The sun., 1916-08-28
WINNER AT MERTON
MUST BE A FIGHTER
Mere Making Of Low Scores
win Not Bring Victory in
Championship.
MATCH PLAY Is THE TEST
n, JOHN q.

shir which starts one week from to-day
over he links Of the Merton Cricket Club
,lvays furnishes more food for refiec-
ron taan for prediction. The pre-
selection is usually a guess with odds
Of FIVE to one against any OF the three
or four chosen. but the aftermath of
solang liah, Is caockful OF interesting
facts. At the present time there are a
dozen players In the country who are
worthy on account OF their game Of be-
ing proclaimed the best golfer Of tho
championship week, for that IL what n
championship title means nowadays for
most NJ the winning contestants.
Unless Mr.. Charles Evans should win
the event there would he few people.
golfers or others. who would grant that
the very best golfer won. enen II in the
course of tho touI1ameM the open
champion was defeated by the ultimate
winner. This would he so because golf
.rs in general figure on the finest game
NJ the player instead OF giving the great
e., amount ~ credit to the man who is
able to play just n little better thar his
opponent when the occa sion requires.
This was, and to a great extent to-day is.
the rredominating note In Mr.. Travers's
kdill' wv " ~ Nlb"u "
match play at its highest point.
suppose. for instance. that the, re-
EQUITABLE Jerry plays 1--WE matches
this coming week n wins them all by
narrow margins, and that In a couple or
more OF contests his opponents are
palpably of their game and an so medal
play beats them.
Low Scoring May Not Help.
Suppose on the other hand that Evans
makes four rounds. winnihk easily with
medal score each time OF 70 or better.
and then in the last round. when his
opponent makes a ~. he turns In a IS
or IS when he needed a IS or less to
win. In the accounts Of the match there
would be some who would say that
Evans was the better because he won all
his matches with ease and only sue
eun.bed to the unusually brilliant play
OF his opponent who In all his other
matches would have been an easy VIC
tim to Mr.. Evans's golf. Then the draw
would have been blamed for not per-
hitting the two to come together at an
earlier stage Of the match play. But
these critics. and there are hundreds Of
them. do not stop to consider that In
almost every round some golfer not OPP
posed TO Mr.. Evans. for example. was
HAkinK u score Wnich would nave put
out that famous golfer.
Such figuring Ia like taking the best
ball score Of all the players and match
Ing ones score against that the funda.
mental feature which gives match play
the thrill. with personal element. IL sim
ply the ability to surpass the game OF
your opponent. And when = golfer In
the first round makes a -. as Evans did
last year. and then meets defeat. AZ he
did at the hands Of Sawyer. who scored
1c. while the ultimate winner. Robert
Gardner. was making an 40 n win
ming his match. there IL nothing left Ia
and forget the medal scores. which ind
no place on the bulletin sheet after the
first day.
Match play Mt all times II a contes,
wits. cross figuring. stroke matching
and grit, with the strong heart winning
every time when skill Ia Of an even or
near even quality. The personal ele-
ment enters In On every occasion. Las
year after the qualifying round / pre-.
dicted that "Chick" Evans would be de-
f.a,ed in the first round by Sawyer. Tina,
was really the FIRST time that l had
made what was termed n bold predic-
ton in print. and when ! saw 1t in TIL
Sun | wondered II ! a not been toe
little responsive to reason. But Sawyer
won by 6 and 8. IND the prediction wal
made good. But 1t was the persona
element which caused me to take thu
chance. I had played round with Net
Sawyer In the qualifying n saw tina
he was at or near the top OF his game
felt that he would be a strong oppo'
nent for any one except Evans. for II
most OF their matches. and especially tn
important ones. Chick always won.
sawyer was . Fighter.
me fact that he had defeated Chlcl
IN one ~ their late. unimportant bat
lies on The links. yes" he replied. ~
did trim him. but I nave not beaten hin
In a great big match for some time. anC
yet II | am drawn against him In Thu
tournament ! am going to get out OF m,
system every bit OF good golf that Is II
re. II determination and carefulnes,
will do Il. I'm going TO beat Chick. ant
that Is all there In to It,"
II was that spirit which seemed to say
mat there had come a parting OF tn
ways and that the accustomed dsfea'
would not be permitted. which caused
me- 70 write that ! believed that Sawyer
would win the match.
1t has been pointed out IN severn
occasions tina the times are rare indeed
when a newcomer gets far along IL
tournament golf. There must be u start
Ing time for all. Of course. but It doel
teem as IL there had been no startini
tine for many new golfers. For In
stance, look over this list Of names
'epresenting all the s~emi-hnalists 70
we past nine years. a truly long stretci
OF solhng time. The names are given II
N" order Of years since 1907: Travers
byers, Fownes. Graham: Travers