The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-24
cHApTRR rIFrEEN

Before I relate my adventures in the British open of 1922, want to take the opportunity of answering a question which has often been put to me: "What was the best shot you ever played?" If had received this query prior to the spring of 1921 I would have been forced to deliberate at some length on the matter. In the North and South championship of that year, however, ] made a shot on the last hole of the first round which think was one of my best by long odds.
 A Problem
 had hooked my drive badly and the ball found a terrible spot in which to hide. After looking at the wretched little pill, sandwiched in between the underbrush of a thicket of pines and a couple of half-grown trees, was half sorry the ball was found at all. How to get out without losing more than a shot was the question that worried me. Surely 1t could not be done with a right-handed club. Only golfers who have visited the rough at Pinehurst can ever appreciate what good or bad luck can befall a golfer who strays from the straight and narrow path.
 I must thank Joe Kirkwood, the Australian wizard and trick shot ex- pert, for a brilliant idea that flashed into my head. had seen Joe turn his mashie-niblick upside down and play the club left-handed. I could hit the ball from the left-hand side easy enough, but to extricate it from the sand and pine cones was a different proposition. Anyway, was determined to have try at it at any cost.
 Daring Saves Score
 took careful aim, let fly at the ball, and, much to my amazement, saw it fly out as sweetly and as neatly as if I had played one of my very best mashie shots from grassy lie through the fairway. Straight as an arrow 1t travelled, 150 yards, heading for the sand green. There was a trifle too much cut on the ball evidently and it dropped thirty yards short of the pin, but 1t was most satisfactory indeed, as from this position was enabled to chip to the hole and gather in my nuch-needed par four. Instead of a six or seven, I had made par on the hole and saved rather poor score from rack and ruin.
 A few days later at Columbia, in the American open, luck was with me again on a shot that I consider even more remarkable, although this time I was able to execute 1t with my regu- lar right-hand stance and without hav- ing to resort to turning my club topsy- turvy.
 Four Trees Block Path While playing the fifteenth hole in the fourth round of this event,I hooked the ball badly and landed close to the sixteenth green. Four big trees com pletely blocked my path to the pin at the fifteenth. There is small brook running in front of both greens, and almost any shot that might play had more than a good chance of fin ishing in the water, which meant an additional, penalty stroke.
 Nt1on xrroa oh nI1 10Vrava 1ek of this young forest, but the first tree was so tall I could not lift the ball over 1t and get the desired distance. apparently had but one way out, and this was to play the ball back on the fairway. from which I had strayed, thereby losing only one shot.
 Now I was fighting hard to over take Long Jim Barnes and get big ger slice of the prize money and, if possible, didn't want to lose any more shots than necessary. There was one thing that I-could do, providing I could play my fnashie-niblick accurate ly enough, and this was to put the ball through a little opening in the first tree.
 Accepts The Risk
 This opening was hardly more than six feet square, yet it looked tempting. I decided to accept the risk, knowing full well that if the ball went astray I was done for and my score on the hole would be at least six. The shot came off to perfection. I not only hit the bullseye dead center, but played with enough force to clear the other trees and reach the green. The ball came to rest close to the pin and I registered a birdie three, receiving a round of applause from the gallery, who had gathered at this point to watch the players as they came past.
 I might do 1t again once in 8 hum dred times, but the fact remains that it came off as had planned on this occasion, and the saving of three strokes earned $50 for me in the posi- ton gained at the finish. It does not always pay to take such desperate chances, but there are times when the playing of freak shot will save, the day. And, as I said in a previous chapter, the golfer who has tested his fair idea of his chances when such an opportunity occurs.
 Learned He Lesson As these incidents may Indicate, I was fairly well up on my game that summer and felt, if could hold it, that British open the following spring. It was to be held on the course at Sand wick, where the wind blows a gale at times; and in preparation for these conditions I went to Cuthbert Butchart and had him make me some clubs that would produce a low ball. My experi- ence at Deal had taught me a lesson and was determined to leave no stone unturned to win.
 Tomorrow (cOncIuding); "The British Open in Q Gale" claiming the penalty for Illegal inter