New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-01
ADVANCE GUARD
TRIES OUT LINKS
AT MERTON CLUB
Ninety Golfers Practise
for Big Tourney-Youth
Plays the Aged.
By GRANTLAND RICE.

Merton Golf Club, Haverford, Penn.
Aug. 31.-Those non-combatants who
wonder why over 100000 people have
taken up golf in the last twenty years
at the rate OF $4,000 year might
have obtained a goodly portion of the
answer at the Merton golf course to.
day.
Here they would have seen two chan.
pionship entries, both playing fine golf,
under conditions that no other game in
the world could produce. One of these
entries was Commodore Bryan Heard,
of Dallas, Tex. The other was Bob
Jones, of Atlanta, Ga. And the re.
markable condition attached was that
Commodore Heard is sixty-two years
old and Bob Jones, Jr, is fourteen.
Can you figure out another cham.
pionship where there could be forty
eight years difference between the ages
of two contenders-where a boy Of
fourteen could hold his own, and where
man of sixty-two could also maintain
the required pace? You needn't try,
for no other game could produce such
an age-defying combination.
Young Jones is only fourteen, yet hs
, averages 230 yards from the tee and
thinks nothing OF smashing an iron
shot 2l0 yards. The quality Of his age
was shown by 6S he got two weeks
ago in the final round of the Georgia
championship against Perry Adair, IN.
other boy wonder, who is also entered
and who to-day battled around the
course with Commodore Heard at
keer, fast clip.
Ninety Golfers on Hand.
Over ninety golfers were on hand TO.
day trying out both courses. for the
qualifying test this time will be run
off over thirty-six different holes. They
are here from Texas, California, Geor.
gla, Louisiana, Illinois, Minnesota, New
York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and
any other states you might care to have
named. They found the two courses ia
fine srape, despite the recent drouth
The east course, where all champion.
ship matches will be played, has been
bunkered and re-bunkered, trapped and
re-trapped until a terrible amount Of
annoyance and despair awaits the
golfer who wanders from the straight
and narrow pathway. There are any
number of fine holes on this course
and this applies especially to .he short
holes, par 3's on the card, but in the
main very enjoyable As.
I Here are two instances. The frs.
short hole is the seventh 1t is 2l0
yards with nothing but a wicked mass
of trouble intervening, the final touch
being a trap ten feet deep that eurls
white sanded around the green with an
aspect about as inviting as breakers
waiting for drifting ship. Unless tn.
tee shot reaches the green and remains
there one has no trouble at all in get
ting very simple 8.
The next is short, and there is moth
ing in the way except morass and
deep ditch in front, another morass 10
the right, chasm of bunker to the
left and another back of the green. Il
is perfectly trapped, and only fine
iron lands and sticks anywhere near
>the cup. And missed shot means an
other FIVE as sure as three plus two
equals four plus one.
The metropolitan contingent i. al.
ready warming up at a fast clip. Max
Marston had two good rounds to-day 8.
so and rs, while John G.. Anderson re-
turned 49, Oswald Kirkby hasn't ar.
rived yet, but the Met champion has
not been loating on the job. He slipped
in quietly three or four days ago, and
promptly put away 20 for each
course, East and West. This is eyi.
denSe enough that he is at the top OF
his game and that he will be one of the
most dangerous contenders in the big
corral. Two 70s here are remarkable
golf for it is quite doubtful that 70
will be beaten next week, even with the
big field at work.
Gardner May Play.
/ While Travers and Phil Carter will
not play, word was received tonight
that Bob Gardner intended 10 make the
trip and take a chance with his wound
ed hand, which is reported 10 be heal
ing rapidly. He will be under big
handicap, but there is a chance that ae
may be able to get going, despite bis
injury. -,
/ Chick Evans will not arrive until
Saturday morning. The Chicago con-
tingent now here embraces Ned Sawyer
Albert Seckel, w. I. Rowland, Bob and
Paul Hunter. They all report Chick 81
the top of his game, playing the oes.
golf ne has ever playec at the edge OF
an amateur championship. Evans
still favored above the field, but the
field is not 10 be despised. :,
Max Marston only recently played
ten consecutive rounds at Ekwanok be,
tween 70 and Is, brilliant clip, and
with Marston and Kirkby at their pres.
ent speed il is no certainty yet thai
New York will not Renter the cham
pionship field.
Guilford isn't at his best yet as his
game is trife soft, but the siege gun
expects to be ut his best by Monday.
s--