THE FRENCH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Transcription

1 78 THE AMERICAN GOLFER THE FRENCH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP The French amateur championship meeting, which was played on the course of the Societe de Golf de Paris, where it has always been held since the beginning, has been a curious kind of event this year. With an American victory, two Americans in the final and nearly a majority of American entrants at the beginning, the circumstances might be considered to be in some ways a little flattering to American pride, but may have not been wholly so, and the meeting at La Boulie, Versailles, this week has embraced some elements of dissatisfaction to the invaders. During the last few years the golfers of this club have striven mightily to attract the British competitors, and a year ago it began to look as if they were succeeding; but it is clear that the stimulants applied to the championship have been of a somewhat artificial kind and that they have not resulted in a very healthy tournament with first-class prospects. There are three things against it as it is at present. In the first place, it is a mistake to hold it immediately after the British amateur championship, even though by doing so such Americans as are in the country are attracted to it. After their own championship the majority of British competitors have had enough of such things for a little while, and need a short rest. Then again the course at La Boulie, where golf in the neighborhood of Paris first originated and which is properly regarded as the ALMOST AN AMERICAN EVENT. VICTORY OF MR. OUIMET. By HENRY LEACH. mother course of the French metropolis, is not quite suited to a proper championship test. It is beautifully situated, but it is far too hilly, and there are only three or four holes in it that are played on the level, while the majority are not quite what they ought to be. Also, though it is near to Paris, it is not in the full sense convenient, and its situation is not attractive to British visitors. If the championship was held in the late summer and at one of the seaside courses like Le Tonquet, Wimereux or Deauville, it would probably do better than it is doing now, and a move in this direction will probably be made in the near future. In saying this it must not be taken that there is not the fullest appreciation of all that the Societe de Golf de Paris has done for the game in France, and the enthusiasm and wisdom with which its officers, and M. Pierre Deschamps, its president, in particular, have managed this event. All the American competitors at Sandwich entered this year, and also two or three American golfers resident in Paris. The French entry was disappointing, including only three or four players such as M. J. F. LeBlan (a young and promising player of Lille, who seems beset on pushing himself forward as the foremost amateur golfer of his country, but whose game still needs much development), M. Marino Vagliano, a frequent competitor, and M. Edward Esmond. There were missing such as M. Fran-

2 THE AMERICAN GOLFER 78 cois de Bellet, the only Frenchman who has won the championship in his country, M. Andre Vagliano and M. Senn, of Havre, the last named who is now undergoing his military service being one of the most promising of the native players. If the French entry was not up to expectations, the British was still less so, the only players of any consequence who sent in their names being Mr. Charles anti-climax as was offered by this affair at La Boulie, while the failure of the Americans in the greater test did much to lessen the desire for any further competition against them. So it came about that there were only twenty-five entries all told, about half of them being Americans. The draw placed Mr. Ouimet and Mr. Travers in opposite halves, and there were reasonable anticipations of a final be- Mr. Jerome D. Travers and his opponent, Mr. Henry J. Topping, with their French boyscout caddies, just before the beginning of their match in the semi-final of the French amateur championship. Palmer, who defeated Mr. Travers at Sandwich, Mr. J. S. Worthington and Lord Charles Hope, the holder of the title. An effort was made to persuade Mr. Jenkins, the new amateur champion and Mr. C. O. Hezlet, the runner-up, to enter, but it did not succeed. The plain fact was that the British players had had enough of championships for the time being, in the long-drawn-out and nerve-shaking meeting at Sandwich, and did not care to submit themselves to such an tween the amateur and open champion of the United States an expectation that was nearly but not quite fulfilled. The meeting began on the Thursday following the championship at Sandwich (May 2), and extended over that and the two following days. For the first two of these days the weather was very cold and cheerless. An unpleasant wind was blowing and there was occasionally a little rain, but nothing that mattered! On the day of the final between Mr. Ouimet and

3 78 THE AMERICAN GOLFER Mr. Topping it was fine and warm. On each day there was a fair number of spectators, of whom a majority seemed to be Americans, but the proceedings were rather dull and flat. The Americans were naturally disappointed that they had hardly anybody but themselves to play against, and the fratricidal contest in which they were engaged did not seem to be at all to their liking. There was also a rather depressing contrast between the life and excitement of the Sandwich meeting and the tameness of these subsequent proceedings, and Mr. Travers for one did not seem to be altogether sorry to be out of it. Here I will give the lengths of the holes so that such figures as follow may be better understood: Out-07 In Total, yards, 0 Several players had byes in the first round. Mr. Ouimet had to play Mr. J. S. Worthington, a well-known London amateur who once won the Irish open amateur championship which Mr. Palmer won last year. This inland course really did seem to suit Mr. Ouimet better than Sandwich, and he played quite good golf upon it. Mr. Worthington, however, was hardly fit to play in the match. He was, like many others, suffering from a severe cold owing to the sudden fall in the temperature, and a great swelling on one of his legs, caused by poisoning from a small rush that had pricked him and got stuck fast just above the ankle at Sandwich, was causing him considerable pain. Mr. Ouimet was out in 7, with a two at the sixth, his only mistakes being at the eighth and ninth. He was then six up and was only one over fours when he won the match by eight and six. The other matches in the morning were of little consequence, and the Americans did very much as they liked. Mr. Palmer was down all the way to the twelfth to Mr. Lockwood, but he was a good winner at the finish. Mr. Travers's opponent was unwell and was not able to do himself justice. The only hole he halved was the short third, and he was rather fortunate to get a half there in. Mr. Fraser Hale and Mr. Harold Weber won their matches easily. Mr. Herreshoff, however, had somewhat unexpectedly to go to the nineteenth hole against M. Esmond, one of the French competitors. The American had been taking matters easily in the early stages of the game, as it really did not seem that he had anything to beat. He had generally a lead of a hole or two and was two up with three to play and dormy one. At the last hole however, he was out of bounds from his drive and was in other difficulties, subsequently losing the hole in 7 to. At the nineteenth however, M. Esmond was himself in considerable trouble and so Mr. Herreshoff passed into the next round. The results of the round were as follows: FIRST ROUND. Mr. E. L. Apperley (Sydney, Australia) w. o., Mr. J. F. Shanley (Deal, U. S. A.), scratched. Lord Charles Hope (Royal St. George's), (holder), bt. Mr. W. Godfrey (Knocke- Sur-Mer), by holes up and 2 to play. Mr. Spencer Gollan (Royal and Ancient) bt. Mr. H. Terry (Sydney, Australia), by 7 and. Mr. C. A. Palmer (Handsworth) bt. Mr. A. G. Lockwood (Belmont, U. S. A.), by and 2. Mr. F. Ouimet (Woodland, U. S. A.) bt. Mr. J. S. Worthington (Mid-Surrey), by 8 and.

4 THE AMERICAN GOLFER 787 Mr. H. Weber (Inverness, Toledo, U. S. A.) bt. Mr. J. Ruffer (Walton Heath), by and. Mr. J. D. Travers (Upper Montclair, U. S. A.) bt. Mr. F. V. Radcliffe (Royal St. George's), by 9 and 8. Mr. F. Herreshoff (Ekwanok, U. S. A.) bt. Mr. E. Esmond (La Boulie), at the nineteenth hole. Mr. Fraser Hale (Chicago) bt. Mr. A. Vagliano (La Boulie), by 8 and 7. In the second round in the afternoon Mr. Ouimet had to meet Mr. his ball and the hole and laying him a stymie. However Mr. Ouimet lofted successfully over it, and very well deserved the half he then gained by his double exhibition of resource. The match was square at the seventh, but at the eighth Mr. Ouimet holed a tenyard putt for a and was one up. The parties were level at the turn but at the eleventh and twelfth Mr. Palmer was too strong with his ap- Mr. Ouimet driving from the 10th tee at La Boulie in his match against Mr. Palmer. Palmer, and a very good game resulted. It was a close struggle for the first half, but there were not many incidents in the play. At the short sixth, however, there was something to see. Mr. Palmer had reached the green with his tee shot, but Mr. Ouimet had gone too much to the right and his ball lay heavily in the rough far below the level of the green. He putted quite dead to within scarcely more than a foot of the hole, but thereupon Mr. Palmer made trouble for him again by running in between proaches, while at the latter of the two Mr. Ouimet holed a three-yard putt, and he won both holes. Mr. Palmer was three down at the fourteenth and Mr. Ouimet won the match at the next hole where he holed a putt of five yards. The winner was putting quite well apart from these long ones on the homeward journey and his golf was very steady. The figures of the players were: Ouimet 9 2 Total, for fifteen holes, 2.

