THE AMERICAN GOLFER. By "WESTWARD Ho!" (Summaries of events will be found under the heading "Competitions.")

Transcription

1 212 THE AMERICAN GOLFER By "WESTWARD Ho!" (Summaries of events will be found under the heading "Competitions.") Plans for the Western amateur golf championship at the Minikahda Country Club, Minneapolis, the latter part of July, were consummated early in July when several officers of the Association held a meeting at the Minnesota metropolis. President Horace F. Smith, of Nashville, Tenn., took a party North in his private car, his guests being Secretary Charles Willard, Treasurer C. T. Atkinson, former President Charles F. Thompson and Director Clarence L. Stanley, the former being a crack player of Indianapolis, Ind. Two new clubs were elected to membership in the Western Golf Association before the officials left for Minneapolis. The new members are the Warren District Country Club, of Bisbee, Ariz., and the Kishwaukee Country Club, De Kalb, Ill. This brings the total membership to 150 clubs. The course at the Minikahda Club is in magnificent condition for the championship, according to the officials, and a large field will start, including many stars of the Northwest. The Minikahda links is 6,150 yards in length, as follows: Out In The Executive Committee of the Western Golf Association has selected a strong squad to represent the organ- The Minikahda Club House. The scene of the W. G. A. amateur championship.

2 THE AMERICAN GOLFER 213 The 9th green, Minikahda. ization in the Olympic cup competition, at Minneapolis, July 23. Former Western champion Ned Sawyer, of Midlothian, will captain the team and he will have as his associates National champion Robert A. Gardner, of Hinsdale; Western champion Charles Evans, Jr., of Edgewater, and Intercollegiate champion Albert Seckel, of Hinsdale. The substitutes are: Messrs. Gordon Copeland, of Skokie; Paul Hunter, of Midlothian; Warren K. Wood, of Homewood, and Kenneth P. Edwards, of Midlothian. Former National and Western champion Chandler Egan, of Exmoor, was not placed on the team as he will not play in the Western championship. Mr. Paul Hunter, of Midlothian, is in great form this season and bids fair to eclipse his former efforts on the links. In a recent practice match with Mr. W. J. McDonald over the Midlothian course he tied the links record of 71. His card: Out In Coal trade dealers of Chicago have organized a golf association, following the launching of other trade associations. Mr. Arthur M. Hull was elected temporary chairman; Mr. A. O. Tandy, temporary secretary, and Mr. Charles W. Gilmore, temporary treasurer. A new professional record of 141 for the double round at Skokie was set, June 29, by Walter Fovargue, the club's professional. Willie Anderson held the former mark at 1, made last season in the Western open championship tournament. Forvargue was playing at the time with two of the club's best players, Mr. A. G. Bennett and Dr. Lee K. Stewart. They were greatly stimulated by Fovargue's

