GOLF.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17111, 5 April 1921, Page 9

GOLF.

THE STYMIE RULE. Under the heading of "The Problem of the. Stymie," the "Morning Post" has been publishing aa interesting eerie® of letter*.discussing tha action taken in the matter of tho stymie by the United States Golf Association, who, according to one writer, have" "with characteristic thoroughness," eliminated All mention of it in their rules. "At tho : eame time," says thi» writer, "no one. will. ccntest their right to framo such lavra to euit their peculiar requirements, or to play the game aa they think fit, but the disturbing! fact to British golfers is that such altera-, tions received the sanction and approval of tho Rule* Committee on tbfe side." According to a ruomber of the committee o: tho United States Association, a new. rule, •was adopted which allows the player, when; either ball is on the putting-green, to have his opponent's ball removed, provided that it is considered as Holed by his next. Btroko. Here wa have a workable, rule. The word "stymie" disappears; .it remains with the player to judgo whether the opponent's ball interferes with his play or not. All chance of controversy as to ivliether a stymie exists, which might iayo come up .under tho recent 'rule, i» done away with. Harry Vardoh gave, it as his opinion that, "unless the etyinie is'to be taken out of golf' altogether, it 'should be left as. it stands and always has stood. To play a stymie when he is required, to do bo is a fine test of a golfer'js serve and ability. It levels itself up jn, the .course of a year. I always think that when a rule or law is made it should be oarried out. .Clubs should not be permitted to make local rules which over-ride or set at naught themain regulationi because in each circumstances golfers find themselves always ...at eon. Make » firm idle which everybody' underetands, and then eeo that they stick to it." "Sandy" Herd wrote::—"There is only on© »,]i9tver to such a suggestion as an alteration. ir."theilaW loga-rdjng styiuiea. - You will spoil the jr«me of golf if yo*u do away ■ with .the stymie.'. It is the only department of the gsmo that enables you to nit your opponent I below tho belt (not that you try to or want .to}, and it enable* him to do tie somlsl i What a beautiful shot woulfl be done away v/HV if the rale were altered. I consider that to hole stymie l>y tie different ways onfe hao to is an art in' itself. And I say without any hesitation—nobody ias a right to ruin a ' glcnt game." Lord Dunediu, who subEcribed himself "Sometime Captain of the Royal and Ancient ■and of the Honourable Company," remarked that when a golfer, having lost his match, eays:—"l was stymied at such and such a. hole.", he ia probably veraeioua. But when ho says:—."l got a, dead stymie," thou nine | tipies out of ten the truth is not ja him. Bead stymies are in truth very rare. There i are only two positions in which a stymie cannot be negotiated either by. loft or twist. Tho one is when the opponent's ball is cxnctly opporite the middle of tho hole and so near it that the player's bafl cannot with' any trajectory . obtainable( from the- stroke of a lofled club get into tbe hole. Tho other is when the lei-el of the ground makes direct access to the hole unvailaile, and the lino from which the ball . has to approach is blocked by the opponent's ball. Of course, many stymies, though not impossible, are extremely difficult to negotiate; but then comes in tho skill justly praised by Sandy, Herd.