5 788 THE AMERICAN GOLFER Palmer 9 27 Total, for fifteen holes,. Mr. Travers had a hard match with Mr. Harold Weber whom he only beat on the last green. The latter was one up at the thirteenth, but was bunkered on his way to the next hole, and was one down at the fifteenth, where he putted badly. He ran down a long putt for a and a win at the seventeenth, which squared the match, but going to the home hole he was in difficulties with the trees that come close to the line of play and was short with his approach as the consequence, losing the hole and the match. Mr Evans putted very badly once more in his match with Mr. Topping, and that was the cause of his defeat. He was three down with six to go. When his match was in the most critical state, having made a splendid effort to save the situation, he missed a yard putt at the fifteenth, and another little one at the seventeenth, and when Mr. Topping, who had played quite good golf, was dormy one, the Chicago player topped his tee shot and had no more opportunity of saving the situation. "Chick" was very sick about his defeat and the cause of it, feeling and saying that his putting was really beyond all hope, as he had had good reason before to believe it to be. Three years ago he won this championship on this course, beating Mr. John Anderson at the thirtyeighth hole. Results: SECOND ROUND. Mr. W. Bowers (La Boulie) bt. Mr. A. B. Graves (La Boulie), by and 1. Mr. E. L. Apperley (Sydney, Australia) bt. Mr. J. H. Snowden (Bishops Stortford), by and. Lord Charles Hope bt. Mr. Spencer Gollan by and 2. Mr. F. Ouimet bt. Mr. C. A. Palmer by and. Mr. J. D. Travers bt. Mr. H. Weber by 1 up. Mr. F. Herreshoff bt. Mr. F. Hale by and 1. Mr. H. J. Topping (Greenwich Country Club, (U. S. A.), bt. Mr. Charles Evans (Edgewater, U. S. A.), by 2 up. Mr. J. Le Blan (Lille, France) bt. Mr. E. Knapp (La Boulie), by and. The most important match in the third round, which was played on the Thursday morning, was that between Mr. Ouimet and the holder of the title, Lord Charles Hope. It was a hard match all the time, and everybody agreed, including the friends of the American, that he was very lucky to win as he did on the last green. On the first green Lord Charles's ball was putted to the very lip of the hole and made a stymie. Mr. Ouimet had then two for the half, but played with bad judgment, was very short with his first putt and with the next knocked his opponent's ball into the hole. He lost the next as well, becoming two down, and made a poor half of the short third. Playing better afterwards he squared at the seventh, but was one down again at the eighth where he was bunkered just in front of the green, played out to the far edge of the green, being fortunate that his ball did not roll down a steep bank on the other side, but even then took three putts and so lost. He squared again at the twelfth, and after an exchange of holes, the match was even with one to go. At the home hole Lord Charles was at the top left hand corner of the green with his approach, whereas Mr. Ouimet was on the bank short of the green. From the latter position, however, he ran up stone dead, and Lord Charles was then

6 THE AMERICAN GOLFER 789 badly short with his long putt, and from a distance of about six yards failed to get down with his next, and so he lost the match by one hole. The figures were: Ouimet Hope In the match between Mr. Travers and Mr. Herreshoff, the latter made the better start, and for a time he had cess of Mr. Ouimet over the Australian, Mr. Apperley. The latter game does not call for any description, but the defeat of Mr. Travers was unexpected. It was entirely due to his bad putting, three strokes being wanted on nearly every green. It should be said that the greens themselves were good enough, and the players had only themselves to blame for their failures. Mr. Travers was driving quite well, but in the putting On the 9th green at La Boulie in the final of the French Amateur championship between Mr. Ouimet and Mr. Topping. an advantage, but, having been square at the sixth, he threw away the next three, and after that, chiefly because of bad putting, his opponent went away from him and won as he pleased. The results of the round were: THIRD ROUND. Apperley bt. Bowers, 1 up. Ouimet bt. Lord Charles Hope, 1 up. Travers bt. Herreshoff, and. Topping bt. Le Blan, 1 up. The semi-final brought about the downfall of Mr. Travers, and the sucdepartment he could simply do nothing that was right. Mr. Topping, however, played a very steady game against him. Mr. Travers was one down at the second, squared at the third, was one down again at the fifth, two at the seventh, and three at the turn. Losing the tenth and eleventh he became five down, but he won the twelfth with a very good three, and the fourteenth also went to his credit, his opponent getting into difficulties. This however was his

7 790 THE AMERICAN GOLFER last success, and the match came to an end very soon afterwards. Figures: Topping Travers SEMI-FINAL. Ouimet bt. Apperley, and. Topping bt. Travers, and 2. The final between Mr. Ouimet and Mr. Topping was not a very exhilarating affair. There were two halves to begin with, but Mr. Ouimet won the short third, and the next hole also, Mr. Topping being in trouble all the way at the latter. However he got back both his losses at once, but Mr. Ouimet won the seventh, and then Mr. Topping reached the green with his tee shot at the 281 yards eighth, and won the hole in a good. The play on both sides was moderate, and the putting was uncertain in each case. Mr. Ouimet won the ninth and turned one up, being out in 9 strokes to his opponent's 2. There were halves at the next three holes, then Mr. Ouimet won two in succession, and it came about that at the end of the round he was four up. The start in the afternoon round was curious, for at each of the first two holes Mr. Ouimet sliced out of bounds, but he won the first and halved the second notwithstanding, Mr. Topping having pulled his first tee shot into a tree on the left. At the third Mr. Ouimet holed a long putt for a 2. At the turn Mr. Topping was five down. The tenth and eleventh were halved, then Mr. Topping won a couple of holes, Mr. Ouimet another, a half followed, and the match was over with Mr. Ouimet the winner by four and three. of golf that was played: First round: The figures indicate the kind Ouimet Topping 7 Second round: Ouimet 2 Total for six holes, 2. Topping Total for six holes, The prizes were afterwards presented to the successful competitors in the clubhouse by the President of the Societe de Golf de Paris, M. Pierre Deschamps.