The Washington times., 1916-07-09
Match and Medal PLAY
Discussed by Vardon
Dual Personality in Two Forms of Competition.
Valuable Hints offered for Tourney Form.
ByHARRY vARDoN,
The Worlds Most Famous Golfer.

ordinary way. one would not do that in
a medal round. nor would the result US
ually be so happy.
II You have a really bad hole early IN
stroke competition. the best plan 10
I think, to determine to play the re-
mainder OF the round steadily. although
without undue timidity. II you take
risks In the hope OF recovering tho
.ost strokes quickly. II is certain thot.
being rather Nn, r Mnse!'ec croS Son snd
your position will be worse than ever.
BY pursuing a policy OF resOlute care
fulness. II In quite likely that yon VIII
pick up a stroke here and there. and
by the time that You arrive at abOut
the twelfth holo. the incubus OF the big
figure will have lost some Of Its horrors
and you will be in the right mental
state to firish well. A medal round
at golf In rather Ike a ten-round con-
test at boying; " you get a nasty Knock
at the beginning. you must take u with
out losing your head and rushing IN
like mad to balance matters.
Must Outdrive Opponent.
In n match, the game is to open stead
ilv and then take reasonable risks. more
or less by way OF discovering on which
side Fortune Is smiling. You have only
one man to beat, and II your enterprises
lead to the loss Of a couple OF holes. the
only thing to do is to settle down to a
steady game for a while ana nope that
your opponent. In the citation inspired ny
a useful lead, will attempt big things
ana fail. Often he does. II you stand
two or three down at the turn. there Is
nothing for II but to chance a difficuit
shot here and there. and when this posi-
ton presents itself. the best advice that
I can offer to the unfortunate occupant
Is that he should be sure and outdrive
his opponent.
When you are about three down with
nine to play. there Ia nothing more un-
comfortable than bcing outdriven. you
want badly to know what the other man
IL going to do with his second shot be-
Ia half chance. When you have to
play the odd, It Is difficult to decide
whether to take risk or not. or. In
deed. what constitutes a risk. 1t II well
worth making a special errort to out
nice little iead-not by Wild pressing.
which is useless. but by an easy up
swing, q gentle beginning to>the down
swing. and the application OF little
at the impact and a fun, free follow
through.
It IL a help TO see what club ne takes
for hts second shot. True. there arc
several well-known professionals who
possess the knack Of deceiving their sp-
ponents in this connection. ihey take.
perhaps, a cieek for the second and APP
pear to play a full shot with II, whereas,
as matter OF fact. the pace OF the club
such 3, to PsSasse 70 %oTe nan snc
ais are often misied by this form OF
finegsing. However, II does not often
enter into. either sides calculations
where o match between two average
amateurs Is concerned, and. in such n
game. the man who Is two or three
holes down should focus his attention
primarily on careful driving In the hope
OF making his rival play the odd through
the green and disclose the kind OF shot
that " wanted.
Never consider yourself anything ike
beaten In a match until you are more
holes down than there remain 20 be
played. That perhaps Is a very simple
and obvious piece OF advice to ofrer. but
be all the better II they could remember
II ut the right time. There are chances
OF recovery from a bad start In a stroke
round. but they are small by comparison
with the possibilities OF making amends
for o seemingly disastrous beginning IN
a match.
! could quote many personal cases In
support Of this statement. Two will suf-
five. At Dudley. IN Worcestersaire.
was once six down to Braid early IN the
was eight down to Alfred Matthews,
then the WEIGH champion, at the naif-
distance in a thirty-six holes match. and
won on the last green. i remember trat
luncheon intervals. ! heard many bets
made at odds OF D>to l against my
chances, and. on the home green. I got
down an uphill putt OF fifteen yards for
the match. Ir you stick TO your man n,
the hole game. you will be such worry
to him that he may collapse after all.
Copyright. 1916. by the Wheeler Syndi.
cate. Incl