The Washington herald., 1922-12-18

son. who Will tour with Sarazen
champion, who is partne
The fight between these four
alone should be well worth travel
ing a long distance to see This
tournament will be Sarazen's first
competition since his overthrow Of
Hagen and his subsequent operation.
and all link followers will be watch
ing the 21-year-old champion eager
ly and curiously. Everybody will
be wanting to know II Sarazen is
going to continue his monopoly Of
these competitions.
SARAZEN IN CONDITION.
The champion himself says that
he Is feeling as tit as ever and ap-
parently retains all OF his conf
dence. He says that he IL playing
all Of his shots as usual. but that
he hasn't recovered his full effec-
tiveness with the drive as yet. That
Is due. he explains. to the fact
that he has played no golf to
speak Of since October and is nat
urally a little stiff
1T put my whole body into the
swing on the drive" said Sarazen
one day last week. explaining his
case. land just at present I am a
bit stiff But ! feel fine and after
! work out that stiffness, which will
take me only a few days. I'll be
hitting the bali as well as I ever
did"
To those who saw SaraEen in his
exhibition here at Potomac Park
recently he was the same hard
hitting. confident youngster he was
the day he beat Hagen.
HAGEN PLAYING WELL
Hagen appears to be travelling at
top speed. In any event. Hagen.
who 10 now in San Francisco,
seems to be ready for the meeting
OF his rivals in the California open.
1t is not unlikely that the vet
eran John Black, who came within
one stroke OF tying Sarazen at
Skokie. will be a competitor in this
tournament also. Shortly after his
return to Oakland, Cal. last sum-
mer Black was badly injured in an
automobile accident and played no
golf the rest of the year. He made
his temperance on the links a
few days ago in a match against
Hagen and Kirkwood. but. accord
ing to those who saw the contest,
he was far from being in fit condi-
tion for swift tournament.
1t is quite possible. of course,
that , Sarazen, Hutchison, Hagen
and Kirkwood will all be beaten out
for the title. which Jim Barnes
holds at present. This meeting was
held on the Wiltshire course in Los
Angeles last year and the Pelham
star walked in leading his nearest
opponent by twelve strokes.
Outside of these four It would seem
as il Eddie Loos. of Chicago. or Abe
Espinosa. Of Oakland, had the best
chance. Both are first class golfers
who know the course well and who
are experienced In medal play com
petition.
There is a lad named Harold Samp-
son, who caddied for Jim Barnes at
one time, who IL likely to do well
Sampson 10 built like Barnes and
has copied long Jim's golf swing
He has shown steady improvement
the last few years and is about ready
to take his place among the leaders
in the game.
EDDIE TRAUBE LONG DRIVER
Eddie Traube is another who has all
the earmarks Of a coming champion.
Long driving is Traube's forte, but
his game in other respects is quite
good and generally steady. Poor
putting cost him his chance last year
when he was fighting 1t out with
Hutchison.
Another youngster who must be
figured in the list Of possibilities is
Morte Dutro, a rangy lad who car
hit them a mile. Dutro showed cor
siderable promise last winter In bot!
the Northern and Southern tourna'
ments.
Macdonald Smith must always be
reckoned with In California tourna.
ments. But Smith has Just gone
and got himself married and It II not
as yet known what he Is going to dc
with his golf game.
The amateurs who are likely to be
in the running for top honors are
Jack Neville. who knows the San
Francisco course like O mariner
knows the ways and wiles of the
seas: DR.. Paul Hunter, Of Los An
geles; Young Johnny McHugh. Of San
Franoisoo, and Ted Wright, formsrly
Re 1oston. bsst pON oe Los Ancsass