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Show . 444 jillHIIIIIIHtltlltHH CHAMPION TRAVIS AN AUSTRALIAN Has Been Playing Golf for Eight Years. Was Formerly an Adept Cricket Player and Cue Sharp. WALTER J. TRAVIS, champlonrain-ateur champlonrain-ateur golfer of tho world, has nwn playing the gnmo slnco 1886. Last week ho demonstrated lhat as American champion ho wan ablo to play with tho fltlants of tho camo In the v&ry oradle of tho oport and added to hln American Amer-ican title that of tho English championship. champion-ship. Travis In an Auatrallnji by birth, but did not play golf until coming to this country- Ho was formerly a woll-known cricket playor and an adept with tho billiard bil-liard cue. Upon comlnp to America h be-camo be-camo naturalized nnd is now proud of hlfl new country. It la said that onoo while being Joshed about his birthplace ho replied: re-plied: "I am a bettor American than you, sir, for I took tho trouble to become ono, whllo you could not help yourself." His First Experience. It was at Van Cortlandt park In BoBton, on the public links, that TravlB first han- died a golf ball. Ho became lnfntuntcd with tho game and, being poeueencd of an analytical mind, ho made a moat nucccso-ful nucccso-ful study of the principles and tho theories theo-ries of the strokes. Ho did not take lo-sona lo-sona from a professional, but often ployed with ono and after a round would work out what tho professional had told hint and what ho had gathered from obscrva- " 1 1 "B-l- 11 ' " 11 " " ' jlMHIIHIIHilllliiti tlon, Travla has contributed a vihuh' work to the lltoraturo of golf and hii M helped beglntiors In no small degroe. Semi-Final Champion. ? Travis reached tho soml-nnal In th United States amateur champlonijp it 1 Morris county In 1S03, which was his flnt i-appearance i-appearance In a national tournament, Hal ; was then boatcn by F. S. Douglaa by 3 aal - 8. In IST'3, at Onwcntsla, Travis vu pat out aguln by F. S. Douglas by 2 and t Tho noit United States amateur chc. ' plonHhlp wan played at Garden City u4 Travis, who had bocomo a member of tilt olub, tot out to win tho champlor.ihlp ' Hla preparation for tho match ftultl " le?s. TraVls nover forgets to atttad ti ! details. ' Always in Form. j: It Is said of him that during n Impi?. tant match lato In tho fall It begin tj- -' snow when tho match waa about halt ' over and tho players wero a lone wiy from the olubhouso that he produced t 4 red ball with the remark: "ti Is tnmt ; that I should havo a rod ball In ar pockot," Bo during tho hot week at Garden City Travis and hlB whlto umbrella. Ttnt i match after match round tho lone couth, : giving tho Impression of a man trained ta tho hour and always with an Immense re- sorvo power ready to be called Into um In an cmorgency. Travlf? mt Douglas In tho final ronti " and won by 2 up. Tho noxt yoar TtmIs : played a 3J-holo champlon-ihlp at AUitUo City, and ho boat Walter E. Eitfan In ti ' final Since that Travis has proved mow ; than a match for Douglas, though tbfr v havo had many battles. Travis baa twU J won tho metropolitan championship &M ?, Douglas has won It twice. In 1302 Travla was put out br E. 1 q Byorn In an IS-holo match at tho Glen . Vlow clug, Chicago. Byers mad a wo: 1 dorful spurt In tho second nlno holes, w,d li after being 3 down at tho turn eouued . tho match and won by 1 up. Travis haa always favored JC-hole, q i matohea and a quallfylnc round of II tl holes for tho United States championship, 'I and ho is oonsldered lninctble In thli I county by this method of piny Last year, howover, at Naxcau. with all tho matches at 18 holttt oxcopt the ilr.tl at 3C, and no quallrSlniroucd, ho won lis championship. beawnifH. M. Byen In th f final. Th5 champloimhlp nt Bandwlch li i 18-hole mp.tohes and 35-hole flnL ' iji During the vlBlt of tho Oxford nnd Cim. brldffo Uairtutr socloty Travis played two matohea with J. 1 Low, loalne the flnt 4 In a storm of win and rain at Girdtn . City and winning the second at the Nai- -i pau C. O. on a otlll day. Travis iris , boatcn by Norman F. Hauler of th vliit- inp team at tho Ekwanok 0 C. In tho open championship of the United EtRtM O. A at Garden City In TrttU ,7 woa a favorite owlnc to hla fcmlllaritr '- with tho coureo and the fom which t had bron nhovrlnff. He was tla for second .1 plr.co v.".th Btc-wart GarJaer Trtth a score of 3JL3. L. 7i.uchterlonlo w.ti) Prst MthXT. |