The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-11-17


his chief characteristics looking
at his golf swing. Such statement
may. seem absurd at first thought.
but little serious consideration will
assure assent There are countless
illustrations which prove the case,
a few Of which we will recount, con-
fident that each reader will be able
to name score or more of others.
friends or chance acquaintances.
whose manner of hitting at the golf
bail Is symbolic OF their actions in
every day life.
We were standing on mound at
the long fifth hole at Muirfield. Scot
land. few years ago on thu occasion
OF the holding of the open cham
pionship. in company with profess
sor of philosophy whose pet hobby
was the disclosing, or at least the at
tempt to disclose. the main charac-
teristics of people unknown to him
by his observing their physical move
mcnts. He was a golfer of uncertain
merit. but with keen knowledge OF
the requirements necessary to sue
cess. and after his. renna ks on the
various player who posed our want
age point we were FIR - @.s-- y
that judgment as per swing or man.
ner OF attack was the sintptcs, u1ctl-
cd known for securing such re-
suits.
There's golfer who loves to chat
ter away: he's most intense indi-
vidual See how he talks to his caddv,
figuring on the next shot to be play
ed even though he's n hundred yards
off Golf to him Is a religion.
Success fills him with glee OF a
highest sort while failure brings
gloom. He Is very human His stroke
seems to impl. Just that uncertainty
which Is aided or hurt by the ele
ment of chance" The chap spoken
of. and none OF them. was known 10
the professor. was none other than
woe Benny Savers. sage of North
Berwick for MANY years. and every
word bespoke truth.
Look at that tall long ssriding
player intent upon his business in
life with the spprts.nf H. all In the
background. Did you notice how he
surveyed the line of the putt on the
putting green from both sides. how
he lined up the curve which the ball
had to take and went over the hole
on the long approach nutt9 Wa. til
he drives. As thought. A slow
back controlled stroke, the hall plac-
ed in the very spot necessary to open
up the hole for the second shot That
chaps thinker all the time he Is
on the links he. Is, a. student az rex.
wults and a follower of the methods
necessary TO gain the best rewards
should Judge him to be scanty OF
words and es phlegmatic in victory
as In defeat
b, Our friend and James Braid about
rirht. FIR it was he who had passed
by with his usual characteristic
movements of suppressed emotion
and effort. His actions~in playing the
game We're illustrative of his every
day movements.
There were others who were ns an
open book. and we ourselves ventur.
ed to remark that visit TO a nearby
yawning tran might present sur
plus OF activities. all tending to show
the usual temperament OF the PLAYER.
That" said the student. would be
an easy spot. The hardest of all Is on
the putting green. for golfers have
learned to school their emotions and
suppress their feelings after missing
short puts or to feign a state of mind
quito foreign to their usual
But no game In the world can
give examples Of better illustrations
Of temperament. The game posses.
ses something OF evaporation. will
% the wisrness. i'll chance. need for
extremely accurate PLAY. with world
wide praise. honor. self esteem, fu-
ture hopes. added confidence. and a
host OF similar attributes. and as a
nlayer reacts to the demands so can
h" be judged. II takes little expert
ence."
There are many weIl-known golf
crs whose dispositions become as
cnen books to the gallery Would
any golfer flnd Il difTicntt tn write n
Keen synopsis of Jesse Guilford after
following couple of rounds even IL
the onlopker never came within n
hundred yards of him? Could Won
rct sneak inteliiecnt,v OF Mr.. Oui-
NETS temperament after seeing him
play from the tee ard then IRON, the
rough? There would be the same
eort OF stroke. no sharp. not care
a ran hit. and the everness ~ sn,~it
IN his case n more clearly exempIified
in his prttinr than in the case OF any
one else we know.
Trmvers's C;rrst Triumph.
That Last winning putt against
Chick Evans at Pittshurg htts our
mark. Can you recall tn mind that
'wo arched swing OF Mr.. Jerome
Travers. first the nat and then clear
shift to the upright In his drive,
h~nssfc and long iron shots? Who
else has been able to conquer such
= -Strrkinge Conquer isn't at all n
had word for it II emh'ematic Of
the cOrnnerine spirit which domi.
mated Travers's soul In his cham
~inrs matches to such an extent
shst hcs won four amateur and ono
n~c- championship Of the United
States
IN rravers's case as also with
Walter /. Travis. It would have been
hard to attempt analysis OF their
putttue for they were mechanically
perfect You were more surprised
when they miaeed Than when they
made = six foot putt Bob Gardner
Aaa m NJfeveF ae1n ~ nk NJ rues-
~ n D! 80 !; lRes