New-York tribune., 1908-05-08
TRAVIS A GOLFING AJAX
STORM HAS NO .TERRORS
Close Call for Amateur Cham pion
OUer Runsrept Links.

All records for courage. or foolishness according
70 the point OF view, were broken on the links OF
the Garden City Golf Club yesterday when hfty-
odd amateurs, including of I'll. best known
players in the country, played thirty-six holes in
one Of the worst storms in years. As usual. m.
resourceful Walter J. Travis rose TO the occasion
and spread -easled his field by winning the Io-
score prize in the qualifying round with 81 fifteen
strokes better than his nearest opponents-Charlss
seely, of Wee Burn, former metropolitan cham
pion. and c. A Sporord. Of the ho1ns club who
were tied at 90 strokes each
Jerome d Travers. OF MontcIair the national
metropolitan and New Jersey champion. barely
saved his bacon by tfeins with eight others at
the bottom OF the first sixteen. with score Of rs
His hands became so numb from the cold that he
lost all control OF his clubs A change OF clothes
a rundown and 3 meal revived him.
however. that he easily qualified IN N. pIay-or
registering at the first hole.
Fred Herreshor, Of the home club also had
a hard luck story. The latter started out thinly
clad and nearly perished. taking IA for the round
His real troubles were encountered on the home
ward journey. where he had Il and ss
Herreshof declared this the first time IN
years that he had failed TO qualify in a tourna-
ment
When the contestants sailed forth for the r-st
match play round in the two sixteens after lunch
con- the conditions worse than IN the
morning. as the rain swirIed and dashed across
the course in sheets. Many Of the greens were
fairly submerged. and putting became largely a
matter Of luck The storm directly in the faces
OF the players going TO the fourth eighth. four
teenth. sixteenth and home holes. The last usual
y half iron 4 nashie, vas 2 full drive yesre--
day against the howing wind
Under such conditions IL vas not surprising that
a number Of defaults were recorded. In the first
division P H Jennings, OF the homo club. de-
faulted to Charles E =. McCanu OF Euzle1ood
while DR.. D. G. Smith. Of Wee Burn after losing
four out of the first five holes TO sporord. r.
fused 70 go any further No less than four OF the
eight second division matches went by default
Herreshof, who got IN the second set. one
OF those who refused 10 continue
There was some talk OF calling OF the pav IN
the afternoon and holding the first round this
morning which could have been possibI. by cutting
down the final round TO eighteen holes. The COM
mitree finally decided. however, to stand on the
original conditions, and the players vho stuck
TO their clubs, dragged themselves over the heavy
sodden course
Practically al the favorites won their matches
IN the first set Travis beat " D Johnson. OF
wyoming Valley, up and play, the Phua-
deIphian never winning = hole. Travers also won
decisvely from Fred Snare. Of Englevood Will.
SeeIy defeated the Apawau1ts veteran. James D.
Foot, after a hard contest The luck OF the draw
has brought Travis and Trave-s together for the
second round this morning
The performance Of Travis in going round in 81
IN the qualifying round will go down one ot
the most remarkable achievements in The history
OF the game in this country. When Jerome Trav-
ers heard Of the score he wore look Of wonder
and he seemed unable figure out satisfactorily
how the feat could be accomplished under the con-
dItons.
One golfer gave his version OF the affair, which
probably comes pretty the truth, by declar-
ing that Travis knew the course perfectly that
all he had do his ball allow rhs
wind and drive, and that this also held good with
the other shots With the strangers II was en-
urey different, for. while they were looking round
trying 10 combat the elements. they were not only
blinded but welInigh frozen by the cold wind
which like knife.
Travis really had bad holes. his only SIS being
at the 50O-yard fourth and the 55e-yard seventh.
which are par 5s. All the others made in
q and SIS save the short second, where ne got a
8 His card read follows.
iinr'''',......... 60.
J. 5. Jones. OF the Crescent Athletic Club, had 4
rather unusual experience After playing three
holes his caddie threw down the bag Of clubs,
saying, I've had enough" and trudged OF through
the mist. Jones lugged his own clubs for three
more holes. and then gave up in disgust
Everybody interested in the changes in the
course. which reached the proportions of a trans
formation far the home hole concerned
enrh hole At St Andrews, although the sand and
original is substituted by the pond Garden City
The latter has a deep trap back Of the green
placed a substitute for the Eden Ths other
deep trap the left and the uudulstious Of the
green the same al St Andrews. The twelfth
hole has also been shortened that II IS only
one-shou hole Of 1s0 yards.
The summary follows.
FIRST SIXTEEN
out II -o-a,