3 214 THE AMERICAN GOLFER play as each scored a 77 on the homeward journey. Mr. Stewart had 36, and Mr. Bennett 35, One of Chicago's newest clubs, the West Pullman Country Club, dedicated its course and club house July 4. Temporary greens were used. The length of the course by holes is as follows: yds. Mr. Albert Seckel, of Hinsdale, set a new Hinsdale record at 73, which later was lowered by Mr. R. A. Gardner to 71. Mrs. W. Franz Anderson, of Hinsdale, former Western champion, won the final match in the first women's open tournament of the Chicago district, at Glen View, June 30. She defeated another ex-western champion, Mrs. C. L. Dering, of Midlothian, 3 and 2 and won the Chantecler cup. She also lowered the course record for women to 90. But for a stymie at the third hole she would have made an 89. A large field started in the qualifying round the first day, low qualifying score of 101 being shared by Miss K. Forrest, of Skokie, and Miss M. Cameron, of Homewood. Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. Dering, who met in the final, again fought out their rivalry of 1905, when they were in the final for the women's Western title at Homewood. On that occasion Mrs. Bering won 4 and 2. The former record of the Glen View links was 94, held by Miss Bessie Anthony when she was a member of the club. The cards of the final match follow: Mrs. Anderson: Out In Mrs. Dering: Out In In the final for the Comet cup, the second flight, Mrs. Harvey L. Pound, of Skokie, defeated Mrs. C. E. Raymond 3 and 2. The Hawthorne trophy went to Mrs. G. B. Forrest, of Skokie, who defeated Miss M. Knapp, of the same club, 1 up. In the mixed foursome, which wound up the four-day tournament, Mrs. Anderson and her brother, National champion Robert A. Gardner, had a gross score of 85, tying with Miss Katherine Forrest and Mr. Albert Seckel. Fraser Hale, of Skokie and the New Trier High School, who is considered by many as the leading young player of the west, lived up to his reputation by winning the Western Interscholastic championship, at the Homewood Country Club, June 28. He defeated in the final round, Kenneth Layman, of La Grange, 4 and 2. Hale also won the low qualifying score medal at 84, after winning the play-off of the tie from his rival in the final round. The score of the play-off was 38 to 42. The scores in the qualifying round were higher than expected owing to a rather stiff easterly wind and the high grass, in which many found considerable trouble. The La Grange High School team won the squad championship with a 268 score. The individual scores were: K. Layman, 84; P. Griffitts, 89; H. Foster, 95. University High was second with 297. The individual scores: J. Brewer, 97; M. Keim, 98; J. Brock, 102. The other squad which competed was South Chicago High, its count being 306. The scores: E. Rastall, 96; E. Fox, 107; E. A. Tansey, 103. Hale played a splendid match with Layman. Their cards follow: Hale:: Out x In

4 THE AMERICAN GOLFER 215 Layman: Out x In The second flight prize went to G. Foster, of La Grange, who defeated James Brewer, University High, 2 up. The third flight was won by Paul Bessems, Jr., Lake High, who beat J. K. Brock, University High, 4 and 3. Michigan is laying out a number of new courses and Tom Bendelow has been going from place to place setting out new links. He has recently installed a new nine-hole course for the South Haven, Mich., Country Club and a new links, nine holes, at Jackson, Mich. He also has laid out ninehole courses at Excelsior Springs, Mo., and Newark, Ohio. The Hyperion Club, of Des Moines, has had its links newly bunkered. Bendelow has remodeled the Highland Club course, at Grand Rapids, Mich., and set out nine new holes. The Flint Club, of Flint, Mich., also has a new nine-hole links. Mr. H. Chandler Egan, of Exmoor, played the best golf of his long and brilliant career on June 25, when he smashed the Exmoor record and set a 67 for the remodeled course. The performance is undoubtedly one of the classiest ever set in this country by a golfer, amateur or professional. The new course is 6,129 yards in length and is bunkered scientifically. At the time he set his wonderful mark Mr. Egan was competing in a blind bogey medal play handicap and was playing with his cousin, Walter E. Egan, W. M. Plant and H. W. Finney. In match play he was 10 up on bogey. Distances: Yards Out In Especially fine were his six threes coming homeward. He went out in 36 and came back in 31. His card: Out In Charles (Chick) Evans, Jr., Western champion, has finally met his Waterloo in the open tournament at Edgewater. For years the slight youth, whose play has been the wonder of the West, has been taking this annual event with monotonous regularity. But on June 15 he was defeated in the semi-final round, 1 down in eleven holes, by Mr. Rollin W. Keyes, of Glen View, who also captured the final round from Mr. M. A. Carroll, of Jackson Park, 1 up. Mr. Evans led the qualifiers in the one-day tournament with a 70 card, leading Mr. Keyes, his next rival, by eleven strokes. Evans went badly in his match play round, however, getting a comparatively poor medal card. His qualifying score follows: Out In Leading qualifying scores: C. Evans, Jr., Edgewater R. W. Keyes, Glen View W. E. Code, Westward Ho... M. A. Carroll, Jackson Park... J. N. McNulty,, Birchwood... H. R. Schollenberger, Beverly.. G. M. McConnell, Edgewater.. D. H. Tweedie, Wheaton L. R. Brochon, LaGrange J. W. Moulding, Edgewater... E. R. Willmarth, Edgewater... B. N. Anderson, LaGrange B. W. Marx, Idlewild J. C. LeDuc, Midlothian Semi-final Keyes beat Evans, 1 up, 11 holes; Carroll beat Code, 2 up. Final Keyes beat Carroll, 1 up. Los Angeles Country Club, which finished 34 down in the recent Tom Morris Competition under the aus-

