GOLF.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14842, 6 December 1913, Page 6

GOLF.

AN EMINENT GOLFEB. SOME THINGS HE HAS DONE. APPRECIATION OP MB H. T>. GILLIES. (FEOM OUB OWN CORRESrONDKNT). LONDON, October 29 >7hon Mr H. D. Gillies carried off, at Sandwich, the moat costly trophy ever put up to competition in goif—the eolid gold cup known as the St. George's Vaeo—his name became famous in the golfing world, for he had secured the victory from a big - field heavy with distinction. Now that he has dono marvellous things in France just lately, though the championship did not fall to him—the golfing world* and the public are displaying even keener interest in the exNew Zealunder and hie golfing achievements, and one outooma of this interest in an appreciative column-long article written by Mr Henry Leach, who starte off with the following eulogium: "Some may think of Hilton and some of Edward Blackwell, but for my part, when it conies to the stocktaking of this wonderful season and considering who is entitled to the distinction of being regarded as the leading British amateur for this time, my man is Mr Haxold Gillies, of Upper Wimpolo street. He i» not only a great amateur player, but he is a profoundly interesting golfing study. He rieos to the office of chief amateur golfer of the season—at least, we will agree that my readers will put him there—without ever having won a championship, and in spite of the fact that he did not reach the closing etagee of the chief event of the year at SI Andrew's in Juno. "SPORTING COUEAGE." At St. Andrew's, it is recalled, Mr Gillies "came unoommonly near to winning the gold medal. Aβ ho d-d not even get into tho sixth round this may seem a strange remark to make, and stranger still that I should cay he .came neater to winning that championship than, , say, Mr Aylmer, who got into tho eemi-final, or perhaps ovon Mr iiarris, who reached tho final, but or*o oan «rgne wisely and we.l in the matter. Mr Aylmer, fine golfer, l«t a. glorious chance of beating Mr Hilton in the serin-final slip by hhu, for ho was' two up. with four to play im then threw his match up into the air. Mi Harris crumpled up in the final, and had no go f in him that day, though there is some excuse of the indisposition kind to bo made for him. But Mr Gilliee neither gave his match away nor crumpled up, and it was Mr Hilton who beat him at the nineteenth hole in the fifth round.- Mt Gillies that • time—-having previously beaten Mr Blackwell at the nineteenth—golfed re one might -cay until he was on the point" of dropping from nerve exhaustion. It was a splendid exhibition 'of sporting courage. 1 saw it again at Chantilly, and I say thnt what Gilliee d.'d on the broad park lande of Chontil'y was" in some ways even better than what Ouimet did in Massachusetts." "LETS GO AND "WATCH THEM." Mr Gilliee was at "Wimeieux when an entry form foT tho French championship meeting was sent along to. him, and he sa-.d to Mrs Gillies, "Let's go and watch them I" And he went, but, as Mr Leach observes "they watched him." "Hβ is always going to courses he has not seen, and when he hae not been playing golf at all, and then doing wonders. When he won tho St. George* Vaee ha had not touched ft olub for agw, but somebody insisted on motoring' him down to Sandwich for the occasion."

A TURN WITH THE CHAMPIONS.' Practically all the beet of the golfing world wae represented at tho Chantilly links, excepting Vardon and Bay. J. H. Taylor wae there, and he had the almost complete court at the champions of other tiznee in attendance on him. "For three rounds Gillie* in the most amazing manner bid defianoe to them all and held the top place for himself. wo ametom hae even led the field for three rounds in eny open championship, and it is not often that a professional has ever dono 8O either. That is -where this feat by the eorgeon wee quite phenomenal. Again, Mr Gillies golfed hia best till he nearly dropped. He knew that George Duncan—tho winnei of tho professional tournament the week before —wee pressing' him kard and that he had not a stroke to spare. Still, by an eno: moua effort and despite one piece of outrageously bad luck, he kept Mβ lead, and at tho end of the ,• third round it looked as if it would still be a lead of tiro stroke* when a'ae! on the home green he lost a stroke in tho putting. Instead of having a kad of two over the terrible George for the last round, he now had a lead of only one. "There is not much deference between one and two—it may all be accounted for by tho very smallest of putts—but in a case of thie hind the moral effect of it wae enormoua. . . . On coming off the home green I said to. him quiet'y, 'lou tstill lead, Gillie' and he turned with a little melancholy and responded, 'Yes, but one stroke is not much to lead Duncan by, is it? "Tho effect was visible at the first t«e in the afternoon. He - knew the responsibility. Hβ twk an infinity of pain*, far too much. He addieaecd hie ball until he was eick of looking at it any more, and then he topped it miserably into the bunker in front of him. Good-bye, open championship of France! But there it was, a brilliant achievement for all that and if he had -won, as once he seemed like doing, no man oould have done justice to the goS history of thj» year with amateur* Ou&met tad Gillies ac open champions. ■ ' • SOME PERSONAL IMFBESBIONS. "I have told of these tMags," conolud*a Mr Leach, "because they make sn interesting peycholoirical study. All golf » that; but Mr GJliee, is peculiarly attractive 03 a subject for contemplation. Hβ ie a eurjrical specialist . . . very keen and elevex .this work; he make* his work his first interest m life, and just lets the golf dron in when it can, and that is the exrraordinaV p *rfTci it. He » a lattte roan in stature; in atTneaixrar be U terribly solemn, suVgcetSe a'w&ys that he is about to put hw c lons ? to «»• hard ibSw *nd sjb* pleywg- echool "unjrag "A, feature <rf Mb.methods is the extreme kL **ik- "tawrfiaey length* ,rfth xt m true, ac eeeraa established fey history to it now If he rermiins aa good w iea