The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-07-31
PHIL CARTER DESTINED
TO BECOME GOLF STAR
Bridgeammpton Youngster Has Done
Things Since He First Toddled
on Lnks.

While the little village OF Bridge
hampton. l., l., caught the golf fever.
it had the fever had. Everybody In
the town wanted TO play. not except
ing the minister. Fences were ripped
up, cups were sunk in what was once
q cow pasture. the Ladies' Sewing
Circle contributed a supply OF neatly
hemstitched flags, and 10! Bridge
hampton had rine-hoie course
wherein everybody--young and old.
men and women. city folks and ma
tives--went forth to play.
That was fourteen years ago and
Phil Carter was youngster OF i've.
He hadn't even learned TO ride a BIZ
cycle and was too young for tennis
or baseball His chief accomplish
ment was swatting a croquet ball.
Compared to that. golf was a strenu-
Gus game. Phil was old enough to
toddle around the course with his
father. and as Or. Colin s. Carter was
one of the prime movers In getting
the Bridgehampton Golf Club started.
1t goes without saying that he already
was an enthusiastic player. The new
course was situated just across the
read from their house, and father
ard son were more likely to be found
on the links than at home.
Phil learned to caddy and then to
hit the ball long before the average
youngster sets foot on a golf course
In a very short time he had q set of
clubs of his own and was putting UP
brand OF golf that had his father.
himself a PLAYER OF no mean ability,
looking TO his laurels
The rise OF young Carter 10 his
present high rank--he is rated Mt 4
In this years handicap lis. of the
metropolitan Golf Association--has
been record OF steady Improvement
dating. so far as the public is aware
4fr7sfa ehe fffife when, as q lad OF four
teen, he gave the veteran John NJ
ward the fight OF his life to win the
annual tournament at Shinnecock
Hills. That was Carriers first an
pearance in tournaments outside OF
Bridgehampton, and Il caused a sem
sation.
Today. with the junior metropolitan
and the Eastern interscholastfc titles
to his credit, not to mention a string
OF victories in tournaments for grown
ups, Carter Is generally conceded to
be the most promising golfer OF his
age in the country. Many go so far
as TO say that no player in his teens
ever attained such high state Of
proficiency. AT nineteen he is rated
on a par with such golfers as Find
lay s. Douglas, a former national
champion: Max II. Behr. a former
New Jersey State champion: r. Nor
timer Barnes. who vanouished Harold
III. Hilton at the National links. and
Max r. Marston, while above him
are jerome ID, Travers. scratch: Wal
ter J. Travis and Oswald kirkby, at
Q. and Fred Herreshoff and W. X.
Whigham, at g.
More than once the question has
arisen. Why did Carter go in for golf?
The youngster has impressed observ-
ers as one who might more naturally
have chosen tennis or baseball He Is
loose-limbed and we'll built and fun
Of energy. Some would say that he
inherited a baseball career by reason
of being nephew of the famous
Dutch Carter. the old Yale pitcher.
Carter himself has had a hard time
explaining his choice. He isn't over
fond of the interviewer. and the sim
pie fact that he happens to like golf
better than any other sport in the
calendar does not seem to satisfy the
average inquirer. Perhaps Phil was
fated to be a golfer. Certainly no
youth with his latent ability could
have resisted the call Of the game In
q town like Bridgehampton that had
gone golf-mad He grew up with the
Eame--~it was his hrst love. Had
Bridgehampton been in the throes of
the baseball or tennis or even croquet
fever. there might have been DIFF
ferent story to tell. But fate decreed
that II should be golf.