Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-04
GOLFERS AT LAST REALIZE
THAT STYMIE1S MUST VANISH
Ball on Lip of Cup in Opponents Line Is
An Unfair Feature of Great Scotch
Game, Says John Anderson.

lieve that it is one of the silliest ever
made about the game of golf.
There is not one golfer in hundred
who can lay a styriie when he wants
to- A moments thought about the mat
ter will be convincing. I think. 1t Is
difficult enough from = distance of four
feet to hole the ball In a space which
G.,w II any golfers will try TO lay
stymie instead of trying to hole the
ball. when they do stymie i: is more
often than not pure luck. But how
much harder II is to try and succeed In
laying a stymie from distance greater
than four or five feet when the space
in which the ball must stop measures
only about one-third the size of the
width OF the hole. The whole argu-
ment falls fiat.
Almost every ball which is holed has
! some strength to II as il falls into the
, hole, some even hit the back of the
| cup: but it would be only those in
| frequent puts which would always
stop short of a certain mark on
very small space which would be sue
cesSful: and the man who can so req
ulate his putting touch to this fineness
and nicely. to my way Of thinking, has
/ never yet been born. So that. to re-
I capitulate. II 1t can be shown that the
/ styrnie is an element OF luck which il
more often than not unjust. and IL, as
believe. $50 out of every 1000 in
this country at least do not believe in
! the accident of the game as betting
the sport. then this common feeling will
come to the surface and demand in no
wavering tones so far as the United
States Is concerned that IL I've abolished.
! One most convincing bit OF news in this
! regard commands attention for a mo-
mcnt.
1t has been but 4 few weeks since
one of the great trade golf organiza-
1 ttnFr ne ~ - a
Association, held its annual tourna-
ment in Boston over the Woodland
Golf Club links Thia notice printed
in big letters was placed where IT
contestants shall not play styinies."
| There was a reason. of course. why
such a gold fling WAS made. namely,
! that both medal and match play were
| held at the same time, but there never
was a single complaint from single
| golfer of the hundred and more COM
peting because of the new ruling. and
there was comment all the time on the
expect to see other organizations fol-
lowing this example. 1t will not be
long-a few years at the nost-befcre
the match play Of the rollers will b
with styn,ies excluded. and this reform
! will spread to the clubs themselves.
| Ii you saw that these men are not
!! playing golf as it should he played
| that they are not following the true
| traditions OK the game hccoruinG TO
st. Andrews in the strictest sense
the reply must be that that IS 81. But
In return it may we'll he remarked
=: that the United States Golf Associa-
ton has lesnlized the Schenectadr
putter which helped to win our open
| championship the other day. and that
! Is all contrary to st. Andrews.
Furthermore. it might be Remarked
! that IL any action hv or own national
| body relating to the abolition OF the
| q received
| ment from the British as did the action
concerning this selfsame puttcr there
! would he no fear of any split In rules
or regulations. At the time of the
schenectady incident the balance OF
approval seemed to be with our view
point by writers of the press and tie
prominent golfers Action may not h.
taken this year. or next. or the year
after: but it will come some time. and
| as all golfers feel Young we believe
that We will all live to see tn" day
when we will have an unham 2ered line
to the hole.