5 216 THE AMERICAN GOLFER The 18th green overlooking Lake Calhoun, at Minikahda. pices of the Western Golf Association and which was regarded as the winner, has been disqualified and the trophy and honor goes to the Oakmont Club, of Allegheny, which finished next with 41 down. This action was taken by the W. G. A. officials because one of the Los Angeles players, Mr. A. H. Braly, had not been entered on the list sent to the Western Golf Association Committee. As a matter of fact the club sent in two lists and neither of them contained Mr. Braly's name. In his telegram to the officials, President Griffith, of the Los Angeles Club stated that he thought this would disqualify his organization. He wired the fact after the competition, July 17, calling attention to the oversight. Although Mr. Braly is a member of the club and his name appears on the handicap list, the "Western Golf Association officials decided that the mistake could not be overlooked and so voted, it being a mail ballot. Mr. W. C. Fownes, Jr., of the Oakmont Club, wrote to Secretary Willard that he could not vote on the proposition as his club was averse to winning under such conditions. It may be remembered that last season the Oakmont Club was disqualified, also through a technicality. This season its score was turned in with everything "up to the handle." Protest was also made against the score of the Jackson Park Golf Club. It was stated that the W. G. A. rules could not be lived up to on the day of the competition, inasmuch as the course is a public one. The officials decided in favor of the Jackson Park Club. Apropos of the Tom Morris competition, many golfers and golfing au-

6 THE AMERICAN GOLFER 217 thorities of the West are greatly dissatisfied with the manner of holding the competition. The writer has several times talked on the subject with leading golfers, and most are of the opinion that it should be changed in such a way that more fairness be instilled. For instance, the play is by par bogey. Any golfer knows that two clubs may have the same par bogey, but the course of one be several strokes harder than that of the other. In the past two competitions this has been amply demonstrated. Willie Sheehan, the title holder, has again won the Des Moines, Ia., City championship, beating Bun Guinand 7 up and 5 to play in the final at 36 holes. Mr. W. J. Foye, of the Omaha Country Club, won the Nebraska State Championship, beating Mr. F. H. Gaines in the final on July 2 by 4 up and 3 to play. Not only has he won the championship of the State, but he also wins the presidency of the Nebraska State Golf Association. At a meeting of the Association it was voted that the winner of the Foye- Gaines match should be President for the ensuing year. Freddie McLeod, of St. Louis, with 143, , won the open tournament at the Highland Golf Links at Indianapolis, Ind. Robert Peebles was second with 146, , J. J. McDermott, of Merchantville, N. J., who figured so prominently in the recent National Open Tournament at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, being third with 152, McDermott in his final round of 38, made a new record for the course. Christian Kenny, of the Algonquin Golf Club, the present Missouri State champion, has added to his laurels by capturing the St. Louis City championship, beating Mr. Ralph McKittrick, winner of the City championship in 1905 and 1906 and runner-up in 1907 and 1909, by 2 up, 36 holes. A public golf course has been laid out in Lincoln Park, San Francisco. St. Paul, Minn., is also to have a public golf links at Phelen Park. Mr. Harold B. Fisher, title holder, has again won the Colorado State championship, beating Mr. Walter Fairbanks, a former champion, on the Denver Country Club course, by 7 up and 6 to play, 36 holes. Mr. Fisher MR. HAROLD FISHER, 1910 Colorado State Champion.

