The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-07
RAPID CHANGES IN
TITLE GOLF PLAY
only Nine Players Who Quail
fled in 1916 Reach Match
Play This Year.
LIST OF STARS GROWS
Youngster Crowding Forward
Rapidly-FOwnes Holds
Unique Distinction.
LIST OF STARS GROWS
BY INNS BROWN.

Verify the old order changeth. The
tenets of this ancient maxim hold true
in golf no less than in the various other
feverish activities of man and the son
of man. Oven a superficial glance hack
over records of recent years establishes
this contention beyond possibility of
rebuttal
A few weeks ago when the lowering
sun brought in the final returns on the
qualifying round of the National ANA
teur Championship at Oakmont one
observed that Eben NJ. Byers of Pitts
burg a familiar figure in national tour
naments, had failed to land within the
charmed circle. "Well, we'll" replied
bystander, sit is the first time Eb has
failed to qualify for eight straight
years" The statement was correct,
but not startling in the light of other
facts revealed when the returns had
been oanvassed.
Comparison with results in other tour
naments reveals the rather astonishing
fact that of the thirty-two men who en-
gagged in match play in that conflict
only nine had been among the chosen
| number at Merton, the last time the title
was contested, three years before. These
were "Chick" Evans, Bob Gardner, Max
Marston, Bobby Jones, Gardiner White,
| William c. Fownes, Jr., Nelson Whit
ney, John G.. Anderson and George
| Hoifner
And mistake not that other activities
| prevented many of the Merton qualifiers
| from taking a whirl at the Oakmont
trick. Quite a few of them did fail to
I put in an appearance for various rea-
sons But there were more than a few
who made the grade at Merton, but fell
| down after a gallant attempt at Oak
mont. Here are no less than ten who
entered the lists at both places bus
failed to show the speed at Oakmont;
e. NJ Byers, John NJ. Ward, Oswald
Kirby, George A. Ormiston, Gil p. Tiff
fanny c. E. Van Week, Jr., Henry j.
Topping, Perry Adair, Larry Patton ard
| George Small.
Four Survive From 1909.
Slipping a bit further back into the
past, say ten years ago, when the tour
nament was played at the Chicago Golf
Club at Wheaton, but four players who
qualified that year are to be found
among the thirty-two at Oakmont. This
distinction goes to Bob Gardner, the
winner of that contest; w. C. Fownes,
Jr., Chick" Evans and c. @. Waldo,
Jr. At the same time the following who
qualified there tried but failed at Oak
mont: Albert Seckel, Tom Sherman and
Paul Hunt1
w. c. Fownes Jr, enjoys one unique
distinction in the matter Of battling his
way through qualifying rounds success
fully. Fownes has not missed out in
the last thirteen tournaments He was
among those present in 1907 and lasted
until the semi-final round in match
play Not once since that year has
he failed to qualify. "Chick" Evans has
been in the hunt for every champion
ship since 1909. Bob Gardner and John
G. Anderson have been in for the past
five consecutive years.
1t has been pointed out that fifteen
of those who began match play at
Oaltmont had never qualified before.
Several of these were entering their
first championship battle. All of which
gees to show that the development of
| the game is bringing forward such an
) army of high class players, that from
} now on every championship is likely
) to produce its high quota of upsets
: in RELOCATING players of established rep
: utation into outer darkness before hand
: to hand battling really begins. Each
| succeeding tournament is sure to find
the going harder and harder to reach
D match play.
) Game Takes Queer Turns.
The rather unexpected result which
|
throne is further evidence of the rapid
, widening of the circle of topnotchers
Heron won the championship mainly
because he played the most consistently
, good golf of the tournament. There
was nothing spotted or fiuky about
, his victory. He played good golf on
every round, and very excellent goli
on more than a few.
n But even so, who would have ever
| Gp,t In, oA hot -nFN rn1a1i
ever get to the final round without
, having to defeat either Francis Ouimet
/ or "Chick' Evans, since they were al
/ drawn in the lower half of the bracket
Yet that is-just what he did. Ouime
dropped Evans and then Woody Plat
+ went out and saved Davy the trouble
OF having to efface Ouimet in his fight
for the crown.
Attention may also be called to tn,
fact that three of the four semi-finalist
were under 22 years of age, and one Of
them four summers short of the victims
age. The famous veteran, Walter ]
Travis, had reached an age equal to tn,
combined ages of both Heron and Jones
by the time he won his first champion
ship some years back
q Seniors Getting Ready.
n Youth may be making a bold bid a
: monopolizing honors on the links, blu
a the more mature opponents of the gam,
r, are far from losing any of their en-
= thusiasm for all of that, as witness tn,
e approaching tournament of the Seniors
h Golf Association scheduled for play a
}, Apawamis starting Tuesday, Sept 0, ant
\ continuing through ~FTiday. A few
u points may have to be conceded to tn
s youngsters In the matter of nimble dex
y terity in welding a mashie or vigor II
: swinging a driver but for spirited com
= petition and genial good fellowship tn
Il seniors will concede nothing.
:, This third annual tournament promise
n to bring together Il large number o
veterans, including many very excellen
q players w. II, Truesdell of Gardel
h City, the present champion, has spen
$ much of the summer at ElIwanok, wher
e he has played some very fine golf How
?. ever, there will be competition aplent!
= for him when he appears to defend hi
e title this year On Sept IL the inter
!, national matches with the CANADIAN
y Seniors FOE tho gold cup presented j.,
f; the Duke OF Devonshire. Governor Gen
i eral of Canada, will be played, begin
D ming at o'clock. Fifteen players will
v compose each team