The Washington herald., 1921-04-24
Strong Array of U.S.Golfers
Entered in British Open
By ROBERT EDGREN.

BY ROBERT EDGREN.
The United states IL going to
have a strong army Of golfers, Doth
amateur and professional. in the
British open championships this
year. Formerly a few individuals
went over, and they were lost in
the mass of competition. This time
Chick Evans, Bobby Jones, Francis
ouimet. Oswald Kirkby. Dawson
Heron, w. c. Fownes, jr.. Paul
Hunter. J. Wood PIatt. Parker Whit
Fred Wright and few more will
try to make IL interesting for the
English champions.
Walter J. Travis, former American
champion. and only American who
ever went TO England and won the
British open, has slipped a little
back from the championship class.
but his performances are still re-
membered in England. When
Travis won at Sandwich in 1894 he
used a Schenectady putter. and the
Englishman, unable TO understand
how an American golfer could pos
sibly compete with the British
sharps in the ancient Scottish game,
pounCed on the putter as an alibi
and forever barred IT,
We have sent over a lot Of iLdi-
yidual players since Travis lime,
but never such a strong and we'll
balanced team. Ouimet went over
once. and Evans once. and both
failed to pass the second round.
Last year, when England had lost
many of her best golfers through
the war. and Americans were TOO
busy to think much about golf. oEIy
five Americans went over Bob
Gardner reached the final match. ana
carried the English champion. Cyril
Tolley, along to the 31th hole be-
fore eing put out. This encouraged
the U. s. Golf Association to send
over a well-Organized team this
year.
Chick Evans. national chamnIon.
is one OF the sters Of the team
Evans has been a contender among
the champions for ten years. When
a small boy he lived across the road
from the Edgewater Golf Club. near
Chicago. He began playing with
an iron.
So"e EiaetuSs
For a long time he practice.l ap-
proaches by having a Caddy. wear
ing a baseball catcher's glove. sta
TONED on the green. Evans. ne
came so skilful that he could drop
every pitched shot into the caddie's
glovei without making him step af-
ter the ball He started short
pitches and gradually increased the
distance. Today Evans is recognized
as the best player of iron shots in
America
When Evans began playing in the
big matches and going after cham
pionships luck passed him by for a
lcng time.
Under the strain his game went
of and his opponents nosed him out.
In 1916 he won the national open
championship. the first national he
won. A few weeks later he won the
national amateur at Philadelphia.
He is the only American golfer who
ever won both titles in the same
year. He repeated last year by win
ming the national amateur the sec
ond time.
For a long time Chick Evans was
a nervous putter. seeming unable to
Put with the confidence shown in
other departments of his game. Last
year he played a lot of golf with
Snake" Ames. the famous old-time
Princeton football player. who is In
expert golfer. Ames made a pc
culiar putter. shaped like a stirrup
for Evans. and Chick used IL with
remarkable results. This putter
will be barred in England, where
innovations are not wanted.
After seeing Evans and Jones play
last year Harry Nardon. the great
English player. said that IL he was
a betting man he'd risk a good bet
on the Americans 90 carry OF the
British open this season.
William c Fownes. team captain,
is a Pittsburgh steel millionaire.
and a great golfer. holder of the
American national amateur title in
1909
A Champ at II Years.
Many think that Bobby Jones, Of
Atlanta, is the greatest amateur
golfer in America. and that he is
likely TO win in England. Jones is
now IS, and splendidly developed
athlete from playing golf since he
was a small boy. He won the
Southern championship when. only
eleven.
Jones' home was near the East
lake Park Golf Club course. Born
in Atlanta. he was a siekly boy, and
the doctors advised his parents to
turn him out for air" He was
turned out" on the golf course. and
Stewart Maiden a little Scotch pro-
fessional at the club. took charge
of him and taught him the rudi-
ments of the game. Jones never
was a caddie.
stewart Maiden says he. only
showed Bobbie a few strokes. and
Jones developed his own style, OF
play. The result was good. for
Jones is now said to have a form