7 218 THE AMERICAN GOLFER was 7 up at the end of the morning round, largely due to an exceedingly fine 34 for the first nine holes, which constitutes a record. Some idea of the excellence of Mr. Fisher's performance may be gathered from the following card of distances: Yards Out In The Colorado cup was won by Mr. C. B. Whitehead, who beat Mr. John Callis in the final by 3 and 1. The Tacoma Country and Golf Club is building a new club house to cost about $70,000, when completed. The club dates back to 1895, when the old Tacoma Golf Club was organized. The present officers of the club are: W. R. Rust, president; A. A. Hilton, Vice-President, and C. L. Parsons, Secretary-Treasurer. The annual tournament of the Illinois Valley Golf Association will be held over the links of the Marsatawa Club, Marseilles, Ill., Aug Mr. Christian Kenney, the champion of Missouri, added the title of St. Louis to his string when he defeated Mr. Ralph McKittrick, of the Country Club, in the final round 2 up. Mr. Kenney is a member of the Algonquin club. Mr. John R. Towle, 67 years of age, won the classic Maturity Cup at Glen View by defeating Mr. Henry J. Peet, of Edgewater, 5 and 4 in the final match. The best competition of the event was when Mr. Towle, who plays at Jackson Park, defeated Mr. A. N. Young, of Glen View, 72 years of age, 1 up in twenty-seven holes. Mr. Towle allowed his rival five strokes, as each year over 60 gives the player one stroke. Mr. Towle's score for eighteen holes in this match was 88 and Mr. Young's 91. After Mr. Seckel, of Hindale, had notched a 73 for the Hinsdale course early in June, Mr. Robert A. Gardner, of the club, who is national golf champion, and a noted Yale pole vaulter, lowered it again to 71 on July 1. A squad of Chicago women will compete in Milwaukee at the Blue Mound Country Club, August 12, meeting a team of Wisconsin women, A return match will be played at Exmoor on August 22. Western champion "Chick" Evans played the best tournament golf of the year at the Westward Ho open tournament the second week in July. The youthful holder of many titles played some of the finest golf ever seen on a Western course. He won the Westward Ho! cup for the second time and needs only one more leg to make it his personal property. In the final, fate again brought him together with Intercollegiate Champion Albert Seckel, who recently has become a Hinsdale member. For years this schoolboy rivalry between Evans and Seckel has become a stock phrase. They have met almost a dozen times in finals of important tournaments, and only once has Seckel been the victor. Last season they came together in the final of the Western championship, at which time they had their best match. It was a grand battle that the two young university men fought at Westward Ho! The class of golf dis-

8 THE AMERICAN GOLFER 219 A group of well known Minneapolis Golfers (left to right) MESSRS. WENDELL HERTIG, WM. F. BROOKS, JNO. R. MARFIELD, WM. A. LAWHEAD. played can be seen in the 71 which Evans made in the afternoon round, tying the course record, which he himself set in the qualifying round. He defeated Seckel 3 and 2 after being 3 down at the twentieth hole. Through almost the entire tournament the links was dry and parched, making putting a difficult proposition. But Evans, with complete mastery over his clubs, overcame all these obstacles and mowed down several imposing rivals, including National Champion Robert Gardner, whom he defeated by 4 and 3 in the semi-final. Last year Gardner downed Evans in the final of the same tourney by 1 hole. The cards of the Evans-Gardner match follows: Mr. Evans: Out Mr. Gardner: Out Mr. Evans: In Mr. Gardner: In During this match Mr. Gardner made one of the longest drives seen in the West for many years. At the seventh hole he sent the ball 358 yards. The course slopes up towards the hole, and it is believed by those who witnessed the performance that the ball would have gone 375 yards on the level ground. An interesting match in the first round was that between Yale and Princeton. Willie Langford, of Westward Ho, who has played on the Yale golf squad, was defeated by Albert Seckel, Princeton's best player, 2 and 1. Their cards are interesting: Out Mr. Langford: Out In Mr. Langford: In

