The Washington times., 1924-01-17

ne must take good care OF himself
Robert Gardner was born with
q great aptitude for golf, he comes
OF . fine golfing family. and has
been playing well ever since he was
a small boy. He has had a world
OF experience, perhaps no amateur
payer has had more, and he is a
great credit to the game.
lie is also, probably, one Of the
few players who could be an Off.
ctal and play well at the same time.
Most experience shows that running
a game and playing it at the same
time is usually an unfortunate per-
Torrance. He does both well,
He is particularly fine sports
man, and one of the pleasantest Of
fellows to play against, entirely
lacking all the irritating manner
isms which so many players show
in the excitement of contest. He
has done much for golf in this
country and a lot for the city
fellow. He has beaten at one time
or another almost every amateur
player in America.
Some of his greatest matches
have been against Max MarstOn.
and he has always beaten him.
They are both tall and athletic
looking men and they make q
very interesting picture when
playing together.
Robert Gardner's record for 1923
is not very convincing, although
he reached the semifinals Of the
National Amateur championship.
He captained team of fine golfers
which went to England in the
spring. He made a splendid show
ing in the team matches, and his
good work had much to do with
the retaining of the American hold
upon the Walker Cup. Bob him.
self, however, was beaten in the
early rounds Of the British ANA.
teur championship, but that could
easily happen to anyone over there.
What we should remember is the
magnificent showing he made at
Muirfield just a few years back
when he came within a short putt
of winning the British amateur
championship. Having taken so
much time from business on his
trip abroad, he did not play in any
tournaments in this country for sew.
eral months after he returned. He
came forth spectacularly in the first
half of the qualifying round at
Flossmoor, and then played beauti-
fully through to the semifinals.
He is a much better match player
than a medal player, and I do not
think that he has ever won a low
medal, but he has often come very
near, indeed. For the second year
in succession he led the whole anna.
teur field in the first half Of the
qualifying round.
Every golfer knows that he is
one OF the great players Of this
country. He gets tremendous
distances from very short
stroke, and he gets a wonderful
rhythm with q short back stroke.
He has always been rather cratic
in his putting, but at times he
puts brilliantly.
This year he employed q very in.
teresting little system. When he
puts his putter head in front Of
the line he says "one;" when he
puts IL UdCh HS says IWO, Wu9H
he draws it back he says three"
and when he hits the ball he says
-four" just as one would count in
a measure Of music. It might be
a good thing to try this.
Robert Gardner is prominently
an uphill player. I have seen him
so many down at certain stages of
the game where I thought he could
never win, but he has played up
oftener from impossible places than
any golfer I know. It is a danger.
GUS thing to let UP on him. He has
a little characteristic that coming
golfers would do well to copy; when
he gets to going badly he begins
to whistle softly.
A good sportsman, a good golfer
a conscientious official, I place
him fifth in my little list Of ten
players.
(Copyrigbt, 1924, John, r. pille1