Evening star., 1909-04-18
WILL AMERICAN BEAT
BRITISH GOLFERS?
J. D. Travers' Chance for
Championship on Other Side
Chief Topic Among the
Players.

Since Jerome D. Travers left New York
| on the Anchor line steamer Caledonia the
probability Of his winning the British
golf championship has been the absorb
ing topic among enthusiasts here.
| In other words. no matter what golf
club one has visited the chief discussion
has been: will Jerome Travers win at
Muirf1eld?"
Other Americans. such as W. ]. Travis
and F.. NJ. Byers have had shy at the
British champion, but none, not even W.
]. Travis. who won. aroused such wide
spread or intense enthusiasm as Is the
case with the Montclair amateur
With Jerome Travers there Is this un-
deniable distinction. Throughout the
country he is the acknowledged champion
Of champions. His deeds have been and
! to California. as we'll as from the lakes
| to the gulf. So much so that, although
American gofdom has had its Chandler
Egans. W. ]. Travises. e. NJ. Byerses,
cepted as in class by himself as the
| square chinned. 1.-THE built youngster
| from Montclair, n. j.
Complete Faith in Mr.. Travers' Game
Whatever the outcome of efforts at
/
preliminary round or whether he wins.
faith In his prowess will not shrink an
iota throughout the wide stretches COW
cred by golfers here.
Had w. j. Travis been defeated at the
outset OF the championship he won at
Sandwich, In 1904. no golfer here would
have been affected much, one way or the
| other.
| With Jerome Travers 1t is different. His
youth. his briifiancy and his undeniable
| aptitude have won not only the admira-
tfon of those who have watched him, but
OF those who know of him only by hear
| say.
| There is a fascination surrounding
young Trayers' play which in this coun-
try has been approached only by Chan
dler Egan. On the question Of which is
the more brilliant. one might incline to
the erstwhile Chicagoan. AS to which is
the better match player both are without
a peer. As to which Of the twain Is the
more consistent, the answer would un-
hesitatingly be in favor Of Jerome Trav-
| ers.
Fit. well and keen, there is probably no
| amateur anywhere who can respond to
the prick of the spurs" or. in other
words. rise to the occasion as can the
| American amateur champion.
The better his opponent. the better is
Jerome Travers. In fact, his weakness
has been that he needs the "spurs."
Against slightly inferior opponent he
| down" to the latter's game. and not
up" to his real capabilities. This tend
ency has cost him several matches in or
dinary tournaments. and has nearly cost
him championships.
Never Indifferent.
Against W. J. Travis or any opponent
at the top of his game Mr.. Travers has
in the last two years never even played
indifferently. And although in that period
Mr.. Travis defeated him twice at Garden
City, 1t was in the early spring. when the
Montclair crack played exceptionally well
considering his lack OF practice.
| Many golfers think that the different
conditions on the other side will prove
stumbling block to the American. SO far
he has shown a marked adaptability to
surroundings. A striking example of this
1 was at Cleveland in 1907, when a golfer
remarked: ''Travers will never be able to
| do himself justice here To which
veteran replied: ''Travers? Why, he
could play golf in a back yard" And 80
/ 1t proved.
Because bunkers by comparison are
made numerous and generally more ap-
paling in the British isles. the idea pre-
walls that golf Is: more dihicult. AS an
| Offset. however, the general atmosphere.
/ the surroundings. the turf. everything
over there is more inspiring. One feels
keener. has better lies and. above all, the
4 putting greens are SO reliably responsive
| to truly hit ball that a players conf
dence In his powers is incalculably in
| creased.
| No one. however has such an exalted
opinion Of Jerome Travers as to deem him
| superior to his British rivals in tee shots.
| second shots, iron shots or approaching.
Many Of his class there are on the other
| side who can Outdrive, outcheck and out
approach him. None there Is. however,
who excels him in every one OF these
| phases of the game. and not one there is
/ who can output him.
| On the putting green Jerome Trayers
| should triumph-at least 50 thinks the en-
tire American golf world. John J.. Low
| and the cream of the professionals may
| Montclair youngster, but no player in the
| world can more than he be confidently re-
| lied upon to hole anything within six
| feet OF the cup.
Revels in Grimly Fought Matches.
In this lies the great strength of his
game. The grimmer the struggle the more
depending on it. the more certain he is
to hole his yard puts and the more
likely TO hole his long ones.
This is the reverse of the game of most
| golfers. and this is where Jerome D.
| Travers stands head and shoulders over
1 any man who ever swung a club.
| Further, in tight game-a game in
| which an opponent is playing heartbreak
| ing par solf-Mr. Trayers is conspicuous
| ~ at nlS DeAt. Al THIS pressure, as IN
/ stanced In the final two asons ago for
the Metropolitan championship against
| e. NJ. Byers he popped in "threes" at the
tenth and eleventh c'four' holes). squar-
| ed the match and eventually won. He re-
! peated this at Cleveland In a hard-fought
| match against Warren Wood
Mr.. Travers has displayed the same
| relish and the same faculty for extend
| ing himself at least thrice against W. j.
! Travis twice at Shinnecock Hills and
! again in the never-to-be-forgotten semi
! final of the championship last year at
! Garden City.
| Another card In Mr.. Travers' favor is
| the fact that the keener the match the
better he plays the subsequent match. To
sum up, he is never beaten, and the more
depending on a putt the greater the odds
| on his making II.