The San Francisco call., 1913-10-24

R|T|SHERS
DAzzLERS
On LINKS
Vardon and Ray Prove to Be
Wonders at the Old
!: Scotch Game
BY H. MCDONALD SPENCER

In spite OF the uncertainty attend
Ing the movements OF vardon and
Ray, the great English golf pros.
prior to their arrival here. quite a
large gallery witnessed their first
appearance on the Ingleside links
yesterday afternoon.
Nor. were the spectators disap-
pointed at the exhibition, which was
the most remarkable ever seen ON a
Californian course. not only in the
perfection of style. bEt in the actual
results achieved by two men, entire
strangers to the links.
After being rushed to the club
from the train in taxicab, in the
morning they played the best ball of
c. <. Maude, w. +. CARLY and f. j.
Reilly, winning by 4 to 3, yardon
scoring a 6S, beating the best ball of
the three by two holes
But in the afternoon Ray scored
&c, allowing two or three short puts.
and the best ball OF the Englishmen
was 81. which beat Hayne. Tubbs
and CARLY to 5. As a matter of
fact they might just as well have
played the best ball of the entire
golfing fraternity in this neighbor-
hood.
While yardon and Ray supericially
are very different in form. yet they
have one feature In common which
distinguishes their game entirely
from anything we have out here.
namely their vertical swing or up
and down movement of the club as
centrasted TO the fiatter or more
round the body stroke in vogue in
this country.
CONTRAST IN PLAYERS
And this difference in style prob
ably accoupnts to a great extent for
their extraordinary straightness and
control. Playing at $50 yards from
the pin, Vardon stands right over his
ball as in a putting stroke ana
moves his clubhead back almost IN
the line of the hole, and he has many
legitimate twos from that position.
Vardon is the more easy and grace
ful player and his form is perfect
He played his world famous push
shot, where the ball went away low
for $50 yards. apparently going to
o7errun the green by so yards, when
it would fall almost vertically and
drop dead.
Naturally, every one was interested
to see the mighty Ray drive, and the
way he lands his 230 pounds of beef
into the ball with a kind of joyous
abandon is delight to the spectators
His method is distinctly unorthodox.
as his body sways distinctly fore and
aft as it were. Whether Harry Davis
of Portland drives longer ball, or
not. may be a question; certainly. in
the average length of drive I doubt
il he would exceed Ray. However,
Ray played last on every driving hole
but two in the 36 played. and his
ball averaged 25 to so yards beyond
the rest.
Ray plays his approaches with
niblick or a club resembling niblick
with an elongated head and rounded
10th men putt quite differently
from our American pros STOPPING
more over their ball, but do not
think they have much advantage in
this respect.
RAY is supposed to be the better
nutter of the two, but Vardon was
quite his equal yesterday. However.
there was no strain. which helps some.
RAY Is A GIANT
yardon is about feet 10h inches
in height, OF medium Dui1d, OUT Droad
sbouldered-the best size for an ath-
lete. His hands are enormous; 9TH
erwise he is not particularly remark
able He smokes cigarettes constant
". which he rolls himself.
Ray is Of the caveman type, about
feet inches in height, and looks
TO weigh 230 pounds. He smokes
nine incessantly. Neither of the
Efglishmen dresses the part They
wear ordinary everyday loose, COM
Portable clothes. and remind one of
artisans on the job. so thoroughly
quiet and businesslike are their meth
DDS.
only once did they lose their inn
perturability. Once did the titanic
Rays ruddy face turn pale and Var
don lost his sangfroid and appeared
for the moment like an awkward
amateur.
Across the gallery lady called TO
another: Are you going TO the ball
on Saturday, Frances? We may.
was the prompt answer.