Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-31

The competitive season of 1915 is now
n thing of the past so far as the big
majority of golfers of class Is con-
cerned. So 1t behooves us to look PACK
over the all too short season ana pick
out the particular spots which CLEANED
the brightest, writes John G. Anderson
in tho New York Sun.
Tho golf play at the Panama exposi-
ton was the first Of Importance in IN
terest to the whole country. The frst
prize for the professionals was $1,000
As the eastern clubs did not care to
pay the expenses of their professionals
to such an event, since the honor was
all too doubtful with true form not in
great evidence so early in the year, 1t
was no surprise that the class repre-
scented was not overly good. The best
golfer in the tournament won, and that
was some satisfaction, for II took no
little confidence in ones game to pay
expenses and risk the journey of such a
distance. But Walter Hagen felt well
pleased when he received the biggest
single amount ever given winner IN
an open tournament in the country.
The amateur play produced new
winnSf in Harry K. B. Davis. and his
more on account of his wonderful long
driving than for any other special golf
ing gifts. Davis was the player who
was greater than Ouimet or TrAvers"
honors away from them with compare
tive ease. These were the stories which
fitted across the wire and were pres
emily corroborated in person by those
the exhibition at that time. But not all
gave credence to the assertions. Some
believed that Mr.. Davis gained his
standing at or near the top partly be-
cause of his splendid size, which always
counts in the first stories of man, but
which, as regards golf, does not give
any certainty of success.
|. Champions Well Built.
The champions of this country have
been well built, oftentimes, but it must
never be forgotten that Fred Mcleod.
Mr.. Ouimet in 1913 and Mr.. Travers
and ]. ]. McDermott, who have five of
the past six titles to their credit, are
not what we would term big men, and
their average weight, I happen to
know, was under AS pounds. Physical
strength, however, gives a fine start
for the story of what golfer might
do, but it can never tell what he will
do. When Mr.. Davis came eastward
and played in the western amateur at
Cleveland he had his first real chance
to make good all the fine things which
aau pccA Saiu dDoul buI ne IdlleU
miserably. not even qualifying. al
though the scores made in the testing
round were the highest that they had
been for years, and Mr.. Davis had
more than a week to get accustomed to
the change of soil We must put down
his first attempt as bad failure. 1t
will take a testing with other eastern
golfers in match and medal play before
the rank and file Of golfers the country
over will accord to the coast champion
the high honor claimed for him at the
beginning of the year.
The golfers throughout the United
States were anticipating with great
pleasure the visit of Messrs. Vardcn.
matches were to be played by this great
quartet, and I believe tina. such a
scheme would have made the foursome
a thousand times more popular than 1t
is today il the visit had become a real
ity. But the destruction of the Lusi-
tania caused the players to change
their minds, and America was deprived
Of a scene in her golfing history on a
good golf course which in all likeli-
hood would have beggared description.
been needed to describe the finishes of
vardon, Ray, Duncan and all the others
who were SO near the top If they each
had had a chance to tie or defeat our
own Jerry Travers, and what excite
ment would have prevailed if, as hap
pened, it was Travers who had to do
the fighting to the end to become the
champion of the land. I believe there
would have been throng of $4,000
people out to see the New York boy
battle. and enthusiasm which would
have been wonderful indeed. But what
there was of it lacking could easily be
imagined when jerome Travers did win
the open title of the United States.
Then bride and joy held fun unbounded
sway and the cry which went up when
the last putt was holed will lot soon
be forgotten by those who were fortu-
nate enough to be present.
Some Memorable Finishes.
There was not the same excitement
as when Mr.. Ouimet won the title be-
cause there were no foreign foes of
great golf1ng prowess to down, but the
win had its magnitude just the same,
and the pride in Travers' comeback was
almost universal The finish of his last
round will rank with two others which
it has been my good fortune to witness.
The first was the memorable play at
Brookline in 1913, when Mr.. Ouimet
won, and the other was in 1911, 1T
Sandwich, when Vardon won after 2
tie with Arnaud Massey.
and had total of 303 for the four
rounds. There were at least seven
players who knew soon after starting
Just what they would have to do, and
the way they went to their task was a
caution. Harold H Hilton reached the
turn in thirty-three, and, playing well,
had thirteen strokes for the last three
holes, for which the par was eleven to
win. He drove into bunker at the
left of the short sixteenth hole and
took 5. Then he took another 5,
and then at the home hole missed a
putt by an inch to tie. 1t was heart
rending climax. Then along came Ed
ward Ray, who needed rs to get the
title. He took at short hole and
finished with a total two strokes too
many for a win.
Then came Sandy Herd and the news
i,,ct n