The sun., 1918-07-07
MISTAKE TO CHANGE :
STYLE OF GOLF PLAY
Public Will Lose Interest in
Red Cross Match IL Medal
Round Is Chosen.
so SAYS J. G.. ANDERSON
ny JOHN q. ANDERSON.

The Professional Golfers Association
Of the metropolitan district had planend
a week Of golf this month for the benefit
Of the Red Cross. A few days ago tho
methods of running Off the tournament
were changed. and instead of having
three days of match play between the
| various teams OF International and home
bred color there will be a medal round
with twelve men entered from the diner
ent groups and the scores Of the first
eight to count in scoring the mythical
title.
There Is every reason to believe that
the general public will lose interest In
the form Of play chosen. for It is we'll
known fact that when one player 10
playing against the field the keenness of
the galleryite is lessened because he
| cannot know what the others are doing
and the consequent excitement that this
knowledge engenders rs lacking.
| The tournament resolves itself into
| whether eight homebreds or eight Scots
| or eight amateurs or eight of the So
called allied golfers can respond with
a group OF the low scores. At present
| writing there does not seem to be any
interest in any side, for the war has
practically killed the thought OF having
| championship ideas fostered, and golfers
| In general care little for a medal round
| Of this nature. Ask any ten golfers who
might be interested in this event whether
or not they would prefer to see match
| game with Jerome Travers playing
| against Walter Hagen or Nichols or
Kerrigan. Nine out Of ten will reply
that the latter form Of entertainment Is
the most desired.
| Would Bar stymies.
| With such players as Hagen, Mac
Namara, Kerrigan. Mclean. Doyle. Dom
aldson. Nichols, McFarlane, Teller.
Reid, Fotheringham. Smith, Mccarthy,
Walker and others to represent the pro-
fessional side and Travers. Kirkby. An
| derson. Worthington. Marston, WilG,
| Phillips Conley. Hoyt, Hammer. Tiffany
and Follett the amateurs. the contest
would be hundred times more valuable
and delightful than a medal scoring af-
fair. Disappointment in quantity has
been bestowed upon those who had
looked forward to spending a few days
sightseeing on the links learning a bit
about the game and helping the fund of
the Rcd Cross.
There may be to the committees mind
| one or two good reasons for the change
contemplated. but II a suggestion is in
order. why not have the single days
| play on the Saturday at match play with
| iVui PbtSeEs, oHc eaCn group play
| Ing? Stymies naturally would be barred
and there would be the regular four
ball rules. That would not prevent each
| man from having three separate contests
| In the one round.
Travers might be one up on Teller,
| one down to Hagen and all square with
Nichols. The kaleidoscope changes
from hole to hole would be pleasing to
the gallery. and 1 have no doubt the
f,HA -, Al,N
far greater crowd than ever before.
| Would Group best Players.
The top notch players would be grouped
naturally where they would play against
each other ana the favorites would be
| followed by immense throngs. The scor-
ing would be simple II the general
method of handling the affair were used.
| Last year the system was mediaval, the
| holes up" counting rather than the one
point for the match. Assuredly II we
| have match play we should try the
scheme of having but one point count
! for each separate contest unless the at
| tractive Nassau system, where there Is
one point awarded for the winner of the
| first nine, one point for the winner Of
| the second nine and one extra point for
| the match. is used
Few can find fault with either of these
not be in accordance with the fitness of
! things. Moreover to add to the excite
| ment which would attend such four ball
| match play contests 1t would be the
proper thing to have the players as they
| were defeated drop out OF the play and
| then let the winners continue to the
end This would happen In very few
| instances because of the three contests
| going on at one and the Same time.
but it might happen that a player would
lose to all three opponents He should
| withdraw when beaten by the others. l
have no hesitation In saying that the
| ed Cross funds raised would be thrice
| as great II this scheme is followed than
II the present plan Of having eighteen
holes medal or thirty-six holes medal
play Is put in use.
Sell Caddie Privileges.
There are one or two other eugges-
tions which would make regarding the
raising Of money. Why not sell the
caddy privileges for IS a player? Surely
there would be forty players In the
| gallery who would be willing to pay
that sum. Caddy privileges. It might be
| we'll to explain to the uninitiated. mean
that you can tag after your purchased
player. giving him useful or useless ad-
vice, and does not entail the carrying of
the clubs unless so elected. 1t would
take too long TO auction off the caddy
privileges, so just charge SIS and let It
go at that. thereby swelling the total
fund by a coupde OF hundred dollars
There are few golfers anywhere who
would not hustle to pay that amount to
60 round as chief observer and adviser
IN four ball match play event where
Travers, Nichols, Hagen and Reid were
the contestants.
The amateur team is far stronger than
last season and match play has always
appealed to them as being tho best
means of determining a team contest.
and the great majority of the players
would prefer to have the day spent in