Evening star., 1907-11-13
TRAVERS CONFORMS
TO GOLF RULES
ST. Andrews Committee, Un=
der Mistake, Decides
Against Cham
pion.
From the New York Herald.

From the New York Herald.
The decision of the rules of golf commit
tee at St. Andrews that Jerome D. Trav-
ers in teeing his ball at the cost of two
strokes on the fair green instead of i'm
mediately behind where the ball lay should
have DISQUALIFIED him in the Olympic cup
competition at Cleveland Ohio, in July
would place a stigma on the amateur
champon's actions were not his action
borne out by actual conditions.
Those who followed Mr. Travers and his
partner. Chandler Egan, in the competi-
ton, 1t is agreed among golfers here. are
better warranted to determine on the sit
uation than those who pat the question to
the rules of golf committee.
An eyewitness of the occurrence said
yesterday: 'Travers heeled his drive into
a territory of bushes, scrub and trees
which anywhere else would have been
designated out of bounds. To tee his ball
behind it's original position was impossi-
Bile unless he had walked back some $50
yards to a private lawn parallel with the
tenth green.
The fair green was but a few feet to
the left. and under the circumstances he
had no alternative but to play the fair
green The question was subsequently
raised and Chandler Egan, his partner
and captain of the Western Golf Associa-
ton upheld the contention that it was i'm
posi- BILE TO tee the ball elsewhere than on
the fair green.
Real Situation Not Explained.
Evidently the real situation was not
explained to the rules of golf committee,
and if either one of the members had
been present he would unhesitatingly have
upheld young Travers.
Walter j. Travers. as captain of the
winning Metropolitan team. has written
the Herald: Il notice that the 4. S. @. A.
and the rules of golf con3mittee are not
In harmony as to the Interpretation of
rule 10 as bearing on the incident of J. D.
TraVers' playing the eleventh hole in the
competition for the Olympic cup.
"In playing this hole Mr.. Travers sliced
the ball into some bushes Finding il i'm
possible 70 tee back Of near the place
where # lay he brought II back on the
fair green and teed up under the penalty
of two strokes.
THE L S. G A. has ruled that such
action was correct. When the case was
submitted to the rules Of golf committee
of ST. Andrews. il was not stated that 1t
was impossible to tee up behind the orig
inal position. and not being able to find
a good place to tee up does not COrreCt.y
, state the case
This suggests that possibly there might
! have been place for IIr. Travers to tee
up and. presumably with this in mind,
the St. Andrews committee ruled that
the player was disqualified.
Il contend that it was impossible for
Mr.. Travers to tee his ball back or near
the place where the ball lay other than
nearer the hole. and that his action was
perfectly proper and that he had not in
any way whatsoever rendered himself liza
BILE to be disqualified.
Mr.. Travers Conforms to the Rule.
Mr. TraVers position after driving to
the eleventh hole was so utterly impossi-
BILE and his action so palpahy within the
rules that the Herald in its report mada
no comment. In the qualifying round of
the championship, however, the Herald
commented on similar position in which
Chandler Egan. who again played with
! Jerome Travers. found himself playing
! the fifteenth hole. Speaking of the shot
/ the Herald stated:
! "He. however. pushed his drive and
| landed in the bushes. His ball was in the
rough knee deep ard practically hidden
/ from sight so much that he decided to
! pick up and lose two strokes.
| AN overofficious enthusiast however
! told him he must tee his ball Immediately
| behind the original position and not go on
/ the fair green. Upon this the western
crack essayed to play his ball from the
/ To have teed anywhere but on the fair
| green. Mr.. Egan had the choice of un-
! even gravel and stones and dense tufts
! of grass. and at the time those who We're
following him rema rked that whoever
| passed the rule never intended that the
! word possible should apply to such ut
/ terlY ungolfiike territory.
! That the rule relating to lifting needs
overhauling is shown by its construction,
which reads:
"A ball may be lifted from any place.
I under penalty of two strokes. a ball so
/ lifted shall teed If possible behind the
place where il lay: If 1t he impossible TO
( tee the bali behind the place where II lay
It shall he teed near possible there
| To. but not nearer the hole.
/ In Mr.. Egsh's case. putting a Shylock-
! ian construction on the rule. il was pos
/ sible To tee his ball. In Mr.. Ira vers' case
! however. no matter how determined a
man might have been 10 demand his
pound of flesh. it was impossible to tee
| his ball anywhere than where he did