Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-27
Anderson Nav Break Spell.

revel and a game in his composition
which the few great masters cannot ex-
eel. many followers of the links are ear
nestly hopeful that Anderson will this
week break the spell.
Apart from Willie Smith and the
three Canadians. comes the question who
in the United States will bar Anderson's
way from entering the circle of golf inn
mortals. H. II. Barker of Garden City.
the new acquisition from England. earned
a great reputation in his native county of
Yorkshire, and by many was regarded as
the pick Of all amateurs. Prior to his en-
gagement here he won the Yorkshire
amateur championship and i'm doing so de-
feated E. A. Lassen. The latter in spite
Of his not being in the magic coterie Of
st. Andrew, Muirfield or North Bever-
wick patrons, came ont this year and had
the effrontery to trim all the heroes OF
these links. Although Mr. LaSsen's tri-
umph was not enthused over by the ex-
elusive circle of British golf writer's. he
showed he was a golfer Of particular
merit by subsequently winning the York
shire championship and also by distin-
gushing himself at one of the important
meetings of Lytham and St. AIMS. AS
Stunning Barker to be Mr.. Lassen's supe-
rior this would hardly, however, place
him on a plane with the crack profess
SIGNALS, and 1t has ever been the rule In
games similar to golf that an amateur
who joins the professional ranks seldom
lives UP to the standard which he attain
ed as an amateur. Barker, however, may
prove an exception.
Other professionals there are who nave
been tried and not found wanting. Alec"
Smith, who won the title in 1906 at On
wentsia with 295 for the four rounds. or
an average of 73a4 and has been second
three times and fourth once, must prove
a thorn in the sides of the other as
pirants. Hardly as brilliant as his BROTH
er or willie" Anderson. and without the
fascination of their freedom or dash, he
has gained his spurs rather by unswcrv-
ing direction than by exceptional powers
of recovery. Then, again, there is Nip
rAr'' Campbell, than whom there is no
more polished player. but who hereto
fore by allowing a little trouble to upset
his mental poise has clouded many
bright chances of victory. George Low,
too, the present metropolitan champion.
ia a genius in his way. but i'm the real
pleasure he extracts from the game he
forgets it's exactions in minor details.
He however has twice been second. and
no more popular victor would be hailed
than the enthusiast from Baltusrol AS
for Alec Ross, the present title holder
and winner the last two years OF the
Massachusetts championship. he is noted
for his stolid reliability rather than any
dazzling exploits. In short, his game is
blending with the high pressure demand
ed by Myopia.
Nichols and Mackie Long Drivers.
Gilbert Nichols, who in his day has been
second, and Isaac Mackie are the Titans
of the party, and 1t is a moot point which
Of the pair can outdistance the other.
Both are brilliant in the extreme, but
neither has as yet sustained the pace for
successive rounds.
As for the fourteen amateurs engaged,
the list includes III. w. Beveridge. a
noted golfer of the Bar Association on
the other side and one of the strongest
players on the team of the Oxford-Cam-
bridge Society. The home talent includes
w. J. Travis. e. NJ. Byers. both having
won the crown of amateur champion II.
H. Wilder, captain as well AS champion
BostOnian of repute. Only once las an
amateur figured prominently in the strug-
gle for the open title. and that was in
1902 when w J. Travis tied for second
place with Stewart Gardner six strokes
behind Lawrence Auchterlonie, at Garden
City. All the other competitions have
pointed to the distinct gap existing be-
tween the two in a protracted medal play
test. Bostonians there are, however who
express confidence that II. III. Wilder will
at least occupy a high position. They
base their calculations on the fine dis
plays the Harvard man has INDUCED in
at competitions in Massachusetts during
the season, to say nothing of his score
of 3O5 in the open state championship,
which was won by Alec Ross.
The previous winners with their scores
since the inception of the competition
have been: