The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-28
GAMBLING ON GOLF GAMES
FALSE REPORTS or WAGERs ON
AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP.

Only Three Pools Sold at Euclid Club and
Those as an After Dinner FrOlic How
the Betting Came About Drawings OF
Players anne From Hat started II.
Garbled accounts OF pool selling at the
Euclid Ill during the amateur golf cham
pionship have been widely circulated in
the Western newspapers and the impression
may nave been created in some quarters
that the golfers a become gamblers.
The reverse 10 the case. There was no
general betting at the Euclid Club. A.o.
neither Travers nor Graham. winner ard
runnerup. were buyers in the pools. Only
three pools were sold. and those who bought
in them were old friends and rich men. The
betting was an after dinner diversion among
them on the night before the hrst round
of match play.
IL began in this way: Some one sug-
gested a hat pool at $40 a chance the person
to draw the w:nner TO take the pool. As
thirty-two qusnned this meant $500 to the
winner. Tom Bendelow. who manages
many Of the Western Golf Association
tournaments, was in the thick OF the fun.
and the crowd voted that he should be
treasurer There were forty or fifty Of the
goling chums in the smoking room and
the thirty-two tickets were sold OF like hot
cakes. Those who had failed to get a
ticket followed the example OF Olive Twist
on a certain occasion and asked for more.
As a consequence W more pools were
made up.
Slips Of paper. each bearing the mama
Of one Of the thirty-two who had qualified.
were then drawn from a hat. After this
proceeding those who had drawn Travers.
Travis. Chandler. Egan or some other
f~avorite felt "on Easy street for each
had the neat odds Of $500 to $40 on his candi-
date. Those who had drawn rank out
siders did not feel so happy. although they
could not complain about the odds.
What will you take for your ticket1"
was now the general question to those who
had drawn the favorites. It suggested the
similar question after the Derby sweep in
"Tom Brown at Rugby There were all
sorts Of chatting over the offers to buy and
the refusals.
said a golfer, I'VE start with $50 in the
pool. Each ticket will &C to the highest
bidder, unless the holder does not choose
TO keep IL. One-half Of the premiums will
go to the holder, should no sell. and the
other half be added to the pool
lHS sukkCblhDh III a k0Oa OhC ahd ~
won't through in a glow of after dinner en-
thusiasm. Such club happenings are not
reported in the East. where whatever hap
pens among the members and their guests,
except on the links, is treated as being
under the rose, but no such obligation OF
courtesy seemed 10 bind the Western dailies.
According to their accounts the chances
in the first pool brought 1900. This meant
81, 900 for the ticket holders and % 900 to the
pool. making II worth s. $50.
ing to give a dividend to q greater number
and il wal really cooperative betting. Ths
Travis ticket, according TO the same papers,
brought S625. This was S3i2.s so TO the pool
and the same sum, or full odds. TO the person
Egan brought $500 each. 80 that those
selling the hat pool tickets realized $500.
The lowest bought by a player sold OUT
right was SIS, which was a dividend Of
81. so. Six sold in the field. The bonus 81
the ielders from the hat were the only once
to lose on their Investments Of $40. Every
one else received a bonus on his $40. The
only one who ~speculated were those who
did the bidding. Two Pittsburg players
Cieveisad member bought Trsvsrs in tho
third pool sold.
That's the complete and accurate story
Of the betting on the amateur champion
ship. 1t Is not the stun on which q sensa-
tlOn CAl DO DABtu. AS 10 D6LLluk Oh tho
Individual matches, there wa very little
Of it In evidence. II wager were made
they were. between mutual friends and
probably only Of boxes OF golf balls. A
stranger at the tournament could no more
have got a bet down \ NJ could have
testants gave little thought to wagers OF
any sort until they ceased to be contestants.
As long as they were in the race the posi-
bilities of being the ultimate winner fur
nished to each all the excitement that was
good for him.
Any public betting on the course would
ave been at once suppressed by the Euclid
Club committee or by the United States
Golf Association committee. If a book
have been hailed forthwith to a dungeon
cell. But it is probable that neither Of the
ruling committees Of the tournament
thought it their duty TO interfere with the
after dinner revels Of the tournament fol-
Of means and backing their fancies for the
fun Of it. Prudery has no place in golf
legislation.
The United States Golf Association is on
record as-an opponent Of gambling on the
r eps hss G mo msi xesl TO p III iSs han mn trns our kp sOI.
edge Of the game. two Of the leading ANA
tours played q thirty-six hole match In
public for 81 900 a side. As a consequence
the U s.. G. A. added this clause to it's defni-
ZION Oh an dfnduouE BOIcr' NO person Snail
be considered an amateur golfer who has
played for a money prize in a match"
The edict brought IN end to public
mat ches for money and so fulfilled its pur-
pose. but it was q ruling unpopular with
the players. who deemed it nobody s bust
ness but their own II they, chose TO have
wager IN their matches. They evaded
the point by making their bets In golf balls
and settling for the cost of them. In the
United Kingdom no players ever set out
for q msG ch unless for sixpence a hole
This wager is termed the statutory six
pence Yet the drastic condition OF the
u. s. @. A. would rave made the Britishers
who played for money. from Balfour to
John Ball. all professionals.
After being on the books until 1904 the
United STATES Golf Association dropped
the clause about playing matches for monev
and adopted this rule
NO person shall be considered an ANA
teur golfer . who receives a money
consideration. either directly or indirectly,
by reason Of connection with or skill dis
played in playing the game Of golf or other
branches of athletics.S This Is a manda.
tory against playing a match for q money
consideration as the old form OF the rule,
blIf faw reuard tha sstat,taxu a;woapca"