Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-30
YOUNG GOLFERS PREVENT ANCIENT
3 "ALIBI' FROM DYING NATURAL DEATH
Veterans No Longer Resort to Trivial Excuses When
They Fail to Put Up Their Usual Game-Local
Golf News and Comment

Has the "alibi' game run hopelessly
into a rut2 Now and then there is good
shot made from which there Is no come
back, but even at this advanced age in
the game of golf there is still tendency
TO fall back on the good old Big Three
its either the fault of the stick, the
course or the ball. But these are really
not alibis at all. The clubhead never
comes around the way the golfer intends,
the course is never laid out correctly ana
the ball is never the right weight.
The new generation of golfers is the
one that keeps alive these ancient max
inns The grizzled veterans who have
been up against every angle and corner
of the game know better than TO resort
to ancient history, and just as the begin
ner tries to duplicate the skill of the
wet" in making shots, so he should
earnestly look to the older player for the
ability to put an 'alibi across.
There are three essentials to an allol'
First, there must be an element OF truth ;
just an element will do. Then, OF course
Il must be good and sufficient reason Tor
a licking, and, lastly, there must be no
comeback.
One of the noblest alibis offered In
small way was in New York state dur
ing the famous kissing bug" plague.
golfer was going along perfectly weu In
a tourney till his opponent slipped over
and got down first few times with long
puts. The first golfer began soon TO see
that IL would be up to him TO furnish
reason" During the agony OF the next
dozen shots his mind was blank. Hey,
mister, there's bug on your collar!
said his caddy later. And then II came.
"Ow ow" shouted the player he
npped me-" and when he brushed II or
he ground IL angrily into the sod and
then nibliced the remains into space 10
obliterate the corpse and the last DIT OF
evidence.
"'Twas the well-known ksser," he
mournfully remarked. mo wonder l
can't play today. I'm poisoned"
Internal injuries offer a wonderful field
for the albi seeker Anything from a
sprained appendix to twisted toe VIII
get by. But the main essential Is
originality. Every man his own alibi"
The real business OF winning the anna
teur title of the u. S. A. will go forward
all this week 1t will be bitter going.
There will be Ss holes every day. Usually
In n tourney things pan out so that a
golfer runs across some easy money IN
his first two or three matches ana only
really has to go 20 Il around the fourth or
NTH round But In little affair like the
national championship IL Is said 10 be a
different matter. Here a tartar is likely
10 crop out at any time and favorlte be
pinned TO the green for the count when
he least expects IT, This is what adds
pep TO the game, however, ana should not
be decried
rravers, ouimet and Evans continue TO
hcurish merrily as the favorites, but
there are plenty OF entries who have
taken their measure OF and on and are
liable 10 pull the trick again.
George crnmp. who brought Pine Val
ley into the sunlight, caused Philadei-
phian hosoms 70 heaye with pride when
ne carelessly turned In a card OF n.
Home talent In all parts OF the globe
have habit OF falling down In foreign
ellmes, and Il Is always a source Of
satisfaction when they show real form.
William =. Smith was way on on his
putting and took s. for his round. but the
rest Of the home players nugged close 70
30 Thirty-two players will qualify for
match play after plugging away for S6
holes The course Il reported 10 be I'm
perfect condition ana all the signals are
SCI 'or low scoring.
One GOOD example has been set at the