As will be seen, H. Vardon, the holder, had the distinction of having the best aggregate on the second day of the competition, and though defeated on this occasion, he worthily upheld his reputation.

Mr. Hilton's win - his second in the open championship - was warmly received, and there can be no question that his was a magnificent performance. The advantage of knowing the course as he does, no doubt counts for something, and though, in receiving the trophy, he modestly, in view of this fact, gave the greater merit to Braid, it seems probable that this advantage is much overestimated. A man may know a course too well. Mr. Hilton himself took 84 to his third round, and the fact that Braid returned a 74 in the competition, and H. Vardon a 76, is sufficient to show that, in the few days at their disposal, these players, at any rate, had managed to master a good deal of Hoy-lake's peculiarities.

Braid's play throughout was a treat to witness, and indeed more superb golf it would be difficult to conceive. He drives an exceedingly long and low ball, that keeps very straight, and the ball leaves the club as if shot from a cannon. His second stroke for the "Dun" hole in the final round, in which he successfully carried the corner of the field, straight on the hole, was, under the circumstances, a magnificent effort, and one that will live in the memory of all golfers who witnessed it.

Perhaps the most satisfying player to watch, however, was Mr. F. G. Tait. Mr. Tait's style is particularly fascinating, by reason of its quietness, and the suggestion it conveys of reserves of power. Here, there is nothing of the exuberant waggle of the professional, no wide straddle, or other strongly accented peculiarity. Nor is any trace of "side," temper, or playing to the gallery to be seen in Mr. Tait's play. His demeanour, playing before a crowd of 3,000, is like that of the soldier on parade. But after dinner, "Freddy," as he is known to his friends, can unbend, and whether blowing the bagpipes or proposing a toast, he takes, as he does at golf, a deal of beating.

Mr. Ryder Richardson, the club secretary, Mr. Harold Janion, and the rest of the club committee, did much to make the meeting one of the most successful gatherings of golfers that has ever been held.