323 Pin and Hole the Putt. on a Well- Hoylake

“ MY BEST RO U N D ” 323 pin and hole the putt. On a well- Hoylake. Here is what Mr. Fergusson bunkered course of average length, I tells me about that match, which he did 31, 32, and 31 for three rounds of singles out from his reminiscences, even the nine holes, and won by 11 and 9. though he lost it :—“ I remember the “ My best medal rounds were a 71 at game more than any other because I Mid-Surrey and a 69 at St. Annes-on- thought I had him absolutely tight. the-Sea—both made with a gutta-percha The final at that time consisted of only ball. Of the two I think I liked the eighteen holes, and Mr. Ball lost the Mid-Surrey round the better, because first four. Yet we were all even with there was not a shot that day that I two to play, and by a marvellously fine did not feel absolutely certain of playing brassie shot he won the seventeenth and perfectly. In fact, I was a little bit took the lead. As we halved the last inclined in my spirit of confidence to hole I was beaten.” The brassie shot take liberties, as in the case of two very which Mr. Fergusson mentions has won pronounced slices round trees that I a place in golfing history; among executed at the fifteenth hole. championship players and camp-followers “ Spectators said each time ‘ What a of long standing it is probably the most fearful slice ! ' but in point of fact I vividly remembered stroke in the game. went for the shots—largely from sheer When Mr. Ball prepared to play it people presumption—and they came off just said that he would never do it; but the as I wished. When the ball was at rest ball flew strongly and unerringly to the I think the onlookers realised that the green and made the winning of the hole strokes were intentional.” (and the championship) practically It is said of Mr. John Ball th a t he certain. It was a neck-or-nothing effort hates to see his name in the papers. that ended in triumph. Unfortunately for his wishes he has James Braid likes best his record round done so many brilliant things on the of 68 at Walton Heath accomplished links that although he has never written several years ago. He places it first an article, nor willingly suffered the because it was the result of a series of ordeal of being interviewed, the papers shots played precisely as he desired; have been unable to keep his name out it was made up entirely of 3’s and 4’s of their columns. And it must appear and not a solitary long putt was holed. here in spite of the fact that I have not But Braid has pleasant memories of heard from him what he regards as his some “ crazy stuff ” that he produced best round. Mr. Ball once remarked to at Hedderwick in Scotland, where, holing a friend that the golf which he liked putts from all over the place, he went most was that which he played when round a course of 5,000 yards in 57 he was fourteen years old, and as at that strokes. His best championship per age he was so precocious as to finish formances, he considers, were his 73 in sixth in the Open Championship at the fourth round at Muirfield in 1906, Prestwick, eight strokes behind the and his 77 in the third round at Prestwick winner, Jamie Anderson, he must have two years later. On the latter occasion recollections of his boyhood such as few he took eight for the third hole, where golfers possess. he was in the Cardinal, and his shot Perhaps if one were to ask long-time from the sand cannoned off the sleepers students of the game their opinion as to into out-of-bounds territory. With this Mr. Ball’s best round the majority disaster still filling his mind, he heard would give their vote for the performance that Tom Ball, one of his most dangerous which enabled him to beat Mr. S. Mure rivals, had reached the turn in 33. It Fergusson by one hole in the final of the needed no small measure of will-power Amateur Championship of 1894, at to proceed steadily in the face of these.

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