Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-31

HARRY VARDON. quent appearance of
the leading players
I'm tournaments and exhibition games.
When the Morrises, the Dunns. Allen
Robertson, old Willie Park, Bob Fergu-
son and other celebrities of n bygone
age were at their zenith. practically the
only real tests they received in match
play were in these contests for stakes,
which, consequently were promoted fairly
often by patrons of the men concerned
and which not lnfrequently found the
players putting down their own savings
for a needle" fight
Still the love of the money match Is
by no means dead in my native country.
1t still asserts itself from time to time,
and as a rule, 1t gives rise to thrills
such as not even a championship eX-
cites very often. So far as | have been
able to Judge, this kind of rivalry has
never appealed particularly strong to
American professionals: at least, one can
not recall many instances of the issuing
of challenges 1t is a pity, because the
money match is splendid training for "A
young and ambitious golfer. Even
though he loses it, he comes out of 1t
with a lot more knowledge and experience
and ability to keep his head on big
occasion than he possessed before he went
into 1t.
Personally have found the truly strong
wine of golfing strife in contests for
StakeQ sums, ana tne sense OF TeSponSl-
bi!ity which they have imposed-the neces-
sity of making the effort of lifetime In
order to be supreme-has done my game
no small measure of good. Frankly, they
are not handsomely remunerative one
may win the other mans elOO but the
engagements that one has to sacrifice In
order to prepare properly for the contest
and the expenses that are entailed mean
that there Is not a great deal of profit
TO show for hard-earned triumph. And
there Is always loser as well as a win
ner But although they are generally
called money Matches" 1 am not con-
sdering them from the monetary point
of view. 1t is their influence which is
valuable.
shall never cease to regard as the
most important event OF my career the
72-hols match for elOO a side which l
contested with Willie Park. Jr.. over the
North Berwick and Canton courses in
1850 / had beaten Park by a stroke in
the open championship OF the previous
season at Prestwick Che had missed putt
of four feet on the last green to tie with
mel, and he was soon out with ehal-
lenge.
It took US the best part Of year to
agree upon terms; we were both aching
for the match, but Park wanted part
of 1t 10 be played at Musselburgh, the
home of his famous family. and l did not
relish that idea. I had always been
treated in a sporting way by the Musse-
burgh crowd. but its reputation in connec-
tion with money matches In which a local
golfer was engaged was such that one
could not take the risk that seemed to
me TO be involved. When old Tom Nor
ris met Willie Park, sr,. there In 1865. the
spectators interfered so frequently with
Norris ball that the referee had to stop
the match; ana believe that j. H. Tay-
\ a autrY .,Ha
he opposed While Park, Jr, az Mussel-
burgh In 1887. The many miners and 9TH
ers In the neighborhOod are Intensely en-
thusiastle golfers. but they are partisans
70 the backbone. and the visiting golfer
who opposes a local faYorite ia a big
match stands a very considerable chance
OF being worried completely on his game.
Well We agreed al last to play at North
Berwiek-links which Park knew we'll