The sun., 1916-09-03
Herbert Harriman's sTriu IN ph.


Herbert Hartman Triumph.
The cha p!onship Of 1899 will always
be remembered as the first year in which
" an American born golfer gained the
title. At the 1896 tourney President
Havemeyer had prophesied that within
three years "A golfer born on this side
OF the Atlantic would win the cham
rionship. and 1t remained for Herbert
NJ. Hartman to make the prediction
good on the course OF tho Onwents,a
cub near Chicago In July. 1899. II
was Douglas. the defending champion,
whom Hartman had to beat in the final
at bnwcntsii, and great was the re-
toicing when the native golfer won ny
; m and . to pay. His victory was
hailed rs the dawn of Il new era in
American golf, and there were many
VINO wer" foolish enough to predict
that the title would never depart from
the hands Of Americans.
Such predictions lived only a year,
however, for at Garden city in July,
1900. Walter ]. Travis began his reign.
Travis was n sort OF composite. for,
although no was born In Australia. he
had learned TO play golf here. AS had
been the case the year before. Findlly
Douglas was the runner-up and. al
though he put up a hard fight TO regain
the title he had once held. Travis
emerged triumphant. Just as he does
now. Travis played then a cool. calcu-
lat!ng game, IN which accuracy was far
more prominent than distance, a game
which has since brought to him nearly
every honor that "A golfer can desire, in
cIudiNg a British amateur championship.
Seasld" golf was tried In 1901 when
IN" championship was sent To Atlantic
CITY. and again Travis %triuinphed. He
had some hard matches in the earlier
stages Of the tourney. but in the final
was opposed by Walter +. Egan, a liar-
ward golfer. who lived In Chicago. The
INA. was put off a week because Of the
death OF President Mckinley. and when
Egan tackled the champion after a week
% thinking about the big match, he
went all to pieces. Travis rOmped
through to Il one sided victory and be-
came the second golfer who had won
the title twice.
The Strange Case Of Louis Jam
Golfers nre still trying to explain
what happened In 1902 at Glen View,
one OF the Chicago courses. Rainy
weather played havoc with the golf OF
the favorites. even Travis succumbing
before the final was reached. When the
semi-fnal round was over. the two sur
vivors OF the Eoodly field which had
begun play were Louis n. James, a local
golfer who never had been heard OF be-
fore, and Ebcn NJ. Byers OF Pittsburg
who had gained considerable fame on the
links while at Yale. Everyone thought
that Byers would win. for no one could
understand how James had done well
enough 10 reach the final. but the Glen
View golfer fooled them all and won the
championship. Since that time he never
has been heard of as n dangerous COM
petitor In golf tournaments, and his vic
tory always will remain as one OF the
best illustrations Of the uncertainties Of
golf.
Changing tho conditions that govern
the amateur championship always has
been ono OF the favorite diversions OF
the United States Golf Association-it
is still at it--and in 1903 the experiment
OF an all match play tourney like the
British championship was tried. 1t was
played at the Nassau Country Club, and
there were 40 entrants whose nam
were matched I'm one big draw, II proved
n thrilling struggle and n profitable ono
for Walter J. Travis who won his third
championship IN the Long Island links,
Again Ryers came through to the final
n 1t began to look as though he might
be a perpetual runne up.
Chandler Egan's First Title.
Another truly great golfer succeeded
Travis In 1904, when the championship
was played on the curse OF tho Ball
tnsrol Golf Club. II. Chandler Egan,
who had played much In the East as n
Harvard student. won the title and he
did II 80 imprcsslveiy that he once and
for all proved himself to be "A real cham
pion, There are many who think that
Chandler Egar was tho greatest golfer
America has produced, and II In hard "a
Ssinssy than. The runner w vss .