New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-07-02
New Champion Marvel of
Accuracy in Mime
apolis Game.
BY FRED HAWTHORNE.

Minneapolis. July Chick Evans, Of
Chicago, in winning the national open
golf championship on the Minikahda
links on Friday and achieving the am
btion of his life, has proved once again
that in the future of American golf the
professionals will find it increasingly
difficult to hold the amateurs in leash.
Things have come 10 such a pass now
that no man can safely say that the
national open is safe for the men who
make their living BY their prowess with
the golf clubs.
Francis Ouimet showed the POSSIBLE
ties Of amateur golf when, in 1913 at
Brookline. he took the title after that
memorable extra round battle with
Harry Vardon and Ted Ray, greatest
Of British golfers. Only a year in
tervened, in which Walter Hagen scored
again for the professionals at Mid
lothian. but last year at Baltusrol
Jerome D. Travers nailed the amateur
standard to the peak by defeating
great field.
And now it is Evans who has shaken
the supremacy OF professionals to its
very foundation By the brilliant victory
at Minikahda last week. The national
oDen championship is one Of the sever
est of tests. 40 man who is not
sound golfer to his finger tips can go
through seventy-two holes Of play
against the greatest in the land with
success He might make a brilliant
single round, or even two, but to main
tain a winning clip for the two entire
days with the knowledge that the least
slip means disaster requires golfer.
Courage a Big Factor.
or splendid courage, great reserve
strength and winning shot for every
critical situation of such timber has
Evans proved himself
He knew before the first day Of play
that the big field Of professionals gath
cred at Minikahda would make desper-
ate efforts to keep him from the. top.
He was one against some sixty or the
best in the land, and the chances
against his coming through to victory
were about that many.
Evans. in the words Of President
Woodbury. Of the L. s. G.. A., "has been
knocking at the door for several
years" Three times did the Western
amateur title fall to his lot, and he
gained the Western open championship
at Beverly in 1910, but still the two
highest titles Of the links in this coun-
try-the national amateur and the ma
tional open -eluded his efforts.
In winning last week Chick was con-
fronted with many battling situations
that called for judgment and GOODNESS
under fire. That he overcame these OBJ
stacles and triumphed In the end
speaks highly of his golfng prowess. A
comparison of his play, stroke by
stroke, with that of such men as
Hutchinson, Reid, Walter Hagen, Tom
Vardon, Louis Teller and all the rest
of that brilliant galaxy of profession
ais, will show that Evans is the equal
of the best.
The Edgewater amateur has general
" been effective with his wooden clubs.
He has the knack Of bringing his hands
back well ahead Of the club head as he
starts mis- swing that Harry Nardon so
we'll exemplfies, and although there
are many among the pros who can
gather more distance of the tee Evans
is not so far behind in this respect as
to be severely handicapped.
Makes Up with Irons.
What Chick loses there he more than
makes up for by his work with the
irons. In the course of the two days
play at Minikahda last week Chick
pulled off some remarkable shots with
his mid-iron and heavy mashie nib
lick. In long grass or deep sand pits,
when il seemed he must surely drop
strokes, Evans came right back with
sensational recoveries.
From anywhere within 200 yards OF
the green. the new open champion
was marvel Of accuracy No run
ning-up shots would satisfy him. In
stead. Chick got plenty Of height on
the ball, and it was beautiful 70 watch
the rubber core as II sailed high in
air. to fall with almost unerring di-
rection, straight for the pin. Rarely
did he run over, for the ball had suf-
fcient backspin to hold the turf won
derfully well.
In anotbsr important denartment