New-York tribune., 1912-03-04
MORE SCRATCH GOLFERS
Metropolitan Handicap Commit.
tee Working to That End.
LARGEST GAIN BY KIRKBY
Britishers to Meet with Regard
to the Standard Ball Question
Rules Decisions.

Instead Of one there will probably be sew.
eral scratch men on the new Metropolis,
Golf Association handicap list. In the past
Walter ]. Travis has generally been given
the place Of honor, but that time has
passed now, as there are at least thtea
others that the handicap committee feels
are entitled to a scratch rating.
While this has not been given out on.
cially, yet 1t is understood that the scratch
men will be Travis, Jerome d. Trayers
Fred Herreshoff and Oswald Kirkby. Thepa
is also a chance that Albert Seclkel. the
Western champion, may be placed on
similar footing. Seckel appears on thu
Metropolitan Golf Association list through
his Princeton connection.
There was time when Travers appeared
at scratch. but in 1910 he received stroks
and last year he was placed at ? Then
came that return to crstwhile form when
the Upper Montclair gcifer won the metro
politan and New Jersey championships in
successive weeks AS for Herreshoff, all
the committee has to do is to point to his
Apawannis performance, when he defeated
both Kirkby and Charles w. Evans, jr., on
MS rOdQ 10 Ifle lUdl IOuDO- IlStASSlt'tA Ncs
given l stroke a year ago.
The record jump in the history OF the
handicap committee, so far as advance
ment is concerned, has been made By
Kirkby. Last year the Englewood cham
pion was rated at 1, though it is now ad-
mitted that he should have received less.
Up to the beginning Of the 1911 competitiys
season Kirkby played little in open tourna-
ments. All followers of local golf are IA
miliar with his sensational performances
last season, when he won prize In nearly
every tournament in which ne entered.
With regard to action abroad toward
standsrdizing the ball, it may be said that
a petition has been signed By prominent
British golfers, including John Ball. six
times holder of the amateur title; John L.
Low and others, requesting that delegates
Of the clubs managing the amateur cham
pionship consider the question Of making
all the entrants use balls of the same ma
terial and structure There are about
twenty-five clubs managing the British
amateur championship. The action Of this
union of clubs is independent OF the Royal
and Ancient Golf Club. which legislates on
questions pertaining to the rules. There
will be meeting OF the clubs during the
championship, which begins at Westward
Ho on June g.
Despite the thousands of rule tangles
the St Andrews committee has been
asked TO unravel during the last few
years, there is always a fresh supply 70
struggle with at every meeting. Judging
by the latest findings, IL behooyes the
player who takes part in a match to be
certain OF his handicap. The easygoing
way golfers get into while engaged IN
four-ball matches is also likely TO prove
costly at some time or other Take the
following illustrations for example:
Ouestion-There is a local rule 10 the ef-
feet that the holder of the club challenge
cup must start l down when next competing
for the cup. In the semi-final a, who is the
holder, forgetting she ought TO start do"n'
PLAYED B and beat her up. The result was
given in that had won, and it was not
until six days later that A remembered ths
rule and wrote 10 the secretary 20 ask wat
she should do. Cd Should a be disquah'
fed? C2) Should both be disqualified? 90
Should the match result be left as II was
given in? 90 Should there be a replay!
Answer--It is the duty OF every COM
petitor 10 know his COR herr own handicap
A should be disqualified.
Ouestion--On the teeing ground player
took a practice swing, struck the grouho
near his teed ball and caused the ban I"
fall off the tee. % Did he incur pen
atty? 90 Would he have incurred pen
atty if the club had touched the ban! '3'
What penalty is incurred when either ih'''
dent occurs through the green?
Answer-No The practice swing was
not a stroke, and the teed ball was not IN
play Through the green, in the hrst IN
stance. the penalty is one stroke under hus
12 In the second case any contact ne'
tween the head OF the club and the ball re-
shifting in movement of the ball, constitutes
fCaa npfpifiOD 13