From a long, full swing and a palm grip he changed to the interlock grip, first introduced by J.E. Laidlay, and made famous by Taylor and
Vardon. He has a short swing which one might almost call a ‘heave’. The shoulders go up with the club and come down, giving tremendous
force. People call him the 'golfing Apollo' and he is much admired by the ladies when playing.'
'The best amateur player I met in USA was Walter J. Travis, the Victorian who learned all the golf he knows from Scotch pro's in America.
He is a beautiful putter and the essence of steadiness through the green.
'Willie Anderson is the finest player amongst the pro's in America. Like J. Laidlay, he plays off his left foot and interlocks his hands
without putting his thumbs down the shaft. His scores for the last few years in America have been very brilliant, and he holds the world's
record for a championship – one stroke less than Vardon's 300 in the last championship of America.
'Coming to players in Australia, I place D.J. Souter first as the best amateur player, and with practice I would place H.Howden alongside
of him. ‘Personally I like Mr. Soutar's style and he reminds me of F.G. Tait with his graceful and powerful swing.
I can remember Harry Howden as a boy at North Berwick, where he won a great many school prizes and showed great promise. I have heard my
father say after a tight match with him that the youngster was 'gie bad to bate'. Of other Australians I like Mr. Carre Riddell's play
and Mr.E.P.Simpson's. The latter’s swing at the finish is very like that of J. Sherlock, the well known Oxford pro.
'Mr. Macarthur is the player I have played most with in Australia, and I think that with plenty of practice he will prove a very
difficulty man to beat. His style is of the stiff order, but his swing is not unlike that of Mr. Charles Hutchings, the ex-amateur champion
and the way he uses his wrists puts me in mind of that brilliant player James Robb of St Andrews.
'I think Dr. Gordon Craig, Mr. G.W. Holdship and especially you Blaxland of Hunter's Hill show great promise of becoming first-class
players; and Mr. Christoe's style is not one you would admire but it is effective, which is the main point in winning a match.
Coming to our Australian professionals, I like Carnegie Clark's style. Though under medium height, he gets a very long ball, and I
think he owes that to the clever way in which he uses his wrists and shoulders.
'Martin, East and Harper are three I would put on a par. Martin's strongest point is approaching but his driving of late has improved
very much and next season he ought to show good form.
East's strongest point is his approaching but his driving and long game are very good. The only weak spot in his style is his way of
putting, over which he takes too much time, which I think sometimes interferes with the result; but he ought to easily overcome that
little difficulty.
Harper plays steadily and drives a very nice ball, which is inclined to go rather high and on a windy day must cause him no end of
trouble but he is a player that will improve considerably in the next few years.
William Thomson is not what you would term a powerful player but he is very steady in approaching and putting sometimes brilliant. His
long game is on the short side and handicaps him on a long course. His eyesight troubles him and so it is rather curious to see the
expression on his face when he sometimes finds his approach half-way through not having properly 'sighted' the flag.
I think the play of Australian amateurs and pro's has already reached a very high standard and in a few years they ought to be able to
send players home to compete in the big events.