Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-02
GOLF A TREASURE
TROVE FOR MASTERS
Of LINKS PASTIME
Earnings of Champions on
Four in America Reach
Big Figures.

London. Sept. IA supporting cor
RESPONDENT of the Morning Post says:
America has become the professional !
golfers Ell Dorado. Month by month
and wear by year the exodus of British
pl8vers to the States is steadily in
creasing. 1t is in America where the
big" money is. and it is not surprising
in view of heavy taxation and dwin-
ding incomes here. that there should
be a rush to share in the spons.
The statement volunteered by Wal
fer Hagen. the new British champion,
that his income, or earnings, purely
from golf during the next II months
will be $4,000 throws a piercing ray
of light upon the finance of the game
as viewed from the American stand
noint. No such sum has ever been
earned by any two British professionals
in anv one year. The fact that golf
has become a positive fever IN the
States largely accounts for the Gbllify
of certain famous golfers to earn sums
which a few years ago would have
been regarded as fabulous, and, indeed,
fantastic.
Let us examine the case of Hagen.
who confidently expects to increase his
bank balance by several thousands OF
pounds during the next II months.
He started life as a caddie IN an OBJ
scure inland club at Rochester, New
York, and by grit and perseverance,
combined with a natural gift for hitting
a golf ball. became resident protes-
sional ar the age of il years. Ambl-
ton eventually lured him 10 Chicago.
and. finally. he washed his hands of gof
as a primary means of livelihood and
launched his craft in the deep waters of
/ finance. He became a billbroker and a
dealer in stocks and shares, and it was
while engaged in these uuaccustomed
pursuits that he applied to the United
States Golf association for IN anna
teur status. II was refused.
Hagen and Kirkwood
1t is hardly necessary to inquire
how Hagen Jared in the maelstrom of
finance. but it is rather significant that
! stock promoting no longer interests
him. and that his first love-golf-
now claims his whole energies. AL
though attached to no club, he was the
most successful professional golfer IN
America last year. His income was on
a scale that would be regarded with
envy by most paid golfers in this coun.
try. His ambition has been crowned
by winning the British championship,
and he is now on a worlds o which
will take him to the ends of the earth
and produce the princely sum OF 800
900. In company with KirkwOod, the
Australian. who has thrown up his ap-
pointment. he will visit every civilized
country The grand tour will be so
timed that they are back in England
next June in time for the open cham
pionship ut Troon, on the west coast
of Scotland.
Nothing of the kind has ever before
been attempted in golf. 1t goes to
h.. rrh,A a triIo onnnui tho gam
| makes and what it% devotees are pre-
pared to pay to obtain supposed en-
lightenment from seeing other people
play it. There is now the spectacle of
four British professionals touring
America at the same time, but with
different itineraries, in pursuit OF dol
lars. Duncan and Mitchell have gone
as partners for the second year in sue
c%ession. j. II. Taylor and Alec Herd
have engaged in a similar venture.
Vardon would have gone If he could
have got Arthur Havers as a colleague,
Aubrey Boomer and ArnSud Massey
had fixed UP a partnership, but de-
cided to postpone the tour, peileVlng
there were so many people squeezing
the lemon that there were chances of
it running dry.
vardon and Ray Melted Fortune
These are very profitable undertak-
ings. For a -four months tour IN . :
Nardon and Ray netted, alter paying
double income tax-fJO0 of which was
paid in New York before they were
permitted to leave the country---oveI
5000 each. Last year Mitchell and
+ Duncan pocketed a similar sum, and
the assumption is that they will dc
the same this year. This is quite apart
:, from their earnings in this country
which must be fairly substantial.
t Golf is conducted on a far more ex-
! pensive scale in America than it is II
England. Only the United States could
/, support, or conceive, a scheme like the
Westchester- Biltmore club, near New
York. where the capital is $6,O00,OOO
and there are four 1S-hole courses. II
is the resort of m~illionaires. No won.
der that Marles Mayo, whom | met IL
) Paris recently, was able to save more
in the two years he was engaged at the