Evening journal., 1918-12-10
BRITISH GOLFERS
TO TOUR America
Vardon. Ray, Braid add
Taylor Promise Record
Invasion
ALL HOLD The
HIGHEST HONOR

Great Britain Is planning the great
est golf invasion Of America on record.
Word has reached here that the qua7-
tet Of star professlonals-Har-y Vardon,
Edward Ray, James Braid and J. II.
Taylor-plan 10 visit the United States.
Brilliant as are the prospects Of the
coming season, the advent OF these
cracks will give prestige 10 the game
unparalleled in Its American history.
Matches are already being booked 10:
the four by Aleck Duncan, the Chicago
professional. In addition TO meeting
the best men America can put forward,
the. visitors probably will enter the
national championship and may COM
pete In the Western open champion
ships as well Their playing records
alone make their advent most interest
ing 10 lovers Of the ancient Scottish
sport. while their international repu-
tations are ce. tain 10 bring out record
gallerie wherever they may swing a
club.
OF the four, Harry Vardon Is peoo-
ably the best known on this side OF
the ocean. Just before the start OF the
great war Vardon accomplished the
Unprecedented by taking for the sixth
time the British open championship,
an event considered the star feature Of
golf the world over. No previous win
ner Of this classic ever held the title
more than fve times.
In his sixth victory Vardon defeated
John Henry Taylor, who has held the
title Ave times. The only other player
20 hold a record equal 10 Taylor's was
James Braid So II Is easy to see that
IN the invading quartet there will ap-
pear the three players who above all
others stand pre-eminent IN the game.
This same open championsip which
brought such honor to Vardon was the
downfall Of our own American open
champion, Francis Oulmet. This ster-
ling player was only able TO finish nifty
sixth, most lowly place for a cham
pion.
Back in 1916 James Braid, the tallest
Of all British golfers, had the dubious
pleasure OF reading his own obituary.
All the sporting world mOurned his
death, news OF which, like Mark
Twaln's. was slightly exaggerated"
Braid last won the British champion
be his FIRST TO this country, as he always
has had an aversion to ocean travel
Braid is a typical Scotsman. having
been born In Fifeshire In 1870 and hav-
Ing lived practically all his life In Scot
land His drive OF 375 yards of tee
stands by itself. Though well over 6
feet, Braid uses a driver only forty
inches long, asserting he gels more
accuracy with the short club than he
would gain in distance by using
longer one.
Ed Ray, fourth Of the coming in
vaders. Is best known to golf fame for
his victory in the British open cham
p.Onship in 1912, played over the fam
Gus Muir1eld course. His home club
is the widely known Oxhey organi-
izatiOn.
America will be hard put 10 It. ex-
perts say, 10 meet this great invasion,
though in golf circles recently the
coming visit was looked forward 10 as
being likely TO stimulate the game to
an unusual degree. With champion
ships abandoned for years because OF
the great war, some such stimulus Is
sadly needed.
Although Ouimet disappointed all so
bitterly in 1914 abroad, It was here In
1913 that he drew the attention OF the
world to the American golfer by his
victory In the National Open cham
pionship over the BroOkline links
There he was pitted against famous
international field that included the