Evening star., 1915-10-24

strain, especially on the last Tounos
when he was followed by a wonderful
crowd Of spectators, and his desire to
be doing something which would take
his mind off the shots when he was not
actually hitting them caused him to
smoke incessantly on that round.
forget how many times he lighted his
pipe. but I counted at least seven after
the first few holes when my companion
and myself began to take note OF his
terrible putting for while and then
lapse, but with never removal of the
pipe from his mouth. After his title
was an assured fact 1t was noted in the
press and spoken Of by all the specta-
tors of the benefit which the old pipe
had been for him. and from that time
on Ray would sooner never play a hole
unless he had his faithful black magic
pipe stuck between his teeth.
Harry Vardon always preferred to
smoke a pipe on the links and was never
seen smoking anything else, when he did
smoke while gollng, until in great stress
at the fourteenth hole at the country
club in the last round with Mr.. Ouimet,
when he lighted cigarette. was walk
ing round with Henry Leach. the noted
British golf writer, and he became quite
excited over that incident. "Vardon'a
faith in his pipe has gone." he said. I'm
all my years Of watching him play have
never seen him In a championship match
smoke a cigarette or anything other than
n pipe. He's done for now, I'm sure. y
Here was Mr.. Leach, too, seeing in the
abandoned pipe a reason for giving up
hope.
Enters Tee From Back.
There are many other instances. ]
know Of very capable player who must
always enter the tee from the back and
another who must take the sand out from
the tee box and throw a little Of 1t on the
ground. Undoubtedly a wonderful drive
which came after ne did this act the first
time or two induced him to fall into this
superstitious habit, which now has hold
upon him no matter what the state Of his
drive.
The former amateur champion. Francis
Ouimet, has q franc piece which super
stitious admirer insisted he should carry
at-the time Of the last French amateur
championship. To please him Mr.. Oui-
met, who Is not at all, SO far as know,
superstitious. took the lucky bit and pro-
ceeded to win the title which he holds
yet in view of the fact that the war has
stopped all competition. He kept the
piece in his pocket during all the matches
in the championship at Ekwanok. but in
his case 1t Is quite certain that he forgot
he ever had such bit Of money while
the matches were in progress.
Two very good friends of mine insisted
on wearing their raincoats and perspir-
ing like troopers in the final match at
Detroit because when they had them on
In the morning had been in the lead.
And some players will not press the but
ton marked down" in a hotel while q
match is on. What queer things. o Super
stitiop. we do in thy name!
These are but q few instances Of the
physical side Of superstition. When we
attack 1t on the mental side we get into
deep water at once. Golf being a game
which calls for such great silence and
respect Il is only natural that we pay
extraordinary attention to the little things
which In themselves are little. but which
we make big for no sane reason. Our
attention is all the time called to a nicely
Of detail in dress, in our opponents at
titude and every move which has come
to be part Of our golf mental SET"
Where there are thousands of minor incl
dents and details which can upset it 1t is
small wonder that we become subservient
to those which seem to have the most
weight while we are accompanied by sue
cess or visited with disaster. Some men
there are who always while putting let
outside Influences obtrude especially. and
these golfers become superstitious through