Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-23
GOLF PROS IN NATIONAL MEET
To Gather from Near and Far This
Week on MyOpia Course.
AMERICAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Amateurs Have Thus Far Done Better
Than Honsebred Teachers-
Points About the PlRy-
ers and Records.


NEW YORK, Aug. 22-Professiona golf
ors will meet this week in their annual
national championship-the open tourna-
ment Of the United States Golf association.
Besides the pick OF the flock in the United
states there will be starters from other
countries-Mexlco, Canada, and possibly
Great Britain. The contest will be over
the course Of the Myopia Hunt club at
Hamilton, Mass, the grandest organiza-
ton Of sportsmen in old Massachusetts.
The course is the best test Of golf in the
United states, every hole free and unham-
pered. with no terrors to one who plays
ON the line and can get distance. There
are no tees where a good player must put
the brakes on when using wood. But there
is a penalty to follow every mistake
there 10 no slipping past the due punish
ment by good luck-so that the course is
the hardest to score over in this country.
II. II. Barker, for instance, has done SO
at Garden City, but it will be a long day
before any such score is made at Myopia.
The difference is that DESPITE their odd
appearance and number the hazards at the
Long Island course are not formidable to
a clever hand who mas the opportunity to
con the lay of the land. Such a player, If
he will chart the route and not deviate
from the schedule, is as sure to make a
low score at Garden City as an able sea-
man TO steer by the compass safely into
the harbor. And on some bright particular
day when the lies prove to be all upstand-
ing and a few long puts are safely bagged
the expert familiar with the course is apt
TO beat or equal the par score. At Myopia
there is no use in trying to trick the course;
the one way a score of so or under may he
gained is by playing every shot for its fun
strength. To succeed at Garden City a
powerful player must change his game
to suit the course, which some term head
work; at Myopia the best golfer must
use both brain and Drawn on every hole
10 play well-he must be always striving
and never holding back.
Barker, Taylor and Vardon.
What Barker will do at Myopia, by the
way, is a cause of comment wherever golf
is PLAYED. for he was one of the worlds
best amateurs and is now to make his
first attempt at distinction as a profess
sional. Great golfers are so few that their
doings arc discussed wherever there is a
links. from Macrihanish to Australia, Mid
Surrey to Pekin or Myopia to Simla. Golf
ers in ali climes are ready to place on a
pedestal the man who can score on a hard
course, ana lNG Interest III the bIlNlSh dliu
American open championships girdles the
globe. The merit of the two competitions
was fixed during a short spat between two
British champions, ]. II. Taylor and Harry
Vardin, who played in our open champion
shin at Wheaton in 1900. Vardon won, lead
ing Taylor by two strokes.
II still regard myself as the years cham
pion," announced Taylor, who had won the
British title that spring.
mo one denies that" rejoined Vardon.
1.-THE British open is the greatest champion
ship in golf, but the American title ranks
rext in esteem. and that's why you have
tried so hard to win it.
II Barker had not turned professional last
season and left Yorkshire to take the Gar
den City job he might, as things turned
out, have won this years British amateur
championship. He was for several seasons
champion of Yorkshire. A. Il. Lassen, who
woU at Sandwich in June, is one of the
Yorkshire golfers Barker has often put out.
It is quite possible that IL they had started
at opposite ends of the draw Barker would
now possess the title held by his clansman.
Barker has played in minor matches here,
but barring the low score at Garden City
he has done nothing as good as his York
willie class. Yet as Myopia is uplifting to
every true golfer. Barker is bourd to go
we'll there, just as a thoroughbred is eager
to race when it sees the Derby course,
and in a manner It will be the same as hav-
Ing the British amateur champion as
starter.
Amateurs May Enter.
Amateurs have the right to play in an
open tournament, although in the initial
British championship held at Prestwick in
1850 only professionals could start. But in
1861 The committee voted the tournament
open to the world, and until 1886, when the
British amateur championship began, 1t
was the bnly title event in golf. Now in
every country championship competitions
outnumber of the Jewels in a bellies necklace.
In Great Britain two amateurs have victor
les to their credit-John Balls. jr.. winning
the title once, and Harold II. Hilton twice,
In the American open championship the
best showing made by an amateur has been
10 tie for second place, the performance Of
Walter j. Travis in 1902 at Garden City.
Findlsy S. Douglas and IL, Chandler Egsn
have beer placed. while in the pioneer con-
tests of 1895 and 1896 the late A. w. Smith
of Toronto tied for third place each year.
When last played at Myopla the two anna
tours to do the best, w. J. Travis and
A, G. Lockwood, were tied at one stroke
outside the placed division. Has an anna
teur a chance this time? Perhaps, for on
their on best streaks the few entered are al
ways dangerous. but 1t would do the Ameri-
can game good II a homebred pro should
win.
HOmebreds seldom Win.
our homebreds, while they have been