Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-31
By HARRY VARDoN
Champion Golfer of Great Britain.

and Canton. shall never forget the con-
dition of pent-up hope and expectancy in
which l approached that contest. For
days before it began people seemed TO be
talking of nothing but the golf match, and
the limit of embarrassment was reached
when, on the evening preceding the start.
I went for a walk with my brother Tom.
big" Crawford, one of the best-known
of North Berwick caddies and a rare
character in his way, suddenly appeared
around corner and hurled huge horse
shoe at me. l lodged and just missed it;
IL 1t had hit my head as it looked like
doing, 1 am not sure that there would
have been any match at all. He ex-
planned excitedly that he had put all his
money on me and wanted to bring me
luck That, at any rate, was a consola-
tion which subdued rising wrath.
For long-drawn-out tension remem-
ber nothing quite like the first hour and
a quarter of that contest. We began by
halving 10 holes in succession each of
us was on tenterhoOks all the while, Won
dering who would be the first to take
the lead
At the 1lth hole, where the spell was
broken, a curious thing happened. Park
had the honor and when drove, my ball
pitched plumb on top of his and knocked
1t forward. We did not see the incident
from the tee, but the forecaddies wit
messed II and reported 1t directly we ar
rived on the scene. I had the next shot
and missed 1t. Then he replaced his ball
in the spot 1t had originally occupied and
played the like. Park won the hole, but
after terrific struggle was UP at the
end of SO holes.
At Canton, in the second half OF the
match / had kind of joyday. 1 could
not fail at putt or do anything badly
1t was just one OF those happy periods
which every golfer strikes occasionally
won by IL and 10, far more easy VIC
tory than ever had expected to gain.
For capacity to stir the emotions, the
second greatest match in which 1 was
ever engaged was the foursome i'm which
Taylor and met James Braid and Alex
ander Herd over four greens-St An
drews. TroOn. st. Anne's-on-sea and
Deal-in 1905. That event also aroused
endless discussion, and the crowd at st
Andrews where we started. was almost
awe-inspiring. Estimates varied as to the
number OF persons present; some put 1t
ar 1000 and others at 5000. Certainly
the latter must have erred on the side
OF moderation. When we drove OFF the
spectators were packed many deep the
whole way down either side OF fairway
S65 yards long, while there were thou
sands OF persons round the tGeing ground
and the putting green.
What I remember chiefly about that
match was the desperateness of the strug-
gle in the frst s6 holes. First. one side
and then the other would gain an advan-
tage. 1t was called England VS.. Scot
land" because the pairs happened to be
so constituted, and / tell You that at ST.
Andrews they are all for Scotland.
At one point, where the English ball
began to roll down a slope toward a
bunker. there were cheers from the Scot
tish partisans, followed by groans when
the ball stopped two feet short OF the
hazard. However. it was real excitement,
and at the end OF the day Taylor and
were two down. The amazing clreum-
stance that stands out I'm bold relief in
the recollection was that never ball ait
anybody. There We're spectators enough
In all conscience, and they We're wild be-
yond the dreams OF authoritative control
My only memory OF the second half nf
the contest at TrOon is that the crowd
about 10000 strong-was great deal more
leNcitahle than at ST. Andrews; that Tav-
NloF and / played under the influence II
a divine inspiration such as seldom vls-
tied us, and that man kept on playing
q cornet on the edge OF the last green
presumably for the beneit OF people who
were not keen on the golf
Taylor and I left Troon with a lead Of
12 holes so that we had nothing about
which 10 worry when we went to 81
Anne's for the third stage Of the contest.
Indeed, the only trouble at that course
was that Herd had a long wrangle with
a policeman before he could get on the
links; the officer thought he was trying
to swindle local charities for half a
crown. III you don't lettme In, there'fl
be no match" said Herd, and that ulti.
mately settled the question.