Evening star., 1916-03-12

youthful champions that have come to
the fore. In the last twenty years the
average age of the British open
amateur champions has been we'll
over thirty. and almost all the
American open championships up to
1911 were captured by imported
talent of the same average age.
Since the first victory by McDer-
mott the open title has been won by
young Americans. and the average age
of the home-bred amateur champions
has been much below that of the British
titleholders.
The youngest national champion of
modern golf is Robert A. Gardner,
Hinsdale Country Club, the present
the same title in 1909, when he was
Yale freshman and only eighteen years
old. At the time of that tournament
he was practically unknown. and in
list of prominent entrants for the
championships his name was never even
mentioned. He fought his way up
through the match rounds after facing
almost certain defeat on many oc-
casions against more experienced play
ers. In the finals he met H. Chandler
Egan, twice a winner of the amateur
championship, and the natural skill and
confidence of the youngster triumphed
over the seasoned player.
Champions at Twenty-one.
Jerome Dunstan Travers. present
open champion, and Francis Ouimet,
who held the same title in 1913. are
next on the list of young champions,
for Travers was only twenty-one years
old when he won the amateur title in
Ouimet was the same age when he
triumphed in his play-off of the famous
tie with Vardon and Ray at Brookline.
The victory of Travers was not such a
surprise, youngster though he was. be-
cause he had already annexed the
metropolitan amateur title at that
time, and he had also wrested the New
Jersey championship from Archie
Graham in the earlier part of the same
season. Graham was his opponent in
the finals of the national championship,
and Travers won by a wide margin
Findlay S. Douglas was the first of
the younger players to win the anna
when he won the annual tournament
Tor the championship at the Morris
County Country Club in 1898; but he
learned his golf at theh st. Andrews
links in Scotland, and had been in this
country only two years at the time of
MS victory. While his triumph cannot
be accredited to the development of
golf. it was a young Ameri-
can OF twenty years who pushed him
hard in the finals, Walter b. Smith of
First Youth to Show.
II. Chandler Egan was the first home
bred to emphasize the fact that the
American youths were precociously
proficient at the Scotch game. He was
Harvard student, twenty-one years
old, when he won his first national
amateur championship at Baltusrol in
1904, and his opponent in the finals
was Fred Herreshoff. who was three
years his junior and a preparatory stu
dent at the time. These two young
players disposed Of {. B. Macdonald.
q. J. Whigham and Walter Travis. ali !
FORMER holders of the title and expert |
enced players, and started the long line |
Or victories of the younger element |
which extends almost without inter- |
ruptlon down to the last championship |
1t Detroit. which was captured bv
Gardner ~
Ouimet was twenty years old when
ne won the national open champion-
snip and twenty-one when he captured |
he amateur title. but the assault on |
ne famous Scotch professionals who
lad won every open championship in |
succession up to 1912 was led by I r
the brilliant young Chicago
1omebred. who broke the long strine
u foreign victories by defeating Alec
smith. two times winner of the titIe
1t Wheaton in 1911 McDermott No.
wenty-one years old at the time. and
ne, ne previous year he had tied with
at PHILADELPHIA. but the
'ider player won the play-off. Sinne
icDermott's first victory in this awant
ne open championship has been W.
our successive times by young Amer
q D., ,faia mIeTmott n,,e won again in 1912
5rookline. Hagen won at Midiotb;,n
lnlcago. IN 1914, and Jerry Trayers
Won at Baltusrol last year
An Ideal Player.
Walter Hagen was twenty-one and
lad been only short while out OF the
mateur ranks when he supnlanted
)uimet and McDermott as the winner
or the young American element. What
especially admirable about Hagen's
'ame is the fact that it is sound all the
Vay through. and with his physique
nd temperament it is expected thar
e will remain one Of the masters Of
american golf for many years.
In contrast to this series Of victories
y the younger element is the list of
Winners OF the British open champion
hip. Taylor. Vardon and Barad have
,on sixteen out of the last twenty-one I
pen championships, and Taylor is the ]
oungest Of these players, being forty
We years old at the present. The list l
amateur champions Is almost the
anne. with such veterans as John Ball.
r, and Harold Hilton winning most t
t the titles of late years. y
John Ball won his first amateur :
at Prestwick in 1888. and s