--A tale of
a putter--Ben Sayers wants a "wun'"--What Andrew thought of
Muirfield--I win the Championship again at Prestwick--Willie Park
as runner-up--My great match with Park--Excellent arrangements--A
welcome victory--On money matches in general--My third Championship
at Sandwich--My fourth at Prestwick--Golf under difficulties.

No true golfer is satisfied with a little of the game, if there is no
substantial reason why he should not have much of it. I was greenkeeper
as well as professional to the Studley Royal Golf Club, Ripon; but golf
did not seem to have taken a very deep root there up to that time. There
was so little of it played that I soon found time hang heavily upon my
hands, and in the summer I was reduced to playing cricket, and in fact
played more with the bat than I did with the driver. There were one or
two good players on the links occasionally, and now and then I had some
good games with visitors to the place. One day after such a match my
opponent remarked very seriously to me, "Harry, if you take my advice
you will get away from here as quickly as you can, as you don't get half
enough golf to bring you out." I took the advice very much to heart. I
was not unduly conceited about my golf in those days, and the
possibility of being Champion at some future time had taken no definite
shape in my mind; but I was naturally ambitious and disinclined to waste
any opportunities that might present themselves. So, when I saw that the
Bury Golf Club were advertising for a professional, I applied for the
post and got it. It was by no means a bad nine-holes course that I found
at Bury, and I was enabled to play much more golf than at Ripon, while
there were some very good amateurs there, Mr. S.F. Butcher being one of
the best. I was now beginning to play fairly well, and the first
professional match of my life was arranged for me, Alexander Herd of
Huddersfield being my opponent in this maiden effort, upon the result of
which a stake of a few pounds a side depended. Herd was by that time a
famous player and accomplishing some very fine golf, so that on paper at
all events the unknown Bury professional had no chance whatever. So
indeed it proved. It was fixed that we were to play thirty-six holes,
home and home, Herd having the privilege of playing on his own course
first. I forget how many he was up at Huddersfield, but it was so many
that I had practically no chance of wiping out the