On Monday, September 19, 75 golfers teed off for the match play qualifying. First player off the tee was Raymond Havemeyer, later donor of the Havemeyer Trophy given to the U.S. Amateur champion. Qualifying medalists were Stu Stickney and Ralph McKittrick of the St. Louis Country Club, with a 36-hole total of 163, though McKittrick later defeated Stickney, 84-86, in a play-off for the medal. A score of 183 was sufficient to move on to match play. Only one of the three Canadians survived the qualifying, George Lyon of the Lambton Golf & Country Club in Toronto.
Match play began Tuesday and consisted of daily 36-hole matches. Advancing to the semi-finals were Chandler Egan, Lyon, Frank Newton of the Seattle CC, and Burt McKinnie of the Normandie Park Golf Club in St. Louis. McKinnie, a music teacher, was the current St. Louis city champion, while Newton was Pacific Northwest champion in 1902 and would win the first New England Amateur in 1926 at the age of 52. Egan easily defeated McKinnie while Lyon bested Newton to move to the finals.
Egan was the favorite in the final based on his summer record, but Lyon was a fine player. Before Lyon’s career was done he would win the Canadian Amateur eight times and finish second in both the U.S. Amateur and Canadian Open. Lyon was known as one of Canada’s great all-round athletes, having been their top cricket batsman in the 1890s. After five straight days of 36 holes, one factor against him in the final, it was thought, was his age, 46.
The day of the finals dawned cold and gloomy and both contestants would fight the rain for the entire day. When the battle was over, George Lyon was Olympic champion by 3 and 2. His body, hardened by years of athletic endeavour, had pulled him through. While Egan was a classic stylist, Lyon had an ungainly, flat swing, relying on his natural coordination and great strength, which made him easily the longest driver in the tournament. After the match, Egan went to bed exhausted. Lyon went to the awards dinner and further showed his stamina by walking the length of the dining room - on his hands! Egan and Lyon met again at a major tournament, in the second round of the 1906 US Amateur, where Egan was the two-time defending champion, but Lyon won again, in 20 holes.
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