VOL. III., NO. 20.
PINEHURST, N. C, MAR. 16, 1900.
PRICE THREE CENTS.
YARDON AT PINEHDRST.
World's Champion Golfer Gives
an Exhibition of His Skill.
Plays Against Local Professionals and
Best Amateurs on Pinehurst Links.
Last Friday, Saturday and Monday Gala Days
Lowered the Record Ten Strokes.
Pinehurst golfers hnve been on the
tip-toe of expectancy for the last week,
as the word was passed around "Vardon
is coming.'" We have but to chronicle
that Vardon came, played, and has gone,
leaving behind him remembrances that
will be luscious morsels to those who
followed him around the course. There
can be no question as to his wonderful
skill as a golfer, and whether or not he
plays in accordance with some particular
form or other, designated in golfing
books, or by those who consider them
selves cracks, is of slight moment, lie
can do the trick and that is all that need
be said. If there is a "Vardon" style,
let us all practice to adopt it, and pray
we may accomplish with it what the
originator has been able to do.
The cuts herewith published can give
only a slight idea of Vardon's attitudes
and positions, and the writer does not
feel competent to try to convey to the
readers a satisfactory description of his
form. One marked characteristic noticed,
was in long drives or brassey shots
where at the end of his "swing through"
be seemed to add a little additional force
by a quick drop of his knees, a position
the writer has never seen on the golf
links before. He does not, however, do
this on all drives and brassey shots. In
addressing the hull he takes a Arm stand
Slipping his elub with his right hand
overlapping his left, leaving about three
inches of space between the end of the
elul and his left h ind, lie takes very
little time to make a shot, evidently feel
ing confident of the direction in which
the ball will go. His chief point seemed
to be in getting accurate judgment of the
distance between where his ball lay and
the hole. Frequently he would go for
ward forty or fifty yards, and then
retur" t0 the ball. That his calculations
were almost invariably correct, both as
to distance and necessary force required
to carry it, was shown by the results.
On the putting green also he took very
ttle time, occasionally giving the green
a slight brush, and if the put was a long
one, Jle wouid get the in(; of th(J ho,e?
ways resting his club on the ground,
and stooping, keeping his left knee at a
'"iU angle and right toe on ground.
Um,S Id play, many people were seen
to examine carefully the spot from which
he had just played the ball. It would be
seen that the ball after contact with his
club evidently struck the ground quite
hard, leaving an indentation. The effect
of this with ordinary players would be to
cause the ball to lose a great deal of
velocity and consequently its distance,
but in Vardon's peculiar way it seemed
to have the opposite effect, and gave the
ball such a spin that it would always
stop dead if striking the green. In
putting also, he seemed to dent the ball
slightly into the ground, as dirt would
always rise from his club. Some of his
prettiest shots played were when the ball
was twenty or thirty yards from the
green, and he would use his putter, the
ball running on the ground and always
having the correct velocity whether he
was approaching up a bank on to the
of Vardon's playing, and also for the
benefit of our readers, who were unable
to attend we will give the following
detailed score.
March 9th is designated as Vardon
Day in the annals of Pinehurst Golf
Links. The match on that day consisted
of 36 holes match play, Vardon playing
the best ball of the Pinehurst profes
sionals, John Dunn Tucker, and Lloyd II.
Hillock. The links were in perfect con
dition, and an excellent arrangement had
been made for the care of the spectators
under the supervision of the efficient
greens committee, 1'ev. P. M. Prescott,
C. E. llalsted, and II. M. IJrittin.
The first drive was made promptly at
10.30, Vardon winning the honor on the
toss. As he stepped to the tee, the line
of spectators, (roped oft' at suitable dis
tance) carefully watched his every
- fytif v -tw- : i
' :
green or down one. The writer saw
Vardon make many shots of this kind,
that as his ball left the club, gave him
the impression that at last Vardon had
foozled a shot, but invariably we were
wrong, and when the ball stopped, it was
within a few feet of the hole.
