The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-19
NO COMPETITION FOR
OUR PROFESSIONALS
Or Comparatively None. and
Yet They Must Meet Brit
ish. who Play Often.
QUINTET HAD ADVANTAGE
Many Opportunities for Hard
Contests Under Stress
Unfair Condition.

When Harry vardon and Edward Ray
40 completely outclassed nearly all OF the
field in the open championship at Brook
line last September and only the sensa-
tional victory of Francis Oumet saved
the day for the United States there arose
"A great deal Of rather harsh criticism
of the professionals on this side Of the At
lantic The same criticism was heard
when vardon and Ray sailed for home
with only one defeat in an exhibition
match while in this country marked up
against them.
Common, on all sides was heard to the
effect that our professionals. both native
and foreign born. were not in the same
class with the British visitors. and the
same opinions have been expressed fire.
qu.ntly during the last two or three
months.
While IL is true that our professionals
made an Indifferent showing in their
ma tches against Nardon and Ray. the
blame 10y no means rests entirely upon
them. A large part OF II may be laid at
the door of the American golhng public
which offers TO the leading professionals
by far too few opportunities to test their
t
Though the new year has just begun. u
number of big matches already have been
arranged in England for the prominent
professionals, Vardon and Ray have
several contests arranged for them and
George Duncan and Abe Mitchell also
have engagements IN April. May and
June on their books Big matches be-
tween the leading professionals are i'm
portAnt events in Great Britain. and the
| interest In them is SO keen that they
have to be arranged for a long time In
advance.
ON this side OF the Atlantic, however.
"A decidedly different condition OF affairs
prevails II would be hard task to find
one of our leading professionals who
has "A single match booked at this time.
and most OF them will consider themselves
| lucky II they succeed in getting two or
three during the course CT the entire golf
/ ing season
Il is idle TO expect our professionals
! to make much of a showing agains,
/ British invaders unless they receive more
/ frequent opportunities to play In compe-
| tition against other professionals They
cannot be expected to go along all sea
son without the training that competi-
ton brings and then step In and defeat
/ golfers from England, whose season con-
| sists of a series OF big matches.
| Another British invasion II promised
| for the coming season, and II II IL &c
be rep,led successfully the American
/ eolnng public should see to IL that the
/ leading professionals in this country have
/ more and better opportunities To- play ~
| matches before they are called upon Ia
| defeat the invaders. Ou.met, who beat
| Nardon and Ray, was an amateur to be
/ sure. but the fact that he was an anna
teur gave him an opportunity To get in
plenty ~ good hard matches during the
| two or three months that preceded the
/ championship. The professionals should
have an equal opportunity.
The United states Golf Association has
| announced that the St Mungo Manufac-
turing Company has fallen In line with
| the manufacturers who have reduced the
| price Of golf balls. Hitherto the balls
| made by the 81. Mungo company have
! been sold for 81 n dozen. but in the flu
! ture they will cost $3.50 and So dozen
Though their golf school has been open
| only "A week. the Mackie brothers, Isaac
| of Fox Hills and Jack of Dunwoodie. al
ready are doing good business. IL
would be difficult to discover more
popular pair OF professionals than the
Mackie brothers. and their winter school
| is sure TO become a popular one.
! II IL In the Flelschman Baths Build
| ing on the corner OF Forty-second street
and Sixth avenue. and the Mackies laugh
| ingly claim that one Of its chief merits
Is that tho golfer playing there may
get used to playing before gallery.
| The platform OF an elevated railroad sta
| ton IL close to the windows of the
school. and the passengers waiting for
| trains line M along the railing to watch
/ tho golfers within. II the gallery proves
/ too embarrassing to their pupils the
Mackie brothers pun down the shades.