9 220 THE AMERICAN GOLFER Seckel made his old-time rival play one of the hardest matches of his career in the final. Their cards follow: A. M. Mr. Evans: Out Out Mr. Evans: In In Seckel, 2 up. P. M. Mr. Evans: Out Out Mr. Evans: In In The previous Westward Ho! record was 72, set by former Western Champion Ned Sawyer, of Wheaton, in The course is 6,226 yards in length. Evans' 71 in his qualifying round was three strokes below par and ten below bogey. His card follows: Out In In the interscholastic team series June 17, LaGrange high beat Evanston Academy 8 points to 0. The score: LA GRANGE. Griffitts Layman Foster Totals EVANSTON. Harbert Chamberlain Cutting Totals According to unofficial reports the Skokie Club women have won the Western Women's Golf Association team catch which was played July 1 throughout the West. The score turned in by the Skokie women was 13 up on women's par. Sixteen clubs have turned in scores. Midlothian stands second with 9 up and San Gabriel Club, of California, third, with 1 up. The competition is along the same lines as that for the Tom Morris Cup event. The scores of the Skokie team follow: Miss Katharine Forrest, 6 up; Miss Margaret Knapp, 3 up; Mrs. Pound, 4 up; Mrs. George Forrest, even. Team scores follow: Skokie 13 up Midlothian 9 up San Gabriel, Cal 1 up Hinsdale 6 down Exmoor 10 down Los Angeles 10 down Homewood 23 down LaGrange down Northland, Duluth 25 down Evanston 32 down Glen View 32 down Minikahda, Minneapolis 32 down Beverly down South Shore 38 down Blue Mound, Milwaukee 43 down Ridge 49 down Mr. Runcie B. Martin, of Wheaton, after years of "nearly" winning a large tournament, successfully captured the Calumet trophy in the annual open tournament over the links of the Calumet Country Club, Burnside, Ill., July He defeated in the final another "hard luck" golfer, Mr. Paul Hunter, of Midlothian. Paul is really one of the finest players in the West but seldom wins a trophy. The score was 3 and 2. One of the finest fields that ever started in a Chicago tournament competed in the Calumet event. There were champions galore in the play. Eastern Intercollegiate Champion Albert Seckel, of Hinsdale, won the qualifying score medal with a fine 75. The finalists, Hunter and Martin, tied for second with 76 and National Cham-

10 THE AMERICAN GOLFER 221 pion R. A. Gardner shared with M. A. Carroll the fourth position with 77. There were an even 149 starters. Mr. Seekers qualifying card follows : Out In The high standard of play can be judged from the fact that only five strokes separated those who tied for sixteenth place with the medal score winner. Surprises came fast. The first round feature was the great match between Mr. Seckel and former Western Champion Mason E. Phelps, of Midlothian. Mr. Phelps also is a former Yale title holder. Mr. Seckel won 1 up. Their cards: Out In Mr. Phelps: Out In In this round a golfer of Musselburgh, Scotland, Mr. T. Hunter, was defeated by another Hunter, Paul, 2 and 1. Paul notched a 75. National Champion Gardner was eliminated in the second round by Mr. C. B. Devol, of Riverside. This undoubtedly was one of the big surprises of the tournament. Devol played the greatest game of his career; he, however, was defeated in the next round by Paul Hunter, 7 and 6. Hunter went out in 35. Seckel tied the course record of 71 while playing M. A. Carroll, of Jackson Park, whom he beat 5 and 3. Seckel was downed in the semifinals by Martin, 2 and 1. This was one of the feature matches of the tournament. The final between Paul Hunter and Runcie Martin brought out some sterling golf. They were never far apart at any time, Hunter leading at lunch time by 1 up. The cards: MORNING. Mr. Hunter: Out In Mr. Martin: Out In AFTERNOON. Mr. Hunter: Out In Mr. Martin: Out In The record of 71 for the course, which was set last season in a foursome by Western Champion "Chick" Evans and which was equalled by Seckel in the second round, was tied on the final day by both Mason Phelps and Warren K. Wood, the Homewood expert. Mr. Phelps made his in the first round for the Woods cup, in which he beat his teammate, Robert Hunter. Mr. Wood netted his in the four-ball foursome, in which he was paired with his teammate, Mr. H. W. Lockett. Wood had a chance for a 70, but missed a short three at the short seventeenth. The South Shore Country Club, Chicago, championship was won on July 16 by Mr. H. C. Richards. He beat Mr. J. A. Hall in the final, 5 and 4. In the handicap stroke competition Mr. E. F. Olson notched a gross of 68, two strokes within the record. In a team match at the Evanston Golf Club's Course, the Evanston squad defeated a team from Edgewater 18 points to 12. Professional George Kinsman, of Evanston, played against Professional Harry Turpie, of Edgewater, the latter scoring 3

