Evening star., 1915-01-17
HILTON SAYS TRAVERS
WILL Be HIS OLD SELF
Takes Issue With Americans Who
Think Jerry Is Off His Game
for Good.

NEW YORK, January 1s.-Probably
because the war has blotted out more
timely topics of golfing interest, Harold
II. Hilton in the British Golf Magazine
of which he Is the editor harks back to
the american invasion" which met
with such a disastrous defeat at Sand
wich last May. The former British
champion, who, like all of the Ameri-
cans. was beaten at Sandwich long be-
fore the final, does not think that the
Americans did so poorly after all. and
states that he regrets sincerely that
they did not do even better. He says:
Unfortunately the American anna
teur triumvirate achieved but very
meager proportion Of glory during
their sojourn on this side. and at Sand
wich their chief contribution toward
this end arose from a true sporting
spirit which prompted each single one
of them to accept in the very best of
grace what must have been in every
case a somewhat vexatious and dis
appointing defeat.
That the best of the amateur golfers
on the other side are very nearly II not
quite as accomplished as the leading
amateur talent on this side is self
evident fact, and we say this notWith-
standing the American failure at Sand
wich."
Lets Out Evans.
My. Hilton follows this general state
ment with a more practical reference
to two members of the American tri-
umvirate, Jerome D. Travers and
Francis Ouimet. He discusses their
play at Sandwich and expresses the
most confident hopes for their success
f~l -
Americas great trio, Chick Evans,
the famous British golfer. curiously
enough. has not word to say. He sim
ply omits the brilliant Chicago golfer
from his calculation. OF Travers and
Ouimet he has this to say:
of course. the explanation is quite
simple one, in that Jerry Travers, prob
ably for the first time in his career.
found that his nervous system was not
equal to the strain which the occasion
imposed upon it. But, again, it must
be said in favor of his powers of con-
troll that none but the very shrewdest
and most observant of individuals had
the faintest idea of the true state of
affairs. He had lost his nerve, but the
innate fighting spirit within him was
still sufficiently strong to enable him
to hide the fact from the populace.
The American critic now tells us
point OF view is not the man that he
was. and some go so far as to say that
he never will be again. While it is more
than probable that those he is called
upon to play in the future will not be
suffering from the same awesome
dread of his reputation for imperturba-
bility of spirit that they were apt to
be in the past. we none the less have
an idea that eventually Mr.. Travers
will become his old self once again and
that the experience will have done his
game no harm.
Depend on ouimet.
1T is. however, to Francis Ouimet
that American golfers will look to up
hold the Star Spangled Banner in fu-
ture years. He is absurdly young for
a man who can claim to be a first
class golfer. but he has. nevertheless,
already passed through a comparative
ly wide experience OF serious COM
petition play. Everything would seem
to be in his favor, as he is blessed
with q fine physique and a fine en-
thusiasm for the game. and what is
even more important. he is apparently |
enabled to find an exceeding degree |
of leisure for playing in big events. !
Perhaps q time may come when his
freedom of action will be more re-
stricted. but in the meanwhile he is
laying In q store of golfing experience
and wisdom which will be Of inestima-
BILE service in future years
There is one very significant asset
in connection with transatlantic golf,
and it lies In the fact that they train
their players very early in life, and in
consequence produce better tried play
ers at an age at which our young
sters are only just beginning to feel
their feet