New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-01
TRAVIS IN GOOD FORM
Beats Fred HerreShoff on Lake.
wood Golf Links.
FOLLOWED BY BIG GALLERY
Exciting Play Marks Decisive
Stage of Country Clubs
Open Tournament.

y large gallery. including many women.
and a red ball used by the winner lent
color 10 the decisive stage Of the open
golf tournament on the links of the Coun-
try Club Of Lakewood yesterday. The
crimson dyed rubber core belonged to
Walter J. Travis, the human golf machine
from Garden City. who defeated Fred
Herreshoff. representing the National
Links, by up and TO play. When the
finalists teed up practically all traces of
snow lad vanished, and why Travis stuck
to the red ball was not quite clear TO the
spectators. 1t served him well, however,
golf than that handed out at the expense
of the far driving Herreshoff.
The brilliant finish Of the veteran was
preceded in the early hours by rather
spectacular play-off of the postponed sec
ond round match with John NJ. Ward.
They had stopped on account OF darkness
the evening before after playing seventeen
holes when the match stood all square.
Playing the home hole. both reached the
green on their third shots. the balls rest
ing equidistant from the pin some twenty
the dismay of the baseball veteran. the
rubber core went down. Playing the
like, Ward never got anywhere near the
mark, and, as Travis observed, after that
first put there wasn't room in the hole for
another ball"
Anyhow. that made Travis the winner
by / up and sent him into the semi-finais
against r. l.. Redfeld, Of Montclair. The
lat NAMED PLAYED fairly well. but he was
not equal to holding Travis, who soon
took command of the situation and finally
won by up and to play. On the other
side of the draw Herreshoff met and
easily disposed of T. d. Conroy, Of Fox
Hills, the margin being and In favor OF
the former metropolitan champion.
Because of the fact that Herreshof had
taken Traviss measure few weeks ago
In the semi-fnal round Of the Nassau
tournament, 1t was generally expected
that the "old man" would try hard for
revenge. and 80 1t proved. With few ex-
ceptons, his golf was as steady as a
rock, and even off the tee, department
in which Herreshoff was expected to have
decided advantage, surprise was In
store for the gallery as Herreshon mad
to play the odd about as often as his OPP
ponent. Poorly timed strokes spoiled
many Of Herreshoff's drives, some being
skied. others sliced, and one or two hall
topped. The result was that Herreshoif
gained absolutely nothing with his wood
en- clubs. and as Travis had slipped into
one OF those uncanny putting veins. the
Younger man never had chance to get
10 the fore.
There were instances where Travis
missed short puts. notably at the fourth
and ninth holes. but he more than atoned
for those mistakes by sinking long ones
on the sixth. thirteenth, fourteenth and
fifteenth greens. When they reached the
turn Travis stood up, the cards reading
~ to 40 In his favor. Nothing happened
at the water holes as the tenth and elev-
enth are called, the pair halving in IS,
but when Herreshoff 'stung" one of mis-
oldtime drives from the twelfth tee 10
the green's edge it looked as if he might
square the match. especially as Travis
pulled his drive to the rough. Herreshon
elected TO run up with his putter. and as
the ground Immediately In front OF his
ball was uneven. he made bad work Of il.
so that he was actually further away
from the pin than was Travis, who had
been compelled to approach from the long
grass. They halved the hole, however. in 1.
The thirteenth hole is 24o yards. and
with the wind at his back Travis drove
his red ball to the green and won the
hole in to l. as Herreshof was unable
10 lay his chip shot dead after driving
hole high in the rough. That placed
Travis up again, and he seemed to have
the next hole as good as won, when Het
reshoff topped his drive. the ball barely
bounding over the bunker. From there
the former metropolitan champion made
a good recovery to the green-much bet
ter. i'm fact. than Travis, who fell trne
shy Oh his approach. Travis also failed
TO lay his running up put dead and had
TO get down six-footer for halve in T.
He stole the next hole in g. thanks To a
twenty-foct put. That made him dormie.