Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-17


one of them, Douglas Fairbanks, Is In
one sense far the most famous man In
the field.
Americas Lineup.
Let me get them out Of the way and
then come back to Voigt. Here are
their names: L. r. Phillips, Fairbanks,
r. Thompson, T. Mcguire, E. j. MADDEN,
and our old friend, Joshua Crane, whom
fate has unkindly set to cut one an
others Threats in the first round; J. H.
Forsman Of Winged Foot, and H. Schef-
tel, who enters from Oxford, and 9.
Lewis.
There are also Paul Azbill from Sun
ningdale and Douglas Grant from Sand
wich, but to all intentS and purposes
Grant is a British-bred golfer, though
perhaps California won't admit it.
Now for Voigt, who has to play in
the first round. He is in the second
quarter Of the draw, not far removed
from Sir Ernest Holderness, whom he
smashed up very completely in the
Walker Cup match last year. In the
top quarter is Roger Wethered, and in
the last Is Cyril Tolley. The rest of
our good men are. roughly speaking,
fairly well scattered through the draw.
AS far as can see, Voigt's first fence
Is going to be hard one to cross, and
If he crosses It then he will have a
comparatively easy time for a round
or two, until, as may happen, he has a
return battle with Holderness. The first
fence, which Is a stiff one, consists OF
T. H. Bowman, . Lincolnshire farmer.
A Man Of Mystery.
Bowman Is 81, but he Is generally re-
garded as q rather young player because
he has not hitherto emerged much from
his own country. He is something Of
man Of mystery. Some people have
praised him in almost extravagant terms
and cursed the walker Cup solicitors
like pickpocketS for not putting him in.
Others have said "omne ignotum pro
magnihco," and suggested that Bowman
is not really good at all.
I am inclined to think both sides
wrong. Bowman is a fine player with
a good style, great power and a crisp
way of playing his irons, but I hardly
see a champion in him at the moment.
I don't think him good enough putter,
and doubt whether he can stand the
strain.
I can conceive him, however, playing
one round good enough to beat Voigt
or any one else. I don't gay he will, but
he might; he has it in him. more esp2-
cially If there Should chance to b. 2.
big seaside wind blowing. That would
suit his strength ana his power OF hit
ting a low bail that whistles through
the wind. II ought TO be 2 good match,
and think Voigt will win 1t.
Now let me say a word of westward
Hol-though to convey any impression
of course to those who have never
seen It is most difhcult- It was the
subject Of one of the historic remarks
In golf.
1t was in 1863 that Gen. Moncriefie,
from ST. Andrews, come TO stay with
cousin in Devonshire, was taken out for
a walk on Northam burrows, and ex-
claimed: Providence evidently intended
this for golf course
Topography Perfect.
The generals remark is still perfect
description OF the old original part Of
Westward Ho! The most perfect natu-
raj, broken, undulating piece OF sandy
ground the golfing mind can well con-
ceiYe. There IS not quite enough OF IT,
and this old ground is reinforced by
some more which Is by comparison fiat
and dull Yet this fat part has been
so well bunkered that I am not sure i
does not provide the more difficult golf
Of the two.
westward nc! is a typical British
seaside course. kat 1t has one feature
entirely Of It's own. its huge rushes. AT
some holes there Is a solid dark green
ocean of them TO drive over, and here,
there and everywhere are outlying
clumps OF them. They are nearly as
tall as a man. they arc as stiff as
steel shaft, and their points are so
sharp that a golf ball has often been
spiked upon one OF them.
They are nct AL ideal hazard, Tor no
power on earth can get the ball out
OF the heart Of clump. and there Is
much luck in the little cases Of grass
between the clumpS. Still, equity is
not everything. and romance and pic
turesqueneEs are good deal, and 1t IS
impossible TO imagine Westward Ho!
without It's rushes.
1t is also impossible to imagine 1t
without wind. I know no course, not
even Hoylake, wh2re the wind seems
TO blow so fiercely. There seems moth
ing to stop il: 1t cores sweeping across
the big exparec and II takes a strong
man TO stand against IT,
II is not for nothing that J. H
Taylor, greatest perhaps CT all golfers.
il wind, was Jred at Westward Ho!,
and WHEN picture him with his chin
stuck out pugnaciously and his cap
pulled down over hts eyes have in my
minds eye background Of rushes or
the famous Pebble Ridge. The man
gho can play In a wind viii go near
to winning and that is safe prophecy
the only one will venture on.
copyright, 1881. by North American News
paper Alliance