West, on the contrary, was a sure player on
the green, and now with his ball but four yards from the hole he had
just the opportunity he desired to better his score. The green was level
and clean, and West selected a small iron putter, and addressed the ball
with all the attention to form that the oldest St. Andrews veteran might
desire. Playing on the principle that it is better to go too far than
not far enough, since the hole is larger than the ball, West gave a long
stroke, and the gutta-percha disappeared from view. Whipple holed out on
his next try, adopting a wooden putter this time, and the score stood
fifteen strokes each.
The honor was West's, and he led off for End Hole with a beautiful
brassie drive that cleared the first two bunkers with room to spare.
Whipple, for the first time in the round, drove poorly, toeing his ball
badly, and dropping it almost off of the course and just short of the
second bunker. West's second drive was a loft over Halfway Bunker that
fell fairly on the green and rolled within ten feet of the hole. From
there, on the next shot, he holed out very neatly in eighteen. Whipple
meanwhile had redeemed himself with a high lofting stroke that carried
past the threatening dangers of Masters Bunker and back on to the course
within a few yards of West's lie. But again skill on the putting green
was wanting, and he required two strokes to make the hole. Once more the
honor was West's, and that youth turned toward home with a short and
high stroke.
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