The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-22
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TIE Ten Best Amateurs


who are Americas 10 foremost
amateur golfers?
have been asked to list these
players in one-two order. 1 am GLAD
to do SO, though it is a difficult task
The fact is you can take the first 10
amateur golfers in America and as
YOU contemplate their names before
you on paper the thought will oc-
cur to you, as 1t has to me, that one
is about as good a player as another
The matter of opinion must OF
necessity project itself into the job
of placing these men one against an
other. l hesitate to express such
opinions because of personal feelings
in the matter and because of my OWL
consciousness that l am golf player
more than a golf critic. l would like
to see Bernard Darwin, the great
English golf critic, take the time 10
list our first 10 amateurs and cite
his reasons for his selections. II
would be Interesting to see how his
choices compared with my own;
The Ten Rest
However, here is my list of the
first 10 amateur> golfers in America
l. Jess Sweetser, national amateur
champion; metropolitan champion.
2. Robert T. Bobby Jones, south
ern amateur champion.
8. Rudolph (Rudy) Kneeper, trans
Mississippi amateur champion.
4. Francis Ouimet. former nationa
amateur and national open champion
5. Robert Gardner. twice nationa
amateur champion.
G. Jesse Guilford, national amateur
champion in 1921.
Z. John G. Anderson, New York.
8. w. C. Fownes, Jr., Pittsburs.
g. Jack Neville, San Francisco.
10. Edward Held, national public
links champion.
Jones Loses Place
Last year 1 picked Jones as Amer
ica's best amateur player. but Sweet
ser must be given preference this
year by right of might. Sweetser not
only is the champion, but in winning
the championship he defeated Jones
This he accomplished despite the
fact that Jones shot perfect golf dur
ing their match at Brookline. Sweet
ser was called upon for super golf
and he delivered it. Any fair minded
critic, therefore. must regard Sweet
ser as Just a little bit better thar
Jones. And I say Just a little Bit
better" because it would not be pos
sible to be better than. Jones by any
widre margin, as 1 think Sweetsel
himself would admit.
Sweetser has the same youth thai
Jones has and If anything he has
more physical strength than the
stocky Bobby. Sweetser Is giant Of
boy, -blooded Anglo-Saxor
from the mountains of Kentucky. He
is what the Piedmont section would
call mountain man. His big, hand
some, straight physical makeup an
nounces to all who behold him that
here is q mountaineer come down
into the lowlands for look around
Began at st. Louis
While Sweetser came from TODD
county, Kentucky, he began his goli
at an early age in st. Louis. His
game developed remarkably within
the last few years. He Is our only
amateur champion ever to take the
title on the jump. His first time up
he copped. as the saying goes, where
as all the rest of us had to go through
the many years of near-wins before
we finally captured the cup.
Sweetser was never near cham
pion. He got ready in 1922 and wher
he came on he moved down every
thing in front of him and Jack
Dempseyed his path to the title. send
ing out all his competition feet first
Sweetse- looks to me like the best
playing amateur golfer in the worlo
today.
Copyright. John F. Ollie COD