Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-10

Several times since the close OF the
amateur golf championship have been
asked to tell the difference as l sa"
it between the game of golf as dis
played by the new champion. Robert
Gardner and Charles (Chick) Evans
writes John G. Anderson, runner-up to
Robert A. Gardiner for national anna
| eur champion, in the New York Sun.
The question is more or less pertinent,
since there was no little amount OF dis
cussion concerning Evans play. which
to almost every competent critic seems
to be falling away In strength. This
has not been a good year for Chick so
tar as sustained effort goes. True, ne
made a score of II at Baltusrol, but
he also made a couple of rounds over
80 and finished we'll down the list, In
seventeenth place or thereabout, Then
In the western open championship
Evans played his first round in 81 and
averaged 81 for tho four rounds; In the
amateur championship just closed he
had only one.or two notable rounds In
either practice or play.
The western amateur championship
fell to him. but the competition this
year was not as strong as at otner
times. Knowing this. therefore. a
friend and myself set out to watch
Chicks game as much as was possi-
BILE and try to discover what 1t was
which showed proof Of his slight but
seemingly sure falling off In play. A
single hole sufiiced. Evans. 1t seemed
to me, was trying too hard to play
them safe-that is. place his drive care
fully. He has lost the freedom which
comes from true confidence and was
sparing the shot In manner new to
his accustomed game. Formerly there
made his play SO beautiful to watch,
particularly since the results were so
fine. but now this was changed. The
back swing did not correspond to his
usual stroke, being couple OF inches
shorter, while his footwork. for years
the best in the country. bar none. anna
teur or professional. was altered ever
so little as a consequence of his swing
shortening.
Lost Bit Of Force.
So much from the tee. 1 had heard
rumors that Evans had lost bit Of the
force in his mashie play and that he
was wilder than for years. Perhaps
it would be best to say that he had
become little wild because for years
he has been the acme of straightness
in this respect. So with a very COM
petent critic I watched the play of
many holes. and then it dawned upon
me that in his bag. figuratively speak
ing, he carries a very wonderful mashie
shot, one which has fine bite" to 1t
when it strikes the ground. which can
be held near the pin even when the
ground Is hard, Il striking excellence.
But as hole followed hole this one
very noticeable feature presented itself.
Although Evans had perfect control,
most of the time when he had light
iron or a mashie in his hand he played
only one style of shot with the clubs,
a rising, high pulled ball In all my
wanderings over the links / failed to
see Evans slice a E1ashie shot when
sition of the hole demanded it; 1t
seemed as II he was trying with his
great control over a shot to circum-
vent the obstacles of ground and traps
in only one way. and almost without
exception trouble came to him after
differently.
It was the same with all the irons.
Golfers who have seen Evans play Will
remember, I 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 1t does
| not. in my estimation. make for 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 wind the pulled ball
| is of course, splendid thfng-that Is.
| If the wind is blowing so that 1t viii
hold the ball up. But In contrary
gale many a time slice Is needed.
and have yet to see Evans play a
conscious one with good results. It is
one thing to have weh-nigh perfect
whatever shot you have, but in the
l ~ a.
days when championship courses are
demanding full equipment. Also. al
| though one may be the best shot
maker in the land. it is still another
thing to be the maker OF the best pos
sible shots, and in this regard Evans
is far from being in the class with
Travers or Ouimet.
Has More Varied Shots.
| 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
confidence 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 1t
may be In the world. who can play his
| irons farther than our amateur cHam-
pion.
Bob told me as we were walking to
the third green after he had played q
light iron from his drive. and had
reached the green, well 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 !
am sure he could drive at least ESQ
yards almost every time. It Is hard
enough to use a cleek, and ninety-nine
out of hundred people have given up
trying to play the pesky club. but
Gardner is a notable exception. In the
practice play before the finals he took
the club out of the bag and sent half q
dozen balls flying over treetop easily
zoo yards on. and did 1t with no ap-
preciable effort.
It Is worthy Of record that Gardeners
back swing 10 shorter than that of any
other golfer Of prominence: the stun
must como from his wonderful muscu-
lar strength and sinewy cords. COM
bfned with very excellent timing.
The Weaknenn In the anna teur cham.