11 222 THE AMERICAN GOLFER points for his side and incidentally setting a new record for the course at 70. Kinsman held the former mark at 72. Turpie's card: Turpie: Out In Par: Out In Two new clubs have been elected to the Western Golf Association, making eighteen additional members since the last annual meeting. The latest members are the Atlanta Athletic Club, of Atlanta, Ga., and the Fort Smith Country Club, of Fort Smith, Ark. The Ravisloe Country Club, of Homewood, Ill., gained a double victory over the Losantiville teams, of Cincinnati, early in July at the Ravisloe course. Ravisloe won the singles event in the morning 9 to 8 and captured the foursome event in the afternoon 8 to 5. The best gross score was a 79. made by Mr. R. Goldman, of Cincinnati. Mr. Hamilton Vose, of Milwaukee, won the amateur title of Wisconsin July 16 at the course of the LaCrosse (Wis.) Country Club. He beat, in the final round, Mr. H. S. Hadfield, of the Blue Mound Club, Milwaukee, 8 and 6. Mr. Vose clearly demonstrated that he could "come back," as he was the Badger champion just ten years ago. On the opening day, July 12, the LaCrosse Country Club team of five players won the Yule trophy. The winning score was 4 down. Milwaukee Country Club was second at 25 down and Kenosha tied with Madison for third at 30 down. Blue Mound, Milwaukee, had 34 down; Racine, 37 down; Fond du Lac, 45 down; Janesville, 47 down, and Sheboygan 54 down. Mr. Robert Gordon, of the winning club, was the star of the day, beating bogey by five strokes and setting a medal score of 79. His card: Out In Leading scores: LACROSSE. J. M. Hixon, 2 down; E. P. Hixon, 2 up; E. J. Evans, 4 down; R. D. Gordon, 5 up; F. H. Hankerson, 5 down. Total, 4 down. MILWAUKEE COUNTRY. L. W. Nieman, 3 down; H. Vose, 3 down; N. Allis, 2 up; G. H. Russell, 12 down; A. M. Kellogg, 9 down. Total, 25 down. KENOSHA. G. A. Yule, 14 down; Gordon Yule, 1 down; J. Anderson, 5 down; Z. G. Simmons, 8 down; M. Kehlor, 2 down. Total, 30 down. MADISON. F. W. Jacobs, 3 down; Max Mason, 4 down; Will Roys, 7 down; David Wheeler, 9 down; A. B. Morris, 7 down. Total, 30 down. Mr. John Tollman, of the Janesville Club, was hit by a golf ball the day before the tournament and had a narrow escape from a dangerous injury. This accident broke up the play of the Janesville team, which only entered the cup play by the substitution of outside players. The young players furnished the sensation in the qualifying play for the championship. Mr. Harold Wyatt, of Fond du Lac, led the field with an 81. Ned Allis, of Milwaukee, missed a short putt for an 81 and had to be content with tying M. Kehlor, of Kenosha, and F. P. Hixon, of La- Crosse, at 82. Mr. Gordon Yule, of Kenosha, one of the crack young players of the West and former Western interscholastic champion, barely got into the flight with an 88. Robert Gordon, the young golfer who set a 79 in the cup play, was beaten in the first round by Vose, the score being large,

12 THE AMERICAN GOLFER and 5. Former State Champion E. J. Buchan, of Racine, also was defeated in this round by Mr. Kehlor, 4 and 3. Gordon Yule tasted defeat also, Mr. Hadfield beating him 4 and 3. C. C. Allen, of Kenosha, runnerup in 1909, lost in the semi-final to Vose, 3 and 2. Mr. Gordon Yule smashed the course record for eighteen and thirtysix holes on the day before the final in the first flight consolation. He got a 75 in the afternoon, following a 78 in the morning. His card: Out In Out In The annual meeting of the Association was held July 15, at which time Sheboygan was awarded the next tournament. Mr. H. E. Barrows, of Sheboygan, was elected Secretary and Treasurer. Mr. W. L. Yule, of Kenosha, was honored by the Presidency for the fourth successive time. Mr. Howard D. Plimpton was elected Vice-President for the third time. The Directors were re-elected with the exceptions that Mr. H. S. Hadfield was made a Director for Blue Mound and Judge Pradt, of Wausau, Director to represent the new club of that city which was admitted to membership.