Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-07
REVIEW OF GOLF SEASON
Year Of Surprises on the Big Ameri-
cen Links.
ARMY OF PLAYERS OVER 100000
Popularity OF Game - Materially
Stimulated by the Advocacy it
Has Received from Presi-
dent Taft.

NEW YORK, Nov. snow that the golf
ing season Of tournaments and sectional
championships is over. it may be interest
ms briefly to review the events OF the
season. 1t has been a year Of surprises in
American golf. and aside from the return
Of Walter J. Travis to the metropolitan
title new holders have been secured for all
other titles.
At the opening Of the season Of 1903 1t
was conservatively estimated that the
American golfinR army had reached the
100000 mark. Thanks to the increased
popularity Of the game. with President
William II. Taft as an enthusiastic advo-
cate, it is now figured that there are at
least from $4,000 to GOO,OO players in the
country.
The victory Of Robert A.. Gardner over
Walter J. Travis and H.. Chandler Egan I'm
the amateur championship at Wheaton in
September, sufficient in itself TO demon
strate that the title was won by absolute
merit. brings a new name into the long list
of. holders Of that coveted title.
The visit Of Miss Dorothy Campbell, the
British women's amateur champion, who
at Merton beat the cream Of our American
women players for the championship title,
while unsatisfactory from the standpoint
of having the title leave the country, was
reassuring In respect to the fact that 1t
showed that our women are fast approach
ing the highest standards abroad.
The victory Of George Sargent Of the
open championship at Englewood with
Tom MeNamara from Boston. a homebred,
second. and Alec Smith third, was decidedly
popular in bringing new men into the lime
light of fame. Sargent has not been so
successful in his subsequent match play en-
- 81 - G-aaL - nTrrH
Anderson, but well deserved his lsurels by
his grand golf at Englewood.
on the other side Of the pond J. II.
Taylor won his fourth open championship
at Deal, closely followed by lanes Braid,
also a four-time winner, and Tom Ball,
tied for second place. Ball subsequently
in the News of the World professional
tournament won first honors, owing to the
defeats Of other famous English stars such
as Braid, Taylor, Vardou and Herd.
The British amateur championship, won
by Robert Maxwell at Muirfield by one up
in the final round at thirty-six holes over
Captain Hutchinson. was principally nota-
BILE from the American standpoint through
the defeat OF Jerome d. Trsvers, our then
American champion, in the very first
round.
Walter ]. Travis, during the early part
Of the season, was playing better golf than
at any time in his career. as was shown
in his record scores in the Metropolitan
championship in the final round against
Herreshoff. when he made a seventy-one
at Apawamis. At Wheaton. in the cham
pionship, Mr.. Travis was never at home
on the rough green. where those aocus.
toned to the conditions used mld-irons
Instead Of %putters.
Jerome d. Travers. amateur champion
, for 1907 and 1908, did not participate ir
any of the early season events before
starting in quest Of the British title, II
which he pas put I'm the first round. or
his return he played thirty-six holes in tn,
open championship at Engiewood. and his
only other appearance was in the invita-.
, tion tournament At Montolair, where h,
lost to John M. Ward in the final rount
on the nineteenth green.
The year 1909 has demonstrated the truth
OF the assertion Of those who a few year.
ago said that before Iona American gol
will soon approach the uncertainty OF re
suits for years prevalent abroad. We ar,
rapidly developing a class OF young play
ers of high class so evenly matched tina
the sway OF men like Travis and Douglas
who for years had things pretty much a
i their mercy. will be an lmpossibility.
d The following is a brief summary OF tn,
c seasons play at home and abroad:
b MEMS.
q National Amateur: At Wheaton, Sep
r tembAr 6-1l-C. Evans. ir.. T. N. Sherman
- and r. A. Gardner tied for medal az l1
c. Evans won pisy-off Final round, Y
a. Gardner beat II c. Egsn- and 2-thir
tv-six holes.
Q WOMEN'S.
National Amateur: At Merton, October 4
9-Mrs c. F.. Fox, Miss Msrgaret Curti
y and Miss Anita F.. Phipps tied for media
at SO. Miss Curtis won plav-off Fin
e round; Miss Dorothy Campbell. England
beat Mrs. r. A. Barlow-3 and 9
PROFESSIONAL.
Omen Championship; At Englewood, Jun.
"a and q
George Sergeant .........7h y - ia
e Tom Mcnamara ...,........1 81 h TN
: Alec Smith ......-......7s 70 "A 72-29
GREAT BRITAIN.