The New York herald., 1921-02-20
Mr.. HARDINGLOOMS
AS CHAMPION GOLF
president Of U. s.
Ohio Senator Is Great Fin
isher, Play at st. Angus
tine Proves.
DOESN'T MIND .MISCUES'
Secret Service Men Think He
Has Edge on President Will
son and Mr.. Taft.
DOESN'T MIND .MISCUES'

son ana MI. IaIt.
Special Despatch TO THE NEW York HERALD.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla, Feb. 19.--No-
body ever trair..G harder for a big
battle than President ELECT Warren G.
Harding. This husky son of Ohio is
engaged here in a strenuous cam
laiSn Of conditioning for the big sea
son ahead. and, in ring parlance, he
is in the pink of shape and ready for
the long grind. His daily programme
in brief consists of a fast business
workout on the morning in his suite
AT the Ponce de Leon, beginning at 8
o'clock in the morning and finishing
at 1890. Then vigorous round of
golf and after that another short bust
ness session.
But it is the Presidents little game
of golf about which this story is con-
cerned and how it has made him fit
for his duties. Right here it might be
stated that on March 4 the best golfing
President that ever ruled this country
will take the oath of office. For al
though Senator Harding has had
couple of good golfing predecessors,
including Messrs. Taft and Wilson. he
holds the edge when it comes to abil-
ity on the links.
IF anybody thinks. that the Senator
from Ohio is a duffer of the poorer
kind he is mistaken. Mr. Harding
plays real good game and were he
able to get out on the links oftener
and to take a few lessons there isn't
doubt but that he would make a first
class player.
The beauty of the President-elect's
game is the wallop he carries. Even
when he flubs shot he gets consider
able distance. due to the tremendous
punch he puts into every swing. In
driving Mr.. Harding does exceedingly
well. Seldom does he miss his tee shot
and generally he gets good direction as
well as distance. His fault on the tee
Is that he pulls back his left foot when
following through and often lifts his
head too quickly.
In playing brassie shots the President
elect is rather erratic. He is as apt
TO hit one a mile as he is to flub II.
His trouble here lies in allowing his
arms TO precede the club in the down.
ward swing. Jim Barnes showed the
President-eect his mistake in this re-
spect here last week, and now Mr Haf-
ding is doing much better in the matter
Of lal-ruping the ball on tho fairway.
The future Presidents short game, at
which he is poorest, needs considerable
attention He has tendency to play
his shots too softly in pitching TO the
green. and in playing full irons he
strives more for distance than he does
for accuracy. Barnes already has helped
him to overcome some OF these laults
In getting out OF trouble. though, Mr..
Harding does exceptionally well. This
mart of the game b. has apparently
learned we'll And in the matter OF
nutting he is real wizard. Anything
under eight feet is as good as In with
him.
Takes an open stance.
Tho President-elect in playing takes
an open stance. He uses three-quar
TOR swing. pendulum fashion, and puts
nlentv of power behind every shot. lie
wastes little time over any shot, sizes
I'M the situation quickly and never hesi-
tates as TO what to do when he comes
to his ball. -,
men on his trail, who give him plenty
of room TO roam the course. Joe Muir
nbv Miles McCahill and Walter Fergu-
an have been doing most or the wofA
In this respect. Murphy, who has iol-
lowed four Presidents. including Har-
ding, is of the opinion that the man
fronn Ohio has a slight edge on William
t1oward taft or President Wilson. The
,.te Theodore Roosevelt, he said. never
played the game "a
,,is own course. the Washington Country
,1,b MIR. Wilson would probably beat
either Taft or Harding. lie has gone
sronnd in "a there. But Mr.. Harding
elsewhere would probably be the VICTOR
Ills game and Mr.. Tafts are very nuch
alike"
IJovever none Of the others had moro
ortbusiasm for the game than Senator
Harding. He is happiest when he Is
,Iir,binc over the bunkers OF putting
,or mar. After one of his matches last
week i'm which the President-elect had
,,ade n good score, somebody remarked
.hat II was too bad he had flubbed his
hrnssie shot on the fourteenth hole.
"oh. YES" replied Mr.. Harding. prob
.blv II was. But that's golf. It's all In
fbe game with me. And l enjoy 1t so
much that a few miscues only make the
game mos interesting.
The course here is the Presidents
favorite of those in the South. He has
been coming here for the las; four years
or so and he Is best pleased whenever
he is able to negotiate the treacherous.
famous sixth hole in 5. In getting to
this green one must play over huge
marsh. Par for the hole is 4, a real,
honcst-to- goodness 4. Mr. Harding
once made the hole in (. That was two
Nears aao and he is more than anxious
10 repeat the accomplishment. Although
he has got here several times
since he has never been able 10 get
The