Omaha daily bee., 1915-05-02
GOLF HANDICAP IN ISSUE
Experts Differ on Question Whether
0uimet Alone Should Not Have
Held Scratch.
TRAvERs IS PLACED WITH HIM

uoTssnosIp euL--I ,kBW 'NaOK MHN
which has arisen owing to the mystery
attached to the presence of the name OF
Walter X. whigham on the handicap list
of the United States Golf association and
the Metropolitan Golf association is not
the only question Of the accuracy of these
lists. The golfers Of Massachusetts, and
the Western Golf association have made
some sharp criticism Of the arrangement
by which Travers and Ouimet are placed
together at scratch and Evans is at one.
The former insist the ouimet should
alone be at scratch, while the western
players hold that Evans is entitled to a
place at scratch. Moreover, Golf illus
trated Of London, edited by Harold H.
Hilton, the former amateur champion OF
Great Britain and the United States,
agrees with the Massachusetts, golfers
that ouimet should stand In solitary
glory at scratch. On this point Mr. Fiji
ton said in q recent issue:
1T Is rather a surprise to me that
Francis Ouimet does not enjoy the dis
tinction OF being on the scratch mark
In solitary loneliness as on his general
form OF last season one would be dis
tinctly inclined to consider him the OUT
standing player of last year as he won
the amateur championship and put up
quite a good exhibition in the open
event. Mr.. Travers was runner up in
the amateur and this was tn caly big
event he took part in; but it is quite
within the bounds Of probability that the
handicappers have been little influenced
by his great deeds in past years and In
consequence are little loath to play
him back one until there is very evident
reason for 90 doing"
Figures ON Ouimet's PrOwess.
One cannot form an idea Of the way
Massachusetts golfers think on this
question of Ouimet and Travers at
scratch until they arouse Statistician A.
IAnde Fowler of Boston on the subject
Then Mr.. Fowler viii emit worcs faster
than a French Observation-Disclosures
gun will discharge shot. They say that
even the rapidity OF speech OF the Rev.
DIR. Phillip Brooks. the noted Boston
divine, who long held the record for
speed in talking, were eclipsed the other
day when an unlucky Gotham golfer hap
pened to run across Mr.. Fowler on Bos-
ton common and congratulated him on
Ouirnet getting on scratch with Travers
They say that the way Mr.. Fowler
poured out figures on Ouimet's 1914 per
formances made a crowd gather in the
belief that he was lighting calculator
giving exhibitions Of his skill.
Mr.. Fowier's point is that Oufmet did
better than Travers IN the British ans
teur being put out IN the second round
with his medal score OF 81. while Travers
went out in the first round with a score
OF 80. In the British open qualifying
round Ouimet led all amateurs and was
only few strokes behind the leading
pros. Then in the French championship
final Ouimet beat II. ]. Topping OF the
United States, who had defeated the man
who had beaten Travers
Coming back to the United States Mr.
Fowler dwells on Ouimets capture OF
the Massachusetts championship on the
long and difficult Brae Burn coursa with
all his rounds under 50. and on hts TAX
ing NTH place I'm the national open at
Chicago. Then in the national amateur.
he was one stroke worse than the Ia Of
the leading score OF Fownes and Gorton
In the qualifying round. while Trayers
was about half a dozen strokes worsa
In the final he overwhelmed Travers. ana
when they met few days later In the
Lesley cup matches at Baltusrol Ouinet
won again, although the course was new
to him. while Trayers knew the links
IKE book" When 1t was pointed out
to Mr.. Fowler that ouimet had lost In
the mrs. division and the beaten eight
Of the Greenwich tourney IN the fall he
said that that did not count as II was
only q local affair. while the events m
which ouimet achieved success were ~
national interest