The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-14
Hagen Finds
 Jinx Can Be
 Chased Off
Champion Tells How Trip With Barnes Helped Him
 Find His Game
BY WALTER HAGEN

tcesyrisht. Is24, United states. sauad. and Great
 Britain by North Amsris.n .lss Ns"''sTsr AL
 rights reserved)
 Former American. British and Preach spen cham.
 pion. twice American title helder and present
 Florida open and Texas open.
 When got back to Rochester late in the fan of 1914, after winning my first medal and first title in the Chicago tournament, I felt that my life's work was done. I had reached the "pinochle of success" as Ben Welsh used to say. Al Christie had told me that it might be years before I could expect to win a big tournament and yet I had, in some miraculous way, done just that. Unlike most professionals, I had won title while playing from my home town-I was born and brought up in Rochester, as I mentioned before-and the home folks gave me a rousing well come.
 Didn't Wish To Spoil Him
 One of the first to greet me was dear of my winning as though he had cap tured the event himself. Al explained later that he was afraid to tell me ex- actly what he thought of my golf be- fore I went to Chicago, as he said too much praise is bad for youngster. He. thought it was better to let me fight out my battle for recognition without any preconceived ideas about my faults and virtues. And l guess he was right.
 I was a proud lad. If anyone had told me then that I was to have the good fortune of winning every big title played for in the world it would have left me totally unimpressed-like tell ing the President that he is destined, one day, for a seat in the House or Representatives. My goal was achieved.
 Not long ago I had occasion to check over my collection of trophies, representing the British, French and American opens, the North and Soutn, Western, Metropolitan, Florida, Massa- chusetts, New York, Eastern, Texas and Pan-American, most of which cham pionships I have won twice and some three times; but that medal of my first victory seems little different from all the rest-still holds a thrill of re- membrance all it's own.
 Interest Grows ThreeFold
 A champion is always in position to make considerable money playing exhibition matches, and during the fol- lowing months I got quite little to do in that line; but 1t was nothing like the money a champion makes today. guess golf Is about three times as popular in this country now as 1t was then. A well-known player today has all sorts of inducements to cash in, if he cares to exploit himself-signing testimonials for tonics, hair oils, grass seed, Snappy Kut Klothes, everything imaginable-as well as the legitimate use of his name or mark of preference on golf articles and athletic goods. I have always been chary of this sort of thing and have never lent my name to anything which l did not sincerely feel had been of value to me and might be of value to others. A fairly successful golf pro makes very comfortable liv- i ago 5000 was a difficult annuity.
 $I, 900 Prize Offered-Gee!
 That fall of 1914 Jim Barnes came down for visit. We played together in few exhibitions and tournaments and I started a nice little bank &C., i count. Later in the winter. announce ment was made of the Pan-American championship, an event that caused all the boys to sit up and take notice, as a thousand dollar prize was awaiting the winner. This purse was four times as much as the U. s. G. A. put up and was well worth crossing the continent to compete for.
 It looked good to Jim and myself and we planned to make the journey. l had never travelled much up until the fall of 1914, except for occasional trips to the Adirondacks, where l went each year for hunting.
 I might mention here that a season never goes by but that I spend at least a week in the woods with my dog and gun. Every golfer should have a side-line sport to take his mind off the game. It is the best antidote I know for the player who gets stale or overgoIfed. Alex Smith, for example. is a great soccer football player; Joe Kirkwood excels at "snooker" pool; I,1 n Vo1 pn1, by Cruickshank has a great fondness for the cinder patch.
 Lessons Never Seem To End
 The long trip to the Pacific was wonderful experience for me. Barnes and myself were well received on the coast. Jim was from Tacoma at that time, and, although he had never visit ed California, he had many ac- quaintances there.
 I will never forget that tournament, for it taught me one more lesson about the game whose lessons never seem to end. Prior to the start of the tourna- ment, Jim and I played a great deal strange reason I simply could not get my game going. Nothing went right, it seemed. and the constant hard luck began to get on my nerves. Jim vowed 1 wouldn't have chance of getting in the money the way I was hitting the ball and suggested that unless l set tied down I wouldn't finish any place. tried not to get discouraged, how ever, as I felt that every poor shot would be my last. I kept on practicing right up to the day of play. The first round started, and, while I was rather unsteady, I noticed that my shots kept getting better as I,went along. Pres ently, for no apparent reason, I felt a subtle mental change come over me; my old confidence came back, over tense muscles relaxed and I began to play with my former accuracy. My my utter surprise l won the tourna- with considerable ease.
 The truth of the matter was that I had not come on to my game until have since watched many famous golf play only to fall woefully by the way sportsman has these off moments. l don't know how to explain them, un- less they are purely temperamental ob- sessions. Actors experience them; there is an old saying that poor dress rehearsal means a good first per formance. I have learned to make al lowances for them and not be dis couraged while the jinx is on
 In the following summer of 1915, this sudden reversal of form did Gil Nichols out of a championship at the national open at Baltusrol
 Tomorrow: How Many in one?"
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