The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-07-05
SAY
/, HAGE.

NEW YORK, July g.. Walter
Hagen. American professional golf
champion, declared today that he
had never enjoyed q golfing scam-
pagin more than his recent visit to
the British isles, that he always
looked forward to returning to the
courses OF the Old World, that re-
marks he made In the only inter-
view he had with British newspaper
writer's had been garbled by one
critic, and that this particular
article, being the most ensational,
was the only one cabled to America.
He issued the following statement
a. his version Of the affair:
II arrived in Great Britain June
8. and played golf practically every
day until the Auuitania sailed June
rs. The only interview had with
newspaper correspondents was iI11-
mediateIy following the champion.
ship, in the Majestic Hotel, ct st.
Anne's.
II did not volunteer any iaforma.
ton, and merely answered ques-
lions which were asked by George
Greenwood. Of the London TeIe-
graph. and other writers.
e Is f
81 was asked why the British
players had not done better and
what effect ] thought seven
ten In the British ODen would
have on international golf.
s.T replied that I thought the
Americans saved more shots than
the British players when within
pitching distance Of the cup, and
especially on the green's, where
the Americans were always Civ
ing the bali rap for the hole,
hoping for q birdie. / said
thought American amateurs worked
harder at their game than British
amateurs and played more golf
with professionals than the British
ana that this helped to improve
their game. All of this had been
said many times before by British
golf writers-by Harry Vardon, BY
J.. II. Taylor, by Harold Hilton and
others.
EN- regard to- seven Americana
In the first ten, said that this
was an unfortunate outcome for IN
transitional golf and that the Brit
ish should by all means send Is or
20 of their best professionals to
America next year to compete n
the American open championship,
and that nothing had done more
to create interest In golf than Ia.
.ternationaI competition.
"This was the extent Of the
interview and my conversation
with Greenwood and the other
hnwa was VnnRk friendly
EFT appears that one London
writer translated my remarks so
that it appeared by the time this
particular cable reached America
that I had climbed on a soapbox
following the championship and ex-
claimed that the British were gosh
darn lazy and that Americans
wouldn't 20 back because there was
no competition It seems to me
that really discerning editorial wri-
tiers in this country would have
known that gosh darn il not the
sort Of expression used by Ameri-
cans. except on the stage, and that
it might be used by q British writer
anxious to give his article what
he would consider a Yankee flavor.
II make mistakes, and was sorry
that I arrived late for the second
half of the Mitchell match, although
this affair was not as bad as it was
painted, and the British papers, with
one exception, hardly mentioned 1t.
I was taken to st. Georges Fiji by
q London friend in his car. told
my friend lie we left the hotel In the
Strand by $50 we could make Il
easily, but the traffic between the
hotel and Hammersmith Saturday
morning was 20 times what it had
been the previous Sunday and we
arrived at the club at 10:40, just 10
minutes late.
''Maior Mines. secretary Of the
club, met us and told me there was
no hurry. that q great many peO-
ple were still coming In. The
match started at 1855.
ct have made six trips to Britain,
and / hope to make as many more,
and I have always done my best To
represent America as it should b
represented, yet twice / have .re-
turned to America to find that have
been banned, once for false report,
that I said would never return.
and this year because the interview
I have explained was translated into
the meaningless statement that the
British were too gosh darn lazy and
the Americans wouldn't return to
Great Britain because there was no
competition.