Edinburgh, June 16.
"For this relief, much thanks."
The prevailing sentiment at Muirfield when the amateur championship was all over was one of profound thankfulness to Mr. Cyril Tolley for retaining the Amateur Golf Championship in the British Isles. Mr. Gardner is as likeable a challenger and as sound a golfer as ever came from overseas. No one wished him the slightest' ill. The crowd, indeed, liked his modest, unassuming bearing, heartily cheered his earlier wins, and up to the final, if perhaps no further, they wished him well. There were many Americans watching the play at Muirfield. As the week advanced, they smiled, and guessed and calculated that Mr. Gardner was~going to win. They were getting ready for the shouting. Walter Hagen and Jim Barnes hurried North in the night hours to see the final and join in the shouting. The crowd of natives were in drooping spirits. The Americans told everybody, and told everybody very often, that Mr. Gardner was only their fifth best man, and if their fifth best could beat the cream of British golfers—gcc!—but they would shout! And the shouting here would be nothing to the shouting over yonder.
We shudder still to think how desperately near Mr. Gardner came to winning. Our worst time was over the last four holes when Mr. Tolley, having turned the fortunes of the match, instead of clinching matters, as he might, allowed his winning lead to slip so easily through his fingers. Had he lost, we would have hailed the winner, a worthy champion. He was not, like his countryman of 1904, an elfin figure smoking big cigars, but a golfer of another. and a more human and loveable type. Indeed, if any American is to win the championship let us hope he be player like Mr. Gardner. Good luck to him! ery all who saw him at Muirfield.
How rae Pray Wesr.
To continue the tale from last week's Scottish letter, mentioning only afew of the more interesting incidents, the fourth and fifth rounds were disastrous to former champions, Mr. Jenkins,—the holder, Mr. Hilton and Major Barry, ex-holders, and Mr. Hezlet, a former runner-up, all falling out. The defeat of Mr. Jenkins had a dramatic finish. He had been playing very good golf, though perhaps hitting his wooden shots a bit too high. At the turn he was one up, but the story of his defeat lay in the last two holes, and he found his fate in a bunker. Mr. Hilton was also up at the turn. counting three, but in the second half he lost to Mr. R. H. Howie, Muswell Hill, a Scotsman, who is known as a The exit of Mr. Nelson Whitney, swing his club. He dug a deep of America, provided a thrilling} hole with his club, and before play-half-hour; Mr. Gordon Lockhart, of Prestwick, accounting for him after a give-and-take tussle. A second Scottish-American match went in favour of the visitor, Mr. R. A. Gardner, the American ex-champion, playing a better game than Mr, J. McIntyre, the Cardross youth who recently set up a record at Gleneagles. ing his next he smoothed over the sand for the following players. Mr. Tolley at once walked over and claimed the hole. Mr. Mellin without comment, picked up his ball and walked to the next tee. Mr. Mellin, of course, infringed a rule, just as would Mr. Tolley had he waived the penalty. Mr, Tolley won with something to spare.
Five Howes Dows axp Yer Won.
Tue Excitinc Fixat Rovnp.
In the fifth round, Mr. Wragg, the conqueror of Mr. Jenkins, met a reverse at the hands of Mr. J. W. Hunter. Mr. Wragg turned with the long lead of five holes, but Mr. Hunter pulled himself together and won—an amazing result. Mr. Hunter was born at Forest Row, and is in the Post Office at Deal. His father, an Edinburgh man, has been professional for over 20 years to the Royal Cinque Ports Club.
Mr, Gordon Lockhart and Mr. Hambro had a battle-royal, Mr. Lockhart on the home green holing a three-quarter stymie and winning the match.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.