Evening star., 1918-06-12

Charles (chick) Evans, jr., of the
Edgewater Golf Club of Chicago, one
of the players who will exhibit golf
ing skill in the Red Cross match at
the Columbia Country Club Saturday,
Is the present holder of both the ma
tional amateur and professional titles.
Evans has announced that he will de-
vote all his golfng time this year to
exhibition matches for the Red Cross.
His capture Of both the amateur
and professional titles in 1915, the
last year in which title contests were
held. stamped him as one Of the
greatest players in the world and pos
sibly the best amateur in this country.
Chick, as he is called by his friends.
began the game as caddie at the
in 1904, under George Turpie. then
professional at the club. His apti-
tude with the mashie early showed
itself, and when his game improved
he was taken in hand by the leading
professional players of the Chicago
idly developed, until he ranked as one
Of the best players in the country.
Has Held Numerous Titles.
As far back as 1909 Chick appeared
in the semi-finals of the amateur
championship, losing to H Chandler
Egan in that event on the final hole
of thirty-six- match. Titles
which he has held are too numerous
to mention. Besides winning the
championship of the city of Chicago
four times. the first time at the age
of sixteen years, he has held the
French amateur title, the western
yod hac
OF tournaments all over the country.
For years, on account of an un-
fortunate streak of bad putting he
seemed unable to annex the amateur
championship. all the time being
ranked as the greatest shot player
in the country. His only possible
fault was on the putting green, for
from the tee and with his irons his
game is fawless. The young Chi
cagoan, for he is but twenty-nine
to win the championship held at the
Chicago Golf Club in 1912, when he
finished the morning round of the
final l up on Jerome D. Travers. In
the afternoon round Evans missed a
short putt on the fourth green, and
after that seemed unable to hit a
shot, losing the championship to the
New Yorker by and 6. He took
part in the American invasion Of
England in 1914. losing in the fourth
1o0Au Va lAc SI1L!Sn amateur 10 a
freak first nine holes of 81 by a
player from New Zealand.
Success in 1915.
In 1916 he realized one of his am
bftions, capturing the open champion
ship of the United tSates from a rep
resentative field of professionals
gathered at Minneapolis. His other
ambition was realized in the fall of
fhA rrha he Ln
teur title, beating Robert A. Gardner
OF Chicago, now lieutenant in
France. 4 and 3. at the Merton Club
of Philadelphia. Thus Chick. after
in one year. accomplishing a feat
never done before in this country
Much of his skill with the mashie
and midiron Is said to be due to his
constant practice when a boy. Com
ing home from the golf course. he used
to carry his mashie and pitch balls
over telegraph wires. at weed patches.
etc. until he had attained proficiency
with this difficult club. Chick gave a
remarkable exhibition of accuracy
with this club two years ago. Put
ting his caddie fifty yards away, he
pitched a dozen balls all about him,
so that the boy did not have to move
from his tracks to pick them up. He
Is ranked by Harry Vardon as the
greatest American amateur.
Every person In Washington has
been invited out to the Columbia
Country Club to see Evans and Fred
Mcleod. the Columbian professional,
play against Jim Barnes and Walter
Hagen of Rochester. Saturday. The
largest crowd that ever followed a
golf match here is expected to witness
this contest under the auspices of the
Woodley Park Chapter of the Ameri-
can Red Cross. Arrangements have
been completed for the taking Of
motion pictures of the players, nota-
BILE personages and the gallery.