Perhaps the most remarkable point of
his play was his driving with his iron,
which he always used for any hole less
thin 250 yards in length. On the 5th
hole of 213 yards he laid drives on the
green several times, and on the 8th, of
the same length, I think he failed to
re ich the green but once. On the 11th
hole, he always drove the green, once
striking the flag and nearly rolling into
the hole. The absolute accuracy of his
driving was simply astonishing.
Vardon played with clubs peculiarly
adapted to himself. In trying his bag
one is surprised to find that there is not
a club in it heavier or possibly as heavy
as ladies would naturally use. The
shafts are very limber and the heads
light.
DETAILED SCORE.
For those who wish to have a reminder
motion. After one or two practice
swings, he teed his ball and made a drive
of perfect direction, carrying slightly
beyond the green. Tucker and Ilallock
also drove well. Vardon's second shot
brought him within about twenty feet
of the hole, from which he putted out,
making the hole in 3, ng.dnst 4 each
for his opponents. His drive on the 2nd
hole was slightly pulled and he found
his ball behind the new bunker, and
played a mashie shot that fell short of
the green. lie completed this hole in 5,
Tucker and Ilallock playing the like.
On the 3rd hole they all drove good
balls, although none landed on the
green. Tucker approached short, but
holed from the edge of the green in 3,
thus winning the hole from Vardon.
The fourth hole was halved in 4. On
the fifth hole of 213 yards Vardon over
drove the green, Tucker driving nicely
on the green. Vardon's approach
brought him near the hole, and he holed
out in 3. Tucker rimmed the cup for a
2, but required another shot to put the
ball down.
The sixth hole was also halved in 5,
Vardon playing two to the left of the
green, after a drive considerably beyond
the road.
On the seventh hole, Vardon slightly
pulled his drive, but fortunately struck
a tree, which prevented his ball going oil'
the fair green, lie then played a long
brassey, approaching on the green, and
winning the hole in 5, as Tucker and
Ilallock both )layed oil' the course. On
the 8th hole Vardon took 4. As the
green is at the foot of the hill and not
in sight from the tee, Vardon seemingly
misjudged the distance in playing two
and took 4 for the hole against 3 for
Tucker.
The ninth hole was halved in 5. This
gave both Vardon and Tucker a medal
score of 38 going out. Ilallock was 43.
Vardon seemed now to be getting warmed
up to his game and made a most beautiful
drive from the windmill tee, carrying his
ball well up the hill, slightly to the right
of the fair green. After going up the
hill and getting his eye on the hole, he
made a fine approach, landing fairly on
the green and making the hole in 4,
which Ilallock also did in the like. The
eleventh hole was won by Vardon, he
approaching dead, and holing out in 3.
On the ravine Ilallock played the best
ball, winning out 4 on along put, Vardon
taking 5. On the 13th hole Vardon drove
over the hill, approaching the green in 2,
and making the hole in 4, against 5 for
his opponents.
On the 14th hole Vardon sliced his
ball, and was obliged to take a stroke to
get out. Ilallock played the best ball,
winning out in 4.
The 15th hole was halved in 3. The
lGth Vardon halved with Ilallock in G.
On the 17th hole they all drove over the
green, Vardon making the better ai
proach and holing out in 3.
The last hole he played in 4, to his
opponents 5, closing the morning round
of 18 holes 2 up.
Vardon's medal score was : going out
38; coming in 40, total 78.
Tucker's medal score was : going out
38; coining in 48, total 8G.
I hillock's medal score was: going out
43; coming in 44, total 87. Tucker's ami
Ilallock's best ball was 80.
Vardon's score of 78 lowered the
amateur and professional record of the
links by three strokes, and considering
the fact that he had never seen the
grounds before starting to play, proves
his wonderful skill and ability.
The play in the afternoon started
promptly at 2 :30 with Vardon driving.
Ilallock won in 3 against 4 for Vardon
and 5 for Tucker. The 2nd hole was
halved in 4 and the 3rd hole was won by
Ilallock in three. The score at this point
was all even, but here Vardon began to
show his superiority, and was soon in
the lead of his opponents. The 4th hole
of 310 yards he made in 3, making a long
drive of over 200 yards, and laying his
approach dead and putting out at quite a
distance. Playing the 5th hole, Vardon