The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-13
~ JOHN G.. ANDERSON,
Runner Up to Robert A. Gardner
for National Amateur Golf
Cha mpionship At Detroit.

Runner Up TO Robert A. Gardner
for National Amateur Golf
Championship at Detroit.
Several times since the close OF the
amateur golf championship I nave been
asked to tell the difference as I saw
II between the game Of golf as displayed
by the new champion. Robert Gardner.
and Charles (Chick) Evans. The Ques-
ton is more or less pertinent. since there
was no little amount Of discussion con-
corning Evans's pay. which to almost
.ery competent critic seems to be fall
- away in strength. This has not been
a good year for Chick SO far as sus-
tained effort goes. True, he made a
score of II at Baltusrol. but no also
made a couple of rounds over so and
finished well down the list, In seven
teenth place or ~thereabout. Then In
the Western open championship Evans
played his first round In 81 and aver
aged 81 for the four rounds; In the
amateur championship just closed he had
only one or two notable rourds in either
practice or play.
The Western amateur championship
fell to him, but the compatitlon this
year was not as strong as at other
times. Knowing this. therefore. a friend
and myself set out to watoh Chicks
Edtne us nuCn rs WAS pOSSlDl6 ana
try 10 discover what IL was which
showed proof OF his slight but seemingly
sure falling of in play. A single hole
suficed. Evans. 1t seemed to me, was
trying too hard to play them safe, that
Is place his drive carefully. He has
lost the freedom which comes from true
confidence and was sparing the shot in
a manner new to his accustomed game.
Formerly there was an abandon about
Ill 49, .ulN- --I- IL A---
tiful TO watch, particularly since the re-
suits were so fine. but now this was
changed. The back swing did not cor
respond TO his usual stroke, being a
couple OF inches shorter, whiis his foot
work. for years the best in the country
bar none. amateur or professional, was
altered ever so little as a Consequence
OF his swing shortening.
SO much from the tee. ] had heard
runors that Evans had lost a bit of the
force in his mashie play and hat he was
wilder than for years. Perhaps It would
be best TO say that he had become a lit
tie wild because for years he has been
the acme OF straightness in this respect.
So with a very competent critic /
watched the play of this stroke. l fol-
lowed Evans for many holes. and then
II dawned upon me that in his bag.
figuratively speaking. he carries a very
wonderful mashie shot, one which has a
fine bite to It when 1t strikes the
ground, which can be held near the pin
even when the ground Is hard. a strik-
ing excellence. But as hole followed hole
this one very noticeable feature pre-
scented itself. Although Evans had per-
feet control, most of the time when he
had a light iron or a mashie In his han
he played only n style OF shot with
the clubs. A rising. high pulled ball. In
all my wanderings over the links l failed
TO see a slice a mashie shot when
the contour OF the ground or the position
OF the hole demanded II It seemed as II
he was trying with his great control over
a shot to circumvent the obstacles OF
ground and traps in only one way. and
almost without exception trouble came
10 him after a shot which should have
been played differently.
1t vas the same with all the irons.
Golfers who have seen Evans play will
remember. ! am sure. the slight pull
which all his shots have from the tee to
the green. and although this Is at times
a very valuable feature II does o in
my estimation make for a golf artist.
That was a criticism which was handed
out frequently across the water. the only
criticism aside from one on his putting
stance which I heard there. In a wind
the pulled ball Is of course a splendid
thing. that Is II the win is blowing
so that II will hold the ball Ut. But IN
a contrary gale many a time a slice Is
needed. and / have yet to see Evans play
q conscious one with good results. II Is
one thing 10 v we'll nigh perfect what
ever shot o have. but in the game a
repertoire Is necessary nowadays when
championship courses are demanding a
fuheQuipment. Also although one may
he Sha hast ahnt gpaLay In tho and ~ Ia
still another thing to be the maker OF
the best possible shots, and in this re-
gard Evans IL far from being in the class
with Travers or Ouimet.
Robert Gardner. ] think. has more
varied shots which he consciously tries
"A lucky slice or pull now and then
means nothing-but he has not got them
down to a science where he feels conf
dence in getting them away with little
or no bad results. / have said before,
and do not hesitate to repeat, that there
is no player. amateur or professional. In
this country, and It may be in the
world, who can play his irons farther
than our amateur champion. Bob told
! me as we were walking to the third
green after he had played a light Iron
from his drive and had reached the
green, we'll over 220 yards away, that
although the Detroit course has many
calls for long irons he never had found
the opportunity of playing the club
which he liked best. the cleek. With
that instrument in his hands I am sure
he could drive at least ESQ yeards al
most every time. II is hard enough &c
use a cleek and ninety-nine out of q
| hundred people have given up trying &c
play the pesky club. but Gardner is q
notable exception. In the practice play
before the finals he took the club out
OF the bag and sent half a dozen balls
flying over a treetop easily 200 yards
on, and did It with no appreciable effort
II Is worthy of record that GARDENERS
back swing is shorter thai that OF an
other golfer of prominence; the stun
must come from his wonderful muscular
strength and sinewy cords. combined
4, with a very excellent timing.
The weakness in the amateur cham
pion's iron shot Is that Of most of tn,
: Western players. the tendency to neglec
! turf taking. or II II In to be taken Il II
, gathered at the wrong time. The SAM
: was true OF the Southern players. or "a
least those whom i saw or played with
a They were weakest In the short run VI
: chip shot because In their home countr,
; they had been accustomed to pick tn,
0 ball up clean.
One OF the choicest shots in tho game
according to my way Of thinking, Is thu
} little chip when just on the green. 70
q that wins more holes than any other on
0 stroke. 1t saves a putt when don
. right II Ia a shot which could be cul
y tivated by every golfer and ought to be
0 The turf must be taken just after tn
q hall 10 hlt and "a drag must he nut Ol