Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-10-03
jerome TRAVERS
A STERLING
GOLFER
New National Champion Par
ticularly Strong with His
Irons - Won Title Three
Times

The attention of all the English
golf writer's has lately been directed
to the national at Wheaton and Harry
Leach said in a recent number OF the
Sketch that he had made rather ex-
tensive Inquiries among Americans
visiting in Great Britain who were
we'll versed in the golf OF their own
country, as to the rating Of the var.
ious players out here. He said that
practically all agreed that Jerome d.
come first on the list and Charles
Evans, Jr, second. Few people viii
dispute this sc 1t Is most satisfactory
that they should have come together
in the final of the championship this
year.
II Is interesting to cOmpare their
COLTS, for the strongest point In each
mans game is play with irons. When
one remembers that so short q time
ago We were considered q people who
sacrificed everything else for the sake
of obtaining great length from the
tee, 1t says much for our progress
that Trayers should be spoken OF 10
an English periodical as perhaps the
finest iron-shot player ever produced
by the States" and when Evans was
over there last year many were the
complimentary things said about his
Use Of this club, and to win admira
ton among a nation Of golfers which
attaches so much Importance to thfz
department OF the game surely proves
great dexterity.
As We all know this Is Mr.. Traverss
third victory In the national. The
first was at the Euclid Club, CleVs-
land, in 1897, when he defeated Archi-
bald Graham In the final. He ropeat.
ed his success the next year 1t Gar.
den City, beating w. j.. Travis IN the
semi-final by two holes. Max Behr
won at the thifty.seVenth IN the same
round from Fred Herreshoff, but was
overwhelmed by Trayers IN the final.
One of the finest matches in this
last tournament was that between
Travers and Travis and perhaps the
value of playing q thinking game was
never more clearly Illustrated. The
Montclair player could not find his
driving swing and lost a number OF
holes through faulty tee shots and It
largely due to this that he found
himself In the position of two down
at the end Of the fourth hole in the
second round. Il must have been q
startling thing to see a man who had
been national champion twice &c
knowledge so plainly that he was
completely off his drive as to take an
iron club from the tee at the long
sixth. Think of the encouragement
one would give an opponent In q hard
match by deliberately discarding ones
driver. 1t was q courageous thing to
do but 1t showed splendid judgment
and the wisdom of 1t was proved by
his winning the hole and making the
match all even.
To win five holes in succession from
a golfer of the caliber Of w. j. Ira
Wis mea perfect play, but Travers'
approaching and putting were fault
less, giving him the hard fought
The extraordinary thing OF
the tournament was that the winner
of it continued the course he had
in this round and discarded
his wooden clubs in his game with
II. K. Kerr and in the afternoon when
Mason Phelps. Such q tri-
umph of iron play is unprecedented
in the history of golf. There seems
10 be little question that II Travers had
not shown his wisdom In forsaking
the driver with which he had been
so lamentably and used the
he had welded so admirably,
hat he would not now be the holder
If the title.
Jerome D. Trayers is one Of the
most beautiful players to watch that
have in America. At the same
line it may be truly said he Is at
lines nj of the most disappointing,
that he plays well one time and
ably another. Yet even when not In
he has a faculty Of doing
marvellous things when forced to as
n the winning Of the metropolitan
asst year after scarcely playing any
!olf beforehand. In his match with
dr. Hilton in the national at Appa-
wants his putting was phenomenal
md in the estimation Of many people
his is an v e stronger part of his
anne than the use of irons for which
ie is justly noted.
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