Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-01-15
YANKEE YOUTHS
TAKING TO GOLF
Ward Says Yankees viii Soon
Produce Greatest Stars.
PLAYERS ARE IMPROVING
Within the Next Ten Years Americans
Should Outclass the World-Nental
Strain Is Most Severe In Final Round
OF Championship Play.

That the United States will soon pro
duce the greatest golfers IN the world
Is the opinion Of John Ward. old time
Giant shortStop and an expert now
with the driver and uihlick. This pre-
ultuon Is based on the vastly improved
form OF American players. which 10
ward was the feature of the 1916 golf
season. IL this Improvement In play
ing form continues Il few years longer.
says the veteran. American golfers as
class should at least be the equal il
not the superior of the English and
Scotch players.
Il have competed in many tourna
menis last season and watched num-
Der of others" declared the champion
of the Garden City u. " club. What
surprised me most was che improveI
playing style of the majority of golfers.
1t was only short time ago that only
about one golfer in ten played in cor
rect form. The others WoEld simply
club their way around without regard
for soltinc style. This season would
say that seven out of ten knew the
proper way to play their clubs. Those
that generally showed the best form
were young fellows.
These boys have been imbued with
the idea of starting the game right.
They have received lessons from COM
petent professionals. with tile result
that their progress has been exception.
ally fast. 1t is Il certainty that many
additional youths will be attracted to
the game, and all, being anxious to
forge ahead quickly. will learn at the
beginning TO handle their clubs.
This will mean that most of the
present stars who helped to make the
sport so popular will be compelled TO
stand aside With the proper instruc.
ton of our young players | should say
that within ten years our golfers will
be the best in the world.
AT the national amateur tourna-
ment at Merton some time ago Bobby
Jones, the fourteen-year-old Atlanta
lad, gave an Illustration of how youn.
and able some of our youthful golfers
can be. understand there are sew
eral other boys in Atlanta who will
soon cause considerable comment. aud
it is reasonable to expect other sec
tons of the country will produce re-
markablc boy golfers"
According to the old baseball star.
golf now is Just beginning to enjoy
real popularity and there is no telling
to what lengths the present rush for
the links will 20. Ward believes golf
Is the best form of moderate exercise
yet he says that the final round for
national championship is the most Sc
we're strain one will encounter in any
sport. The veteran declares that an
ordinary round of golf is good aver
age exercise not nearly so much of
strain as baseball game. Recalling
his championship days with the Giants.
Ward relates his own experience on
the diamond as a means Of contrast
WITH golf to test the players physica
Golf says Ward. sis not so much
OF strain on the player, except. Of
course, In big title match. Baseball
IS different. Every one In the hi.
leagues plays the worth of ten gaines
in every morning practice during the
early months Of the season. often |
would only get a few chances. vet !
would be SO tired from the nervous
and mental strain that would hardly
be able 10 stand up at the finish of the
game This mental and nervous strain
| have found to be greatest in u bard
championship golf match.
Then it is terrific, But golf can be
played by almost everybody. young
or old, without much physical cxcr-
ton, and that Is probably the main
reason why the game Is growing so