The New York herald., 1921-08-14
]. D. EDGAR'S DEATH
STUNS GOLF WORLD
Druid Hills Pro- Killed by
Speeding Auto, Reached Top
by Hard Work.
BY KERR N. PETRIE.

Through what appears to have been
maniac. unknown. In running down last
| Tuesday in front of his home in At
lanta. Ca. and inflicting upon j. Doug
las Edgar injuries from which shortly
| thereafter the famous player died. the
heads of thousands in the world of golf
to-day are bowed in sorrow. Although
only starting his third season in this
| country, Edgar already had taken a
high place in American golf. both as
player and a teacher. and his un-
timely and tragic death leaves a va
cancy in the professional ranks and a
nook in the royal and ancient game
that will be difficult to fill.
1t was in 1914 that the late Druid Hills
professional leaped headlong from OBJ
scurity into instant fame by winning
the French open championship from the
! usual high class field. which included
among the stars of France the best
players of the British links. Edgar
then was professional to the Northum-
berland Club at Gosforth. The winning
score was 2SS. or an average of ~
round. After that the war put Edgar
/
! thing heard of him was when in the
| spring of 1919. the war being over, he
set sail for the United States, locating
| soon after his arrival at Druid Hills,
| the club with which he still was iden-
titled when he died.
Edgar's first appearance in champion
| ship play in this country was at the
open at Brae Burn in June. 1919. and not
| long after his arrival in tho United
States. On that occasion he did not
| attract the attention OF those who had
not been familiar with his record
abroad. 1t was not long after that,
however. that the professionals were
| beginning to realize that a new star
had risen In their midst and that one
more serious contender had been added
to the championship field.
Plays Remarkable Golf.
In the Canadian open of that year
Edgar played phenomenal golf to win
the title. his closing squirt completely
annihilating the field and leaving even
Jim Barnes and Bobby Jones. who tied
for second place. far in the rear. Last
year Edgar successfully defended the
Dominion championship and in addition
he won the Southern open and was run
ner up to Jock Hutchison in a close
thirty-six hole final at Flossmoor. ILL.,.
| Tor the professional championship of the
| United States. He owed his victory In
the Southern TO a brilliant closing
round of 70. which several of those who
| played against him declared to be re-
markable golf.
As professional Edgar was a rara
| avis. one of those unique blends of
player and teacher a man who could
give par the ague when in the mood and
l who N oh ~
play. He had way all his own, and
he had the happy faculty OF being able
to bring ray of hope into the lives OF
even the most hopeless among the
| cutters. For Edgar as golfer was
! really self made" And extremely
proud OF the fact was he that he owed
everything to his own hard work and
little or nothing to natural ability. Per-
severance and industry were his watch
words. Little wonder that as golf
teacher he was one of the most sought
after of professionals.
or his early struggles Edgar has told
how he used TO go down to the race
track near where he lived in England
and practise curving the ball both ways
4 around the bend of the railing. Long
and faithfully did he work over his
shots, and he has said that had he then
known how thorny was to be the path
which he was treading the last profess
sion on earth to attract him would have
been that OF the golfer.
Was Assistant to vnrdon.
Not little OF his success Doug" was
wont TO attribute to the announcement
given him by Harry Vardon, 20 whom
| for period he acted as assistant. Last
year fate put in the way of tho pupil an
| opportunity TO repay the former masters
kindness, when. with Tom Kerrigan as
| his partner, Edgar treated Vardon and
Ray 10 the first defeat of their tour.
As might be expected of a man who
has carried himself step by step TO the
top of the ladder. Edgar, although OF an
unassuming nature, had nevertheless a
quiet confidence IN his own ability. He
| could not quite understand his defeat at
the hands OF Hutchison in the p. q. A.
hnal. and on returning TO his hotel he
declared that he was ready 10 back him
self In a match on neutral links for
$1,000 or more.
IL has TO be borne In mind that Edgar
knew little OF Hutchison save from hear
say. Evidently he believed Jock to be
conceited as TO his ability. The change
from this attitude was typical Of the
man. When asked several months later
why the challenge match with Hutchison
never had materialized Edgar made the
characteristic reply:
Il was greatly mistaken In Jock I
have found him an entirely different