Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-02
RANKING FINDS EGAN
At TOP OF GOLFERS
Amateur Champion Placed
Sixth in Honor Role for
the Past Year.
Ranking Of the Golfers This
Year and Last.

With the new year arriving golfers
have leisure to delve into the past for a
brief period to look over the list of
amateurs who did their part toward max
ing 1909 golf history, and, If possible, to
sift the wheat from the chaff. The task
of selecting the leading sixteen players
always has been, and must ever be, not
only difficult. but open to criticism. How
ever, a close student of form will have
little difficulty in selecting the first half
dozen. although placing them in order In
the absence of an official rating must, of
course remain entirely a matter of per-
sonal opinion.
The placing OF the amateur champion
is bound to be delicate undertaking. but
in the Judgment OF the writer, as we'll as
of many other students of the game. 1t
takes more than championship to de-
termine players true value. Conse-
ouently, Robert A. Gardner. the title hold
er. Is placed sixth on the list.
1t is only necessary to mention the name
of III. Chandler Egan to cause lovers or
the game to wax enthusiastic. A year ago
he was placed third to Jerome ID. Travers
and Walter j. Travis. Travers had won
the national championship twice in sue
cession, besides proving his worth In yari-
Gus other competitive events Further
more. the 1905 tournament season was
practically a blank TO Egan, whose bust
time. but whenever he played during the
last year the Exmoor man proved that
he was the Egan of old.
Throughout the championship tourna'
ment at Wheaton he accomplished the
difficult with such apparent ease that
one could scarcely help feeling that he
had it in him to do even more II so
inclined. Those who had watched him
play n practice prior ~ the tournament
knew that the champion of 1904 and 1905
would make his presence felt, and when
he reached the final round few thought
: ne could lose. An illness, contracted the
night before the final match. proved a
handicap. however. and he suffered defeat
at the hands of a new star.
Westerners Lead.
In spite Of this defeat Egan is ranked
at the top, closely followed by another
Chicago youth. Charles w. Evans, jr., re-
garded by many as the coming player of
the country. Evans, it will be remembered.
won the low score medal in the qualifying
round of the amateur championsh p
tournament after a play-of with Gardner
and T. NJ. Sherman. The Edgewater lad
was eliminated from the championship
after a sensational match with Egan
Evans also won the Western Golf AS
sociation title and open tournaments at
Edgewater and Onwentsia.
Third on the list comes Walter J.
Travis, an erstwhile leader, who was
City mans competitive record this year
furnishes an interesting chapter Of sue
cesses and defeats. Hfe began brilliantly
by regaining the Metropolitan title, the
tournament at Apawamis being pro-
ductive of the most brilliant golf Of his
career. Other early season successes were
earned at Atlantic City, Garden City
Chevy Chase and Utica, but thereafter
Travis met with reverses. Besides losing
in the national championship. he was
brushed aside at Ekwanok, Brookline and
Atlantic City and Lakewood, in the fall
From the top to fourth position is the
fate of Jerome D. Travers. who began
disastrously in an attempt to capture
the golfing crown of Great Britain. While
this really great golfer did little to add
TO his reputation during his stay abroad
and for that matter when he returned.
vet il was plain 10 those who saw him
The few times he did compete that the
Montclair expert had lost little OF his
skill. In tournament over his own
course Travers lost in the final round
10 John NJ. Ward after having the match
III hand. while at Lakewood he was put
ont by Travis