The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-16
CHAPTER VII

CHAPTER VII
 In the spring of 1916 I began to set tie down to serious work on the links. A tournament player must devote a lot of time to his golf if he Is to succeed, and 1t was most certainly my ambition to win another big championship as quickly as possible, if for no other reason than to satisfy myself could do 1t. I was like the average amateur who wants to win a goifing trophy of some sort just to prove to his friends that he Is a golfer. After he has the satisfaction of winning a cup the nov city wears off and he Is then more anxious than ever to win another as proof positive that the first victory was not an accident.
 Chick Evans Arrives -. The winning of the open in 1914 and the Pan-American title in 1915 had thing in sight. My golf had improved and my experience in tournament play had given me the confidence needed. And one must have confidence to win any sort of tournament where he Is playing against an entire field of com petitors. as in medal play.
 The national open that year was held on the beautiful Minikshda course at Minneapolis. and went out with the full determination to win. think played a good deal more consistent golf there than l had the year before at Baltusrol, but fate had arranged to spring surprise on all of us. This surprise came in the person of Chick Evans, a fine stylist and long recog- nized as a champion in the making but hardly reckoned as a factor in that particular tournament. Chick had long been denied a big event and he took the occasion to shine with a dazzling brilliance.
 The very first morning of play his astonishing steadiness drew comments from the gallery. It wasn't long be- fore the rest of us realized that we were up against tough proposition. Gil Nichols was there, playing a fine who flashed to the front for the first time. He has been a big factor in American golf ever since.
 Hagen Takes His Medicine
 But Chick was in a class by him. self. His playing increased in ac- curacy and brillianoe as the match went on until he finally won with the very fine score of 2s6, thereby establishing record in open championship on both sides of the Atlantic.
 Jock made a desperate bid for the honors, especially on the last nine holes. His remarkable score of 6S gave him a total of 2SS just a couple of shots
 
 at that, as Chick took his reward in plate.
 Later on, Chick won the amateur crown at the Merton Cricket club in Philadelphia and was the holder of both titles, something that no other golfer has ever done in this country. l think Chick at that time was playing his very best golf, although he has al ways been rated as our leading star when 1t comes to style.
 Losing another chance to win the blue ribbon event was a bitter pill, out took my. medicine and went out that much more determined to grab off the next best thing in sight.
 His Reward Comes
 I was rewarded by winning both the western and the metropolitan open. These two events stand next to the na- tional open and a good field usually takes part in both affairs.
 We played the metropolitan at Gar den City, L. l., a course that has seen many big tournament and is an ex- cellent links. My total was 307. the same as that of Jim Barnes and Charles Hoffner, but iu the play-off I man aged to pull out ahead.
 At Blue Mound, a Milwaukee links, won the western open with a score of 2S6, equaling Chicks record at Min neapols, but as it was not the big
 
 ment there was not so great as Chicks in the Minikahda match.
 Keep EverIastIngIy at It
 In the meantime. I had learned a great deal about systematic golf play and was beginning to make use of my knowledge of the game. It is one thing to make shots and another thing to ap- ply them properly to win champion ships. This I found out to my sorrow more than once, but I profited by my mistakes nevertheless.
 A lot of good shot makers score we'll in ordinary rounds, where there is noth- ing at stake. but when a big occasion arises they seem to fade out of the picture. This idea of keeping ever lastingly at 1t when everything looks drab and gloomy is one of the hardest can be wiped out just as easily as 1t can be gained. There is no profit in quitting or becoming discouraged when few strokes behind. The breaks in golf make the game uncertain at all times, as the best players will tell you. Many a golfer will apparently have a match cinched only to lose it by a little unsteady play or a streak of hard luck. As a rule. however. I am not a be- liever in good and bad luck. I have always found that the good player usually makes his own breaks, and if your opponent appears to have the best of the breaks in the early part of the