New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-04

Without an orClat rating 'ne Npluit'oi'
task on the part of critics Of determining
the seasons leading amateur golfers OF
the country remains as perplexing as
ever In various ways the year lsl" mas
been memorable among golfers. as the ma
tons foremost amateurs some for thelr
consistency and others because Of elarlns
Inconsistency. have come in for more thah
an ordinary amount of attention
When determining the position Of a
golfer due consideration has been given 10
the character Of links which per
formances we're made. It is also We'll 10
bear in mind that good golfers are not
overnight Developments In other words.
once having proved himself a really high
class amateur. such q man should not be
too rudely pushed from his exalted posi-
ton on the other hand, there's zeal
Of truth IN the old song, Its not what
you used TO be. but what you are to-day
Instances occur where il is preferable to
strike the names of well known perform
ers of III. list entirely. Take. for instance
those two erstwhie stars, H Chandler
Fean and Jerome D. Travers- The class
Of these past champions is known 10 al
followers of the game. Egan ana lraNerS'
81 rated at all. clearly belong near me
ton but II is equally apparent that neither
rish a satisfactory line Travers com
reted a few times in the spring, winning
~ Mortclair ana being runner I'D IN the
METROPOLITAN end New Jersey champion
ships but in every instance his work fell
short Of the Travers Of old He then
6ropped 50 completely out Of the tourna-
naent game as 10 cause grave DOUBTS as
70 hi. shility to ever come back.
With Egan. business and Ill health kept
the champion Of 400 and 1905 off the links
he did manage 10 get away for the ma
tionaI championship tournament at Brook
line. but lack Of practice told against him
On the principle, therefore, that where
conditions exist making if Impossible to
form proper deductions as to a PLAYER
true worth It is better 10 omit entirety
Egan and Travers have been left of TINS
years list. Unquestionahly they are bet
ter than many whose names appear, out
then Justice is due those who have faced
the music frequently and under varying
conditions
When confronted by player who was a
steady winner throughout the 1903 season
end a correspondingly frequent loser This
wear the critic finds himself trying TO
solve another oft recurring puzzle Fur
rhermore. because q golfer, as result OF
a combination Of good play and good luck.
succeeds in winning the championship
there seems TO logical reason why such an
individual should be placed No I.
Winning the coveted title. however, is
certainly deserving of especial constdera
ton, and where the national title holder
has by immediate previous or subsequent
achievements DISPLAYED championship
form much Of the common difficulty IS re-
moved. Care must be taken not tn place
too much dependence on mere brilllancy.
Occasional flashes ara Of less value than
the steadier brand Of golf 1t the steady
-eIlor who wins the tournaments. The
brilliant chap may break record. hut he
Is likely to slip cog somewhere and 90
down to defeat before a poorer player.
as the saying goes
Considering the situation from its T'ari-
GUS angles. however, there Is little doubt
that The position OF honor belongs TO that
remarkable young golfer, Charles Evans.
~ year ego the Fdsewater lad was
,,leoe5 eeoond on this list the palm then
t.ine conceded TO Esan. Since then Evans
has gone night along gathering both fame
and prizes.
In the onwentsis tournament Chick
won, but only after sensational match
with Paul Hunter The first named also
disposed of Albert Seckel quite handily
in the Westward Ho meeting, and when 1T
came 70 the Junior championship over the
same links Evans simply romped away
with the title, defeating his opponent TO
the tune Of 10 up and to play in the de-
r.sIve match. He also downed Walter
Fxan for the chief cup at Lake Geneva
this match being carried TO the forty
first green
without doubt Evans's crowning-achieve-
l,se ,--;,1
ming of the Western open title. In this
n. broke down precedent. for never before
had an amateur succeeded in beating the
rrofessionals in this country. The victory
ves IN. more impressive for the reason
cha. the winner gained his laurels at mach
nlay While attention may be called by
,boss wishing TO let the pros down
.ssiIv 10 the fact that some of the fore
mos. ~ The cash brigade were absent. II
81 sousIIy tree that Evans played fine golf,
the kind that would probably have stood
III. test against almost any one.
When he reached Brcol1lins for the
,ional tournament Evans straightway be
came the centre of attraction In fact
he soon ruled a pronounced favorte, and
when he overwhelmed Fred Hereshoff,
en-. OF the main hopes of the East the
gallery agreed IL was all over save the
rorsrs.uls tons How Evans lost TO ". G.
Fornes. II, IN the serni-frlal round. after
having the match apparently won. is still
q topic of conversation among golfers.
There is one phase OF Evans's game that
might easily be improved. Most certainly
golf IS golf. be IL played on the sands of
FLORIDA the Western plains the undu-
Eating surfaces SO general here in the East
hut st the same time entirely different
conditions require different shots. Evans.
u-ho came out Of the West stranger to
Eastern conditions especially trying ar
rrookltrae because Of the slippery green's.
was leboring under 3 handicap. Had Evans
arrived there in time for a weeks solid
practice ne might have been invincible.
Were II MT for the fact that Walter J.
Travis has failed 10 win the national title
since 1893, the Garden City expert would
be the logical leader, for his equal as
tournament winner year in and year out
cannot be found anywhere the country
over Beginning at Lakewood in the
spring Travis went from tournament 70
tournament meeting with few reverses- He
won at Lakewood. Garden City. Apawanlis,
Nassau. Ekwanok. Tuxedo. Atlantic City.
and again at Lakewood. besides defeating
Evans ia the West Among others 10 fall
before his Yr1schinelike strokes were Trav-
ers, Herreshof, Douglas. j. M Ward and