El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-10-09
Golfer Plays Better At Home.
Familiarity With Links, Cause
BUT THEY DIDN'T
FINISH IT
By FRANCIS oUnET.

Ia Briushe- 20 come TO our shores for
the reverse act.
When Hagen and Barnes left for
England last spring 30 was generally
7 believed we would have the keen sat-
istaction OF winning the open True.
John ]. NcDermott had failed IN two
starts, and true all OF our noted ana
teurs had failed IN the past With the
ono notable exception already set
down. But this meant little 20 US.
ne had seen Hagen and Barnes and
We knew 81 would take super golf 70
turn them back.
I had someuhat differeat
view. In this column set down
in advance that I thought We
would be fortunate to have either
finish In the first i've. While
was Ms keen as any one for a
win. and would have been more
THAI Glad to have Acknowledged
my prediction was WRONG, the
facts tell rs that I had the bad
luck OF being nearly right. I say
bad luck because I really wanted
TO be wrong He would be a poor
Yankee Euortsman who would
rather be a prophet than a booster
for any product Of his native
land.
Nov, the reason why Harsn and
Barnes did not come through as We
wished, are the controlling factors
which handicap any golfer crossing
the ocean either way for play. First
and foremost. there IS the climatic
change to be considered We are not
used to British weather or its high
winds They are set back by our hu-
Nudity. Little factors enter into the
game here which are indeed handi-
caps, even though the health OF the
contestants Is OF te best.
Law Of Averages.
Another and really a controlling
factor is the law OF averages. HAGEN
would naturally have a better chance
playing one OF a number OF British
pros. such az Ray. or Duncan. or
Mitchell, OF Nardon. than he would
have playing these four and the 9TH
ers as well. I think any golfer wiil
get my point here IL he goes forth 20
play not just one opponent but a
covey II them Beating a crowd is no
simple matter. no matter how skilled
you may be- That about sums M the
odds you must face. or course. these
good golfers take the trip. vet they
have SO far always rested with the
home team.
third factor IN international
iuTlaionE O. the muffer OF play
itself. One setting out TO win
championship OF England, n he
be m American, or OF the United
etuteas n he be Britain. f. prone
10 cverEolf before the big days
arrive. That, Z know, had much 10
do with the very weak EhowinEH
OF IrurerH and myself in 1914.
Chick EvunH arrived Just In time
that season to be Mt the TOP Of HIS
game And we thought Chick was
coming through He played a
magnificent game.
But Chick fell before Miraculous
golf and the hardest run OF luck a
player ever experienced. McFarlane.
who defeated him, simply struck the
one day IN a season when a golfer
might we'll think there is no such
club as a putter. that mashle ap-
proaches should always hole out
There is another factor On internal
tional golf Of the kind under discus
sion which 7 have come 70 believe Is
a most vital one, and that Is the axe
Of the contestant who sets san 20
win a title from another landis best
players. With the single execution 81
Hilton. whose winning OF our amateur
from Fred Herreshoff In 1871. had a
bit OF luck attached TO &c. the other
winner have been middle AGED nlav-
ers. II seems to me that golfers OF
more advanced years. seasoned on
many INNS axe NeeL auAa 70 overcome
the many handicaDs TO be encoun-
tered At least that has been the
story IN the past.
Perhaps youths IN their teens or
twentie1 may turn the trick now and
then. but an Inclined to think the
older man viii prove the steadler in
such tests where ons naturally feels
that more IS at stake than when play
Ing for the title o. his native land.
In the latter case he plays only for
himself. "a the former he represents
a nation. There IS a psychological
situation here which the older head
seems best able 20 take care Of
Copyright 1920. Sol lIetzEer.