New-York tribune., 1921-06-12
Tales OF q Wavside Tee
BY GRANTLAND RICE
Copyright. 1921. New York Tribune Inc

| Briton believe that all three can ever
break together.
American Golfers
Barnes over here is fancied above
Hagen upon g windy course, and since
Barnes is English born and reared
they can't quite concede him 100 per
cent Americanism as a golfer.
They know how good Jock Hutchison
is, but Jock was born and reared at St
Andrews. So what if he does win !
1t will merely be the return of the
prodlgal son to the heather that
sent him forth. They don't underesti-
mate the ability of Barnes, Hagen and
Hutchison, but they can't quite give
Mitchell and Ray. For which you
can't blame them. Ray beat all three
on American courses at Brookline in
1913 and at Inverness in 1920,
And, as we have remarked before
our open champions have never set the
bally gorse on fire with their perform
ances on this side of the water UP to
date.
They give us better chance if the
rates ordaln quiet, MINDLESS week
which the fates seldom do They don't
figure that we have drawn quite
| enough experience in battling along
through twisting half gales that romp
and r,aister back and forth, head on
and sideways, with very little rest.
And then something has always hit
our homebreds at the wrong time. or
the big time. McDermott had a II at
Hoylake, but when it came to the quail
flying round he turned in a snappy SO
Hagen was playing we'll before he
reached Deal, between 73 and rs, but
he promptly adjusted his figures to a
range between 80 and 85. Those who
know Hagens golf know he is much
better than that. They know at his
best that he is a match for any man
but you can't blame British golf fol
lowers for not ranking him with Dun
can or Mitchell or Ray.
Ihey don't believe he has sufficient
control of low ball to get by in a
spanking breeze. Hagen has always
favored the high carry with his wood
and the high pitch with his irons
Which is proper enough on a fail
weather day.
Possibly he has the other style at
hand, but so far he has never uncov-
cred it.
They have vast respect for Jock
Hutchison over here after his sensa
tlonal journeys around St. Andrews
Ihey know Jock to be grand golfer
brilliant one, but one who is even
What about Bobby Jones? That
youngster is capable of almost anv
surprise, as he will not be working
! under any strain. He isn't figured
with chance to win, but thew give
him chance to slip in among the
first ten, which is no slight feat OF
golfing arms.
All of which, as herein outlined
adds 1ls luster to the approaching joust
First, it is Scotland against Eng.
land. The2 Great Britain against
America. But if we mass our full
strength at St. Andrews, il might
we'll be Great Britain against Amer
with the old feud secondary issue.
After all, the field of championship
probabilities is as much limited ir
| Great Britain as it is in the United
States. 1t used to be Vardon, Braid
or Taylor. Now it is Duncan, Mitchell
or Ray And back home it is Hutchi-
lson, Hagen or Barnes. Few golfers
come to all the championship require
ments needed in any country, since
the combination calls not only fol
golfing skill, but also for physical
power and stamina, to certain extent
iron nerve control and first-class
| judgment. Playing in the wind con.
stantly, one is called upon to master
control of certain fundamentals, such
as the hook and slice Also to develor
greater variety, such as the high
pitch and the low pitch and run O,
run up,
So the merry gales over here are
great teachers. The old maximist was
correct: 1t is an i'll wind that blows
] nobody good