The New York herald., 1921-02-20
MIR. HARDING LOOMS
AS CHAMPION COLE
PRESIDENT OF D. 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 and Mr.. Taft.
Special Despatch to THE NEW YoRK HERALD
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla, Feb. 19.-No-
body ever trained harder for a big
battle than President-elect Warren G.
Harding. This husky son Of Ohio is
engaged here in q strenuous canl-
paign Of conditioning for the big sen
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
a. me --"N.-a dc Leon, beginning at
o'clock in the morning and finishing
at 1880. Then a vigorous Scsnd Of
golf and after that another short busi-
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 1t might be
stated that on March 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 few lessons there isn't
Doubt but that he would make first
class player.
The beauty Of the President-elects
game Is the waliop l,e carries. Even
when he fiubs a 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
we'll 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
Ills trouble here lies in allowing his
arms to precede the club In the down.
ward swing. Jim Barnes showed the
president-elect his mistake in this re-
spect hero last week and now Mr. Haf-
ding is doing much better In the matter
of larruping the ball on the farway.
The future Presidents short game, at
which he is poorest, needs considerable
attention He has a tendency to play
his shots too softly In pitching to the
rraen. ana in playing full irons he
strives more for distance than he does
for accuracy Barnes already has helped
him to overcome some OF these iaults'
In getting out Of trouble. though MT.
Harding does exceptionally well. Thls
na,.,. ~ the game he has apparently
iaarred we'll. And in the matter OF
-,,ttinq. he Is a real wizard. Anything
under eight feet is as good az IN with
him.
Takes an open stance.
The President-elect in playing taxes
m, omen stance. He uses three-quar-
Ter swing pendulum fashion, ana puts
YIeptv Of power behind every shot lie
ea,ss 1i+tie time ever any shot. sizes
,,,, the situation quickly and never hesi-
.atos ,s - what to do when he comes
TO his ball. ,,.,t,s. al,
v,oys has at least three secret service
mon on his trail, who give MN pIehAy
of room to roam the course Joe au w.
~ Miles McCahill and Walter FerGu-
~, have been doing most OF the WORK
IL tbla respect Murphy. who has Ioi-
tny,ad four Presidents, Including Har-
dipp Is OF tho opinion that the man
Trnrn ohio has a slight edge on Wlillam
Howard Taft or President wilson. lhe
lote Theodore Roosevelt, he SAID. never
played the game, ...
Xts oxvn course. the Washington Country
SS,,h Mr. Wilson would probably beat
ei,ror raft or Harding. lie has gone
sro,,nd ia So there. But Mr.. Hardlhs
,,n,,hore would probably 10 the victor.
TIis came and Mr.. Tafts are very much
alike" -. So, ,,a-.
However. none of the others had meft
enthusiasm for the game than senator
Harding. lie is happlest wheh ne -
,yf,,,btp.r over the bunlSors or putting
,or mar. After one Of his matches last
-,.aol, In which the President-elect had
.rnde n good score, somebody remarkea
40, a was too bad he had flubbed his
brassie shot on the fourteenth hole.
"Oh yes." replied Mr. Harding. "prob-
ably II was But that's golf. lts all IN
the game with me. And l enjoy 1t SO
much that few mlscues only make the
game more interesting.
Ne G,urss here IS the Presidents
fovorite Of those in the South. He has
been ronirg here for the last four years
or so and he 10 best pleased whenever
Ne Il able 10 n.gJtiate the treacherous.
ssfl5us slx;h hola in ;. In getting 70
- green one mrst play over a huEe
marsh Par for tne hole rs !. a real
Noncsf-te-goodrees T. Mr. Harding
,nrs n,ade tso hole In l. T1at w1s two
tcars aeo. md H. rs more th,n anxious
- repcat the accomplishment. Although
lie has got : here several times
einco he has never been able TO get
tho 4.