Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-01
GOLF STUDENTS PERPLEXED
BY THE SEASONS RESULTS
Doubt as to Whether Ouimet or Travers
Should Be Placed First for Ma
tional Honors.

An unsuuai situation confronts the
student of golf form when he attempts
to arrange a list of the sixteen best anna
teur players in the United States, writes
Expert Culver in the New York Tribune
Never before has an amateur held the
open title and to make the situation more
complex it was not the present champion
who accomplished the feat.
Although Jerome D. Travers of Upper
Montclair has been the undisputed lead
er for two years and did all that was re-
quired of him in the national amateur
championship at Garden City, in which
he won not only the title. but defeated
Francis Ouimet in the second round, 1t
was only fortnight later that Ouimet
astounded the golf world by winning
the play-off of the open after getting into
"a. tie, with such professionals as yardon
and Ray. And the way it was won leaves
one little to choose when it comes to
selecting the player to head the list,
While Ouimet is, therefore, placed at
No. /, there still remains somewhat OF a
doubt. Unquestionably he is steadier
medal Mayer than Travers, but the lat
ter possesses the ideal match play tenn
permanent. Moreover, it does go against
the grain to rank a man at the top VINO
in other years has not been given
place among the first sixteen. OuImet mas
PLAYED well in seasons past, though his
game lacked that aggressiveness and de-
termination that marked most OF his
playing this year
Besides the ver-to-be-fOrgotten play
in the open, Ouimet qualined second i'll
the amateur championship at Garden
City, but lost to Travers in the second
round. In the Massachusetts, amateur,
at Wollaston, he qualified in second place
and bowled over G. f. Willett. B. 5.
Evans, J. G. Anderson and T.. II. Hoyt
on his way to the final. In the Lesley
Cup matches, Ouimet and Hoyt lost to
Trayers and Gilman P Tiffany in the
foursomes with New York, but in the In
diyidual tilt Ouimet defeated Travers,
the contest being carried to the twentieth
green The less said about that match
the better, though of course the winner
was not to blame for the gallery's ac-
tons. The next day Ouimet and w. c.
Chick won their matches in the four
somes against Howard W. Perrin and r.
S. Worthington, the Pennsylvania pair.
but after that Worthington defeated the
open champion in the singles.
ouimet Only Human.
Beginning with that contest, Ouimet
showed that he was only human after
all The title holder, with s. K Sterne
for a partner, was defeated in the four
somes Of the observation-disclosures
match at Oakley. but in the singles Oui-
met proved too much for B. P. Merri-
man. Ouirnet and H. II. Wilder lost In
the foursomes against Rhode Island and
again OuinIet was beaten in the singles
by r. S Hovey-
Passing to Travers. who is placed sec
ond on the list one is quickly impressed
with the unquestioned evidence of nerve
that carried the Upper Montclair golfer
successfully through So many hard
fought matches. Beginning with his VIM
ming O fthe Metropolitan championship at
Fox Hills in the spring. Jerry always
had to contend with unruly clubs. In
other words, he managed to win with
out being anywhere near the top of his
pan,e. Generally his driver was both
ering him and occasionally 1t was his
mashie but despite this he won the New
Jersey title shortly after the Metropoli
tan.
Between the Jersey and national cham
pionship week at Garden City. Travers
also gathered in occasional minor honors.
When he got into only a tie at the
tail end of the qualifying round at Gar
den City It didn't look as II his chances
Of retaining his title were worth much.
but with characteristic grit he settled to
his task and the way he outgamed Ouimet
in the second round will finger long In the
memory Of those who saw that match.
Onimef was on with,eall his clubs:
Travers won without using his driver. 1t
requires exceptional ability to force the
driving iron to take the place Of wood.
Trayers however is an exceptional
golfer. 1t will probably take another sea-
sons campaigning to satisfactorily settle
the question as to which OF these two is
really the better player.
To that brilliant. though apparently
unfortunate "Chick" Evans. one has lit
tie ,hesitancy in according third place.
If he were nearly as good at match
plays, as at medal. play. Charles w,
Evans, jr., would have won the amateur
title ere this. but unfortunately, when
under fire. the Edgewater golfer gem
orally proves disappointing.
Evans Weak on Puts
Take for ;nStarco tho not;ora1 ohio -, :