The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-05-07
GOLF TOPICS
 AND GOSSIP
By LINKSNLAN.

By LINKSMAN.
 Hast how shall Captain W. c. ,'->sEnes. Jr., of the United States team which Is to meet the Canadians in match. next July. interpret the result of last weeks golf tourna- ment at Lakewood? Maxwell Mar ston who captured the medal by three strokes, but lost the chief prize by being l down at IS holes, considered the ordeal a test of his strength and skill to determine if he should play in the first of what is expected to be an annual 1nterna- tional affair. Marston Is not nearly as husky as he looks and his phy- sical ailment has for some time been reflected in tendencies toward a petulance that Vas unknown to him as a school boy. While his heart ir- regularity is not of an alarming sort iu was sufficient to cause his early discharge from the navy.
 Captain Fovgnes might draw the conclusion that Marston's giving way under pressure by even the smallest possible margin, would be in danger of being repeated in opposing the Dominion players, rendering him weak link in the chain. However 1t is more likely that he would give Max the benefit of the doubt, argu- ing that the latter lost Lakewood's principal piece of silverware by the skin of his teeth, after long absence from competition, caused by i'll health and war service. It might further be adduced that William Reel1ie, a native of Edinburgh, Mars toms opponent. at critical period in the contest abandoned the ortho- dox use of wood, falling back upon the always more or less reprehensible irons, so much beloved by college boys. It seems impossible that a Scot born so deeply among the this ties should ever of his own accord place iron in first position as a spring tonicsfor golfers.
 Following the pendulum to the other extreme of its swing 1t might be urged that Marston lacks the tenn perment of a star golfer as shown in tight place Saturday afternoon and even more notably in the famous extra hole match of the 1915 Nation al amateur championship, semi finals al Detroit But by way of rebuttal could be recalled the successful rock eting stroke MaTston played over the tall trees at Greenwich. three years ago, when in desperate hole- It was one of the most spectacular shots ever exacted anywhere. Still, Mars ton has yet to acquire Jerome Tray CTS uncanny faculty of crawling out of a mighty small aperture at the most opportune Juncture, which is coming more and more to be the hall mark of a champion.
 Intimately linked up with the tenn Derment of a star golfer is discre- tiOn. Whom Marston. last Saturday, reached the nome stretch as jockey would say and realizing the pinch he was in, he peeled off his sweater and by gesture rather i'm periously bade the gallery from near CT approach. The wave of his hand and the tone of his voice so alien ated the spectators that Marston must have noticed he difference n the attitude of the audience toward him during play on the remaining holes.
 Scarcely three years ago Marston spoiled the final of a. Lakewood fix ture by his desire to be sustained, without delay on a. technicahty by the tournament committee, no mem Der of which happened to be watch ing his contest. Marston was theor- etically right in his contentious, but tried to attain his end in the most inconsiderate way. Ffndlay Douglas possesses something of same temper ment that Marston has acquired, it always initiated against his success.
 Reekie prevailed only 1 up arter being dornie three Ca fact that might well be taken into account in analysing the case against Marston and showing that the battle is not always to the stylish as Eben Byers has repeatedly realized. Despite Reel<ie's gracefulness and knowledge of the sport it is a. question if his ability has not been rather overrat- ed, although he unfortunately lacks the leisure that has given Marston unbounded opportunities
 Reekie was a member of the Lambton club, Toronto, which vies with Royal Montreal for Canadian leadership, beside other organization after coming to this side and made his States debut with the Oak Hill club of Rochester, where he again played repeatedly in the league of the Lower Lakes team matches against his former colleagues. Few busiuess men have so wide a range of experience in the game at 40 years Of age
 The outcome of the first fixture in the north starts to bear out the pre- diction that the season will bring many newcomers to the front Rec kfe is by no means a, Metropolitan stranger, although it is the first irr- portant tournament prize he has won around New York. He did, however, carry off the first trophy in the one day handicap. last Thanksgiving, at Lakewood, which shows that course is to his liking.
 Metropolitan golfers feel that last weeks shift in the ownership of the Lakewood club property was brought to a head by the approach of pro- hibition although 1t was bound to como eventually. By that. however. it should not be inferred that the club Is merely q liquor shop. The bar receipts except at tournaments are insignificant. Hat it not been for the war the Lakewood change would