Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-02
Walter Travis "Defes"
Fans to Pick Even Half
of Qualifiers-Matches
Tomorrow
By SANDY McNIBLICK

| lever IN the history OF an American
| IN golf Henley has there been such fine
chance for n dark horse to creep into the
final rounds of the play beginning Mon
day for the amateur championship of the
United States
The chances are so uncertain of the
prime favorites coming through that Walter
]. Travis, Grand Old Man of American
golf. the donor of the American Golfer
silver trophy. which is being played for
today, is openly "defyng" the assembled
| throng to pick 16 of those who will qualify
| on Monday.
There are just about 10 players who
| are absolutely sure to qualify" said
| Travis today, "and there are about so
players who can Just be brushed aside
without any thought, but what is going
to happen to the other 90 odd golfers?"
No One Spoke Out
The gathering was silent.
No one took his bet that they could
pick even half of the 80 who will stand
up to the tee on Tuesday and go for each
other in the match play for the title.
Among those to sadly shake his head
was Grantland Rice, notorious New York
sports critic, who has had an easy time
of II In the past with such players as
Travers, Ouimet and Evans to build on.
The principal difficulty in picking the
field this year is due to the qualifying round
over the two courses. The east course, of
astounding traps, friendly rough, beauti-
full greens and slopes. presents an entirely
different mark for the cracks from the
west course which heavily penalties the
straying shots, and calls for tight, tidy,
and short little game into the picturesque
scenery,
The situation there is entirely removed
in body and spirit from the shots repre-
sented over the parent eastern course. I'm
fortunately for the hopes of many in the
going. 1t will be necessary to shoot two
very useful scores over both courses on the
same day and with an hour only of reflec-
tion in between 1t is a bitter prospect to
the stars and there is some frenzied think.
ing and practice going on in order to do
this thing. Another thing that is liable TO
upset the neat little schemes of the con-
testants is the possibility of rain, which
will make both courses many strokes
harder particularly the east, where most
of the golfers figure on making low enough
score to carry them through not-so-good
score on the west links.
Walter Travis greets all the golfers with
the same question. Where are you shoot
ing the best golf scores?" and the answer
is invariably. ION the east course"
The Same Query
qualify over a course like the east. should
happen 10 fall down for the one crack they
will, get on the west they will be crowded
out OF the match play altogether perhaps
by some dark horses who will enjoy
balmy day over both links and who had
not figured on 10 have a chance. This II Is
that makes predictions on the winners so
difficult.
The few real hopes OF the tourney may be
drawn against each other In the early
rounds, or be all in the same half a thing
that has happened. and then they will have
TO eliminate each other. by the law OF gravi-
tation, or some law like that of physics.
1t is not a pleasing prospect for the
acknowledged lights of this country's golf
particularly when il is born In mind that
not one Of the golfers would be here unless
he was capable OF the fastest brand Of golf
This is not one hundred and a half golfers
gathered from any one section OF the eoun-
try not an all-comers AFFAIR. but a gather
ing OF the cream Of the talent In all this
broad land
Any player is a good bet in this tourney
10 qualify, The match play, of course Is
a different thing, since it requires a tre-
mendous reserve reservoir of energy to
come through a S6-hole match every day
for a week and win every time. That is