The sun., 1916-09-03
That Number Have Won
Amateur Golf Crown in
the Last 81 Years.
III ARE ALIVE AND A
RIBUT TO THE GAME

~ StateSs vi tno last tWeuty -O1e
years without a break the big tourney
has been held by the United states Golf
Association. and has grown from a tiny
AFFAIR with n handful of entrants to so
big an event that this year for the first
time two courses have been reQuisitioned
for the qualifying round.
In that time thirteen golfers have
worn the crown. and every one OF the
thirteen Is alive and playing golf to-day,
which may or may not be a tribute to the
royal and ancient game as a producer
and preserver Of that much priced pos
session. good health. Their photo
graphs. taken In most Instances in the
days OF their glory. are printed on his
page. There are Walter Travis with his
black beard, Findlay Douglas with the
mustache that once was his pride. the
callow looking Louis James. Charles H..
Macdonald In his younger days. Chan
dler Egan. one of the handsomest OF the
thirteen Herbert NJ. Hartman. the hrst
American born champion, and all the
others, most Of whom are still rcckoned
rs championship possibilities and who
have been in the liynelieht so recently
that their faces are familiar to every
follower OF the game of golf.
Five Have Won More Thar Once.
Five OF the thirteen stand out, the
NV WIZ utNc WVu tHe tltIe more IMAM
once. jerome II, Travers. with his four
championships; Walter J. Travis. with
three. and Herbert !. Whigham, II.
Chandler Egar and Robert A. Gardner,
each with two. constitute this little roll
OF honor In a group every member OF
which is a champion. They are the
greatest OF the great, although they will
have to share some of the glory with
Harold H.. Hilton, the Englishman. who
"a ~ nNar hnyA md mon T., 1NIf a,l
Francis Ouimet. amateur champion in
1914. now barred from competition az
an amateur because Of his unwillingness
to separate his business from his sport.
The United States Golf Association
formed on December -. 1894. was the
Outgrowth Of the rivalry between the ST.
Andrews Golf Club and the Newport
Golf Club. each OF which had held n
tourney earlier In the year and had
called II n rational championship. The
Newport tournament was at medal play
and was won by William Lawrence, who
had learned the game at Pau. At St.
Andrews match play was the order OF
the day. and l.. Il. Stoddard Of 50.
Andrews emerged triumphant and ac-
CURED his so-called championship and a
diamond badge.
AS II was recognized that two rival
champions each year would be Of 10
heneft to the development OF the game
hvc clubs got together for the purpose
or forming Il national governing organ
'~zation. and the United States Golf AS
ISOLATION was the result. The five char
'sr members were and are the Country
tub OF Rrochline. Mass. the Chicago
Golf Club, the Newport Golf Club, the
Shlnnecock HIS Golf III and the st.
Andrews Golf club. Each Of the five
was represented on he first Sst OF Of
licers. WI" were; President. Theodore
4. Havemeyer. Newport: vice-presidents.
: laurence Curtis, Brookline. and Charles
". Macdonald. Chicago: secretary.
Henry o. ~Tallnadge. ST. Andrews;
treasurer. Samuel l.. Parrish. SHINE
cock Hills. They served for three years.
and the name Of the first president Is
remembered each year when the cham
r~lonship is played. for he CAV. tho
liavemeyer Cup. the championship
trophy.
rirst Tourney At Newport.
The frs, championship was held IN
October. 1875. at Newport. the late date
being chosen to avoid "A conflict with tho
in~ternationa yacht rarcs Of that year.
There were thIrty-two starters, and
when the final WIS reached the suryi-
vors were Charles II. Macdonald. who
had been second In each OF the unofficial
championships 'hc year before, and
~so H. VIZ b'hNfI h'ipN - az 1t
court tennis player. Sands began with
n poor drive and kept up The same sort
81 work until Macdonald Won the match
and title by IL up and II to play. Dur
ing the championship i.irhprd Peters
OF Newport tried to putt with a billiard
que. and nearly was ruled of the links
by the orthodox golfers.
Macdonald held the title until July.
1885. when the second championship
was played at S%hinnecock Hills. an
eighteen hole course measuring 4,423
yards. At Newport a nine hole course
had been used. The winner was Her
fert J. Whigham. who. like Macdonald.
had learned the game In Scotland. He
appeared with a wooden puttcr and pro-
ceeded to use II even for his short ap-
~proaches wherever possible. and although
some Of his opponents were inclined TO
frown upon his methods they were
forced n by one to acknowledge tho
efficacy Of the results. Tho runner up
wal J. q. Thorp. a Bostonian, with a
most unorthodox style Of play developed
upon The baseball field and tennis court.
Whigham beat Thorp by q up and 7 to
play.
WAighaa Wins Again.
TIE arst Journey to the West was
made In 1897 when the championship
Wo0 pIoyOu upVi tuo COuTuo OF tno Cnl-
cago Golf Club at Wheaton. III. Again
whigham was the winner. despite the
tact that the favorite was rrndlay s.
Douglas. Sust over from Scotland. where
ne Q been captain OF the ST. Andrews
University team the year before. Whig-
ham and Douglas met In the semi-inal
round. the champion winning by G up
and 8 to play. and the following day beat
". r. Belts. a Yale man, in the iinal by
. up Ind 8 to play,
u was tho East's tum again in 1898
'md the championship was held on the
course Of the Morris County Country
Club. When that organization applied
for the championship at the annual meet.
Inc Of the United States Golf Association
Il admitted frankly that it's course was
not Of championship calibre. but prom
lood TO make II SO before the tourney
:began. Morris County made good rs
promise and a $3.50 yard course was
11ooly for Tho golfers when they arrived
IN September. a length that was rather
remarkable In the days OF the hard guilty.
ball.
This time Findlay Douglas made good.
his opponent In the final being w. u.
Hmith. then a Yale senior but now "A
mature member Of tho executive com.
mittes Of the United States Golf Associ-
alton. Before he reached the fnal, how
.hwes. Douglas had to eliminate a New
xsaA seasss vho had learned The game
! ~