Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-14
VETERANS HOLD SWAY
FEW new LEADERS AMONG
PROFESSIONAL GOLFERS
GPostponenent OF Tournaments Pre-
vents Passing Judgment on Players.
Jim barnes at Hcnd of List.

Postponeinent OF Tournaments Pre-
0 vents Passing Judgment on Players.
Jim Barnes ut Head of List.
NEW YORK, October l3-Now that
the professional golfers in the North
nave had their last fling at the open
tournament game. glance back over
the records OF the leaders reveals the
fact that most OF those who were prom
'lnent In 1916 have again accounted for
Inc major portion Of the gold and glory
this year. Because of the fact that a
number of the important Championships
were indefinitely postponed on account
OF the war, there has been less oppor-
tunfty TO size up the pros"
Or course, the national open cham
pfonship represents tho main event of
the year. though last fall the first an
nual event OF the Professional Golfers
Association. at Siwanoy. was regarded
as close second.
This year there was no national open.
mo metropolitan open, while the affair
under the auspices Of the professionals
association was so changed as TO be
combined with a series of So-called in
-ternational team matches. i'm which
combinations representing amateurs
yhome-bred professionals, Scotch and
English took part The medal play
part Of that at Englewood consisted Of
thirty-six holes, and il remained for
Hudson River Country Club. to finish
In the lead. All he got. however. Was
a medal, for the proceeds, not only at
-EnElewood. but during tho team
matches Mt Raltusrol. Garden City and
.Siwanoy were devoted ia relief funds.
$50 far as actual winnings are con-
'corned. big jim Barnes. the White
Marsh pro" unqucstionabiy deserves
TO be placed At the head OF the list.
He didn't do much IN the spring in the
South. nor in the patriotic tournament
over his home course. hut he got third
money at Shawnee, Won the Western
open with fine score OF .S3. got second
at kiikare. aud only recently won tho
Philadelphia open title Last winter.
In the South, Barnes injured his foot
when his automobile ran over him. and
this seemed to handicap him off and on
throughout the past season. He's play
ling In his best form now, however.
and If nothing goes wrong later on i'm
,ttre South he may be able to add to his
winnings before the new year.
Hrady Deserves Credit.
Possibly Mike Brady, the Boston
home-bred, deserves almost as much
notice as Barnes. for let il be said
that the Oakley pro" began the sea-
son in fine style by winning the North
and South title at Pinehurst On that
occasion he led strong field. At
Shawnee, Brady got second money,
finished in the Western in a tic with
Frank Adams. OF Beverly. for tenth
and eleventh money, and the following
week won the Kiikare tournament.
Further than this Brady has shown in
his exhibition matches, some OF which
have been with Francis Ouimet. that
he is playing i'm oid-time form.
1t is probably unfortunate for Jock
Hutchinson that there WAS no national
open title at stake this year. When
Brae Burn called off tho national open
sttutc in the form of ii patriotic event
the majority of the leading pros"
were on hand. There was no money at
stake for the winners, though they all
played the best they knew how. and
Hutchinson led the field by - wide mar
Gin. He was also third in the Western
span. In way. Walter Hagen. the
Rochester homc-brcd who won the
metropolitan and Western open titles
in 1915. has shown "a slight falling of
this year, Hagen. however, made Il
great try to retain his Western laurels.
finishing only two strokes behind
Barnes. At Shawnee. Hagen got fifth
money. and he also figured on the win
ming side OF number Of exhibition
matches.
By the way. Gil Nichols started in
the spring it looked as If the Great
Neck pro" might eclipse ali others
throughout the 1917 season. for he won
five tournaments in the South. There
after, however. Nichols showed less
steadiness. He got seventh money 1T
Shawnee and tied for sixth, seventh and
eighth places with l.. O'Hara and James
Donaldson in the Western open.
II has been suggested that a caddie
championships, open to boys through
out the United States, would be AN ideal
way 20 And those youngsters who have
the QUALIFICATIONS of first class players.
When IL is remembered that practically
rl,r. t..tS Of No. in, .rna
SIGNALS hogan their Gol:ine careers AS
baE-toters st little encouragement given
10 the cadGics in the way of playing
opportunities would not be amiss. There
are many clubs which hold inter cluh
matches for their boys. bat, on the
other hand. sonc organizations frown
on such contests
Tournament for Cnddics.
The suggestion is for q tournament
to be held on the plan OF the Profess
sionaI Golfers association event last
year at Siwanoy. Each individual club
could hold caddic championship solely
for the boys of that district. The event
could be al thrtySix holes. medal play,
scratch conditions. so that the best
caddie in the club would be certain TO
win. Following this championship
could be played on course 10 be Sc
lccted. and only those players who had
won their club events would be eligible
10 compete
The expense OF such Il competition
would not necessarily be very great,
AZ IL would be sufficient to give prizes
10 the winner and runner-up. The
event could be held under the dircc-
ton OF the club professional or the
caddie master, and IL mittl; be anus
ing for the members 10 act as caddics
for the boys on such an occasion. or.
If such an affair were considered too
difficult TO handle. why not have the
boys from each State take part in
championship. and the ultimate win
ners meet in Northern. southern, East
crn aud Western sections, with the four
victors coming together il the finals?
Nearly all the clubs hold banquets
for the cadd!es al Christmas or some
other holiday, and award prizes for
the years efficiency and good conduct.
This is an excellent custom, and one
that on the whole is thoroughly en-
joyed by the boys. IN, could not part
OF the money expended on these en-
tertainnenta be spent on prizes FOR n
caGQle tgGr1I!uent| surely the