The sun., 1916-09-10
NATIONAL GOLF
TITLE IS WON BY
"CHICK" EVANS
Holder of Open Title Adds
to His Laurels by Defeat
ing Gardner. + and }.
LEADS IN MORNING BY
.sS3 Up AT MERTON LINKS

yDtT pINsfIt SIullt IL IltdSuIt " tiio
On the links OF the Merton cricket Clu
to-day he beat Bob Gardner by 4 up
h . TO play in the final round OF the
national amateur golf championship.
and when the last hole had been won
stood forth as the only American golfer
who has held both amateur and open
titles at the same time. John Ball cap
tured' both British crowns in 1890, bu:
Chick Evans scaled a new height in
American golf to-day.
It is a curiou golaing career that
reached its Climax this afternoon. Just
about ten years ago. a little less, per-
haps. stories drifted In from Chicago
now and then telling Of the prowcss on
the links Of a youngster jus, graduated
from the ranks Of the caddies. that
school in which SO many Of latter day
heroes have learned the game. In n
faeure In the realm of golf. and his
hosts OF enthusiastic friends were pre-
dieting that he soon would be the anna
tour champion OF the United States.
Every one who saw him play recognized
At once his unQuestionable skill and
none could be found bod enough to
laugh at the predictions of his friends.
Long strsggle Rewarded.
Yet In tho years that have gone by
since Chick Evans first came to the
front new champions rave arisen, old
ones have regained their lost glory. but
the ambition OF Chick Evans has re-
manned unsatished until to-day. Year
aftAr yaar in rho n,ninnSlf uy1,- ahu
piOnship he has been knocking at the
door always failing 10 get in. Six
times In the last eight years he has
reached the seini-final ound In the ma
oonal tourney, a record that even with
cnt tc-day's victory 10 give u added
lustre would shine forth on the pages Of
American goling history.
Now after that long wait, punctuated
epch year by high hopes suddenly
crushed. Chick Evans is the national
amateur champion. and more. He Is the
national open champion rs well, and
until next summer NJ least the phrase
I champion" without an adjective Il
modify II will suffice to name Charles
Evans. Jr.. Of E~dgewater. TIL long
walt was worth while now that tho re-
ward has proved SO great.
Great as was the enthusiasm of the
vAst gallery-it must have numbered
nearly 6.O00-when Chick Evans won. II
wao no greater than the regret that the
loser had to be Bob Gardner. Strug-
rim manfully to defend his title and
win his third championship. the tall
C~hicagoan won the heart of the crowd.
aud vanquished as we'll as victor was
cheered when 1t was all over. After
President Frank l.. Woodward of the
United states Golf Association had pre-
sented the gold medal u Evans and the
silver medal to Gardner on the fifteenth
green the crowd swarmed around both of
the hnalists anxious to congratulate one
upon his victory and the other for the
game fight he had mad
Better Matches In Past.
N for the final match itself. despite
the fact that the amateur and open
champions were arrayed against each
other. II was not as well played as some
OF Its predecessors. Holes were won to-
day more often because Of the mistakes
OF the loser rather than because of the
excellence OF the winner. 1t was a good
match because 1t was a real fight. espe-
cially In the afternoon. but II did not
approach the standard set by Jerome D..
Travers In 1912 at Wheaton. when he
swept to-day's winner aside by playing
unbeatable go.f, or the struggle at Equi-
nox In 1914. when Ouimet triumphed
49, We WV htIt
won because Travcrs and Ouimet did not
wait for their opponents to slip, but won
hples by sheer brilliance and almost UNI
c&nny skill.
Every one likes to see a good fight In
any sport. however. so to-day's match
satisfied tho crowd. for after being 3
down at the end OF the morning round
Gardner set out In the afternoon with
nre In his eye. caught Evans at the
klXIn L - N .,
from the throng OH the hillside abo~e
the green. dropped back again TO . down
on the next two holes and then on the
ninth began another drive for the front.
which was on the'vcrge of success when
p. miraculous forty foot putt on the
tsnth x, cen saved Chick from losing the
hole and becoming all square. The great
mutt seemed TO put new confidence in
Chick. and the disappointment mus,
have worried Gardner. for after that his
Eoif became unsteady and Chick had no
trouble In gaining the lead that carried
him>through to success,
Course Ia Splendid shane,
when play began this morning tho
course was In better shape for good golf
than II has been at any time slnc. ,ho
championship began. for there had been
just enough rain last night to freshen up
inc TURF without making II socgy. Th,
air was cool and the only disadya ntare
was a fresh breeze when maze some of
the holes II good deal easier than usual
and others considerably harder.
>" Evans began the day with one OF his
characteristically brilliant holes. plich-
mg UP dead to the pin ON the first green
ma nollng an easy putt for "A 3. q stroke
better h par. lie really didn't ncal
the 3. Tor Gardner's second was poor nod
.he could do no better thar Z. IN tho
hill to the second both playci par golf
and halved the hole In !. AID both go,
Is on the third. although Ev. ~ nh, HIS
second In n trap and then made a fine
shot getting out. which avod him. Card
ner began the fourth with a BAH out OF
bounds then pushed his approach into n
tran on the right. but surprised every
tone, including himself, by winning Tho
hole. for Evans took three puts.
' All square AFTER -Four Holes,
That left the match all square when
statey began the long fiifth. which proved
10 DC about the worst played hole of tho
day. Gardner popped his third into the
brook. while Evans banged his into the
side OF "A mound on the left Of tn. green.
and after both had don" some rather in
Inherent putting Evans won the hol. &
TO 7. becoming ! up again. lie had a
chance to win the sixth. for his second
was not far from pin, while Gardner's
was y We corner of the green, but lost