annua meet
ing In Chicago.
MaDv NOVA aktsnd sh. u.kh--su.- A.