The Washington times., 1915-06-13

British golfers. Taking the general
standard, they are not yet so good in
other departments Of the game, but they
are the cooler on the putting greens,
and. after all, absence Of anxiety IL the
chief essential Of success. Whether 1t
Is that they possess the better tempera-
ment fof this dainty part Of golf. or that
they have not played long enough to
appreciate how dreadful a bogey 1t may
become. do not know. At any rate,
there Is the condition Of affairs as It ap-
peals to me at the present time
without doubt. successful putting Is
mainly manner Of confidence, and that
several great golfers fail to win cham
pionships by reason Of their weakness
near the hole Is probably due to the
fact that they. have never gained COM
plete confidence in their ability to get
down a four-foot putt.
For many hap2ysyears It did not so
In,ss much as enter my head shat could
careiessness. Then struck a bad patch
In this hitherto simple business. The
result was that ! developed In my right
forearm q nerve that puzzled a good
to indescribable mental torture. When
was only close to the hole that / had
any trouble. SO that the affliction must
! would walt for that nerve in the right
arm to jump. The instant I felt that it
was about to start. I would make a dash
AZ the bal! IN a desperate effort to be
IN hrst with the shot. and what happen
ed as e consequence Of this haste may
be readily imagined.
Last spring the Jump" left me entire
~ for month or two. and whenever
anyone asked me how was putting I
was well-so far. Early In the final
round of the open championship at
Prestwick- in June. the wretched thing
suddenly reasserted itself I felt the
Jump" with a thrill Of apprehension
ory. Anyhow, the main point was not
to let my partner and only formidable
rival at that stage, ]. H. Taylor. know
anything about 1t.
distress became serious I could miss
puts down to six inches; II was strange
TO be walking along obsessed with the
thought that not the smallest inkling of
this development must be allowed to
reach Taylor's ears. lest II should slim
ulate him to believe. as almost certainly
1t would have done. that he had me as
good as beaten. Perhaps 1t was just
possibilities Of the Jump" itself that en-
abled me practically to overcome It and
to struggle home first
Vardon's Most Trying Test of Nerve.
As test of nerve. that last days play
at Prestwick was far and away the
most trying that I can remember. That
we two should have drawn ahead Of the
other competitors, and then been drawn
together for the final rounds was In It,
self sufficient to agitate either Of us to
the utmost That we should be strug-
Cling for the honor of a sixth Victory
In the championship leach of us. and
also also James Braid. having won Ave
times previously filled the cup of .ex-
element to overfowing. know
played one shot without seeing
the ball at all. 1t was buried In fine
loose sand in a bunker to the left Of
the eleventh green. and close to the face
of the hazard. The sand was scraped
away from the top of the ball. but It
was so loose that II closed over the
object again. could not wait; swung
guessing and hoRing, and fortunately
hit the shot all right.
That was an exceptional occasion: in
the ordinary way, l bear constantly in
mind the conviction that the best way
to win an important event Is to PLAY
Just as one would play a private round
at home, and not endeavor to accom-
plish the performance OF a lifetime.
There Is such a thing as trying too
hard. 1t begets anxiety. which is u.s.
ually fatal. I was guilty Of It in the
United States open championship at
Brookline. Mass. In 1913. and paid the
penalty. That was lesson I shall never
FORGET.
Copyright. 1915. by the WHEELER
Syndicate. Inc.)