The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-18
LITTLE SUPERSTITIONS
u WITH GOLFERS.
No Matter How Carefully They Are Nursed, However,
They Sometimes Fail to Produce The
Desired Results When Needed.
ny JOHN q.

are you a SuperstitiOus golfer| Befote
answering brusquely in tho negative 1t
might be wei to stop a ONE and
consider whether there are not some
little motions which are gone through
with before the shot liz made, or some
queer precautions which seem absurd
when viewed from a pure common sense
attitude. But the fact remains, how
ever. that there are among the half
third who have some foible or other
which must he attended to before they
feel that they will play the game as they
can and ought. II Is easy to find scores
Of examples OF a physical sort while the
mental side, by far the greater and more
potent. can he Judged quite worthy OF
remark through the confessions OF some
OF the best golfers.
Tn championship at Detroit gave a
few illustrations Of what I mean by
euperstitlousness in golf. For example.
l had not played over FIVE or six holes in
the semi-fnal round with Sheriff. Sher-
man before II began to get a bit warm
and We both took of our coats. I noticed
bit soiled owing to his visiting a cross
ditch the day before, n at the conclu-
sion OF the morning round Sheriff.
hustled into his coat as soon az the last
putt was holed. ! did not think much
about 1t until late In the afternoon.
when | overheard a friend say that
Sherman had confided that he had had
such good luck with wearing that shirt
that he was afraid to change II. and
although extremely sorry that it did not
present n sprucer appearance he was
going to win or lose with that lucky
so il seemed-garment. Little did he
suspect that I had been the recipient OF
"A lucky penny that day from another
superstitious golfer and hat the latter's
charm was working and had to work
almost overtime as well. to turn the tide
of victory my way. Still less did Bob
Gardner suspect that I was the recipient
OF three lucky pennies from friends who
seemed to have implicit faith in their
efficacy, and also "A franc bit. which was
guaranteed to get its possessor out OF
all sorts OF difficulty and bring him home
the winner OF the match. Besides which.
when ! unpacked my golf bag at home
in New York l found the heaviest sort
of a horseshoe. which | doubt not my
caddy had picked up and put there for
luck.
Speaking OF caddies reminds me Of the
final round at Apa wants last spring
with Walter J. Travis. Going toward the
seventh hole ! saw u group of fellows
seemingly Fostering my caddy and told
them not TO modest him But he m
formed me that 1t was ali right. that
they had n srasshopper and We're try
ing to wish good luck on him supposedly
by squeezing molasses out OF the poor
hopster. on that and on several other
occasions my caddy refused TO go to
the hole unless it seemed as II | had a
chance TO win or halve the hole. As a
rule caddies are the most superstitious
class connected with the game. and
there can be no doubt that they attr--
butte much of the success and failure
OF their employers TO some occult charm.
Edward Ray. open champion OF Great
Britain in 1912. always il seen playing
with a long black pipe in his mouth.
But before he won the championship at
Muirtieid u was never remarked that
he always smoked on the links, for rs
a matter OF fact he didn't. But while
he was playing his best for the title
that year he was under n very nervous
strain. especially on the last round when
he was followed by IA wonderful crowd
oc spectators n his desire to be doing
something which would AXE his mind
the shot when he was not actually
hitting them caused him to smoke lnces-
sanity 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 pun
ing for a While and then a lapse, but
with never a removal OF the pipe from
his mouth. After his title was an as
sured fact II was noted in the press and
spoken Of by all the spectators 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 be-
tween his teeth.
Harry Nardon always preferred to
smoke a pipe on the links and was never
smoking anything else. when he
ala smoke, while golfing. until in great
stress at the fourteenth hole at the
Country Club In the last round with
Mr.. Ouimet when he lighted a cigarette.
] was walking round with Henry Leach.
the noted British golf writer, and he he
carne quite excited over tina incident.
faith in his pipe has gone"
ne said. In all my years OF watching
l'hN ! nave never seen MN IN n
championship match smoke a cigarette
or anything other than a pipe. He's
done for now, Tn sure" Here was Mr..
Leach, too, seeing In the abandoned pipe
a reason for giving up hope.
There are many other instances
OF a very capable PLAYER who must
enter the tee from the bach and
another who must take the sand ont
from the tee box and throw a little OF
1t on the ground. Undoubtedly n won
derful drive which came after he did
TINS act the first time or two induced
MIN 10 fall into this superstitious habit.
which now has a hold upon him no
matter what the state OF his drive
inc former Hrateur champion, Francis
ouimet. has a franc piece which "A super-
s''''ous admirer INSISTED he should carry
Yards. second; u l.. Buhler, Bronx Church
House, ga yards, third.