The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-09-22
MEDAL PLAY HARD
Evans Says Match Game Is Pic
mic for Good Putter.
Stout Heart Most Essential to
Success in Golf.
BY CHARLES (ssCHICk'') EVANS
National Amateur and Open Coll
Champion.

1t is a rare thing for the newcomer
in golf to win a championship. If by
some miraculous chance he does so, it
is the result of some freakish condi-
ton. In an average normal event, the
experienced man wins For that rea
son, 1 believe that my long tourpa-
ment experience had a great deal to
do with my success in the two lead
ing tournaments this year, demand
ing as they do, widely different kinds
of golf. L do not mean that match
and medal play are entirely unrelated,
but they are different and rarely does
the same person excel at both.
In illustration of this, only once in
the long history of our amateur cham
pionship has the winner of it also
won the low qualifying medal. The
fortunate man was Howard Hilton,
the time was 1911, and the place Apa-
wants. 1t has almost passed into a
proverb that the winner of the medal
will not be the winner of the tour
ney. The reason seems to be that a
man cannot stay long at the height of
his game and successful medal play
travels on the heights.
Better at Medal Play.
AS my forte seemed to be medal
play, l took my tournament at Mime
apolis rather easily, for it seemed that
l had more of a chance at that sort
of a game. For that reason, l played
steadily and confidently, but rarely
| took a chance. If 1 had a bad hole
l kept on trying, for l realized that
the other fellow might have a bad
hole, too. I played easily. always TAX
ing two shots to the hole when one
I was possible. 7 had learned from ex-
perience that medal play should be
a combination of good holes, with lit
tie brilliance.
| full upon me. l contend that if one
can putt match play is a picnic COM
pared with medal play, for undeniably
| there is less of a strain.
At Merton l started my match play
by merely trying to make my shot a
little better than that of my opponent.
In my match against Bob Gardner
many were surprised to see that some
| of my drives were even longer than
his. I was called down for the
| chances / was taking. and bold puts
always left me a lot to do on the next
just a Little Better.
So 1 figured match play out as a
game where each shot should have as
its object a little bit better result than
/ the one just played by your opponent
and if you are to play first. make the
| shot your very, very best. This little
intention, together with u resolution to
| forget absolutely the shots that did
! not come off, were the only thoughts
| in my mind at Merton, and I was putt
ing well enough to give me a conf
dence in all my shots.
/ This idea of considering the preced-
I ing holes a blank makes match play
much easier than medal. Some may
ask why that cannot be done in medal
/ play. To me it seems almost impos-
sible, for one is safety play and the
other means taking chances.
The player who becomes disheart-
ened over two or three bad holes is
sure to be- defeated. for he should con-
slider that the other fellow is likely to
have his troubles, too and careful per-
| severance usually will result in good
average, for the likelihood of discour-
agement over difficulties is so great
| that rewards are pretty certain for
the man who continues to the end.