Imperial Valley press., 1927-06-15
By MARY X. BROWNE
UNITED Press Staff Correspondent


OAKMONT COUNTRY CLUB,
Oakmont. Pa. June lJ.-As follow
Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen i'll
their rounds over the hazardous
Uakm0nt course in the National
Open golf tournament, | see much
Of interest to me, golf nut. and
an avid seeker Of tips.
The first thing that | noticed a
bout Bobby was his weight. Being
trained to view an athlete who is
overweight a. not being fit, | be
gan thinking of weight in connec-
tion with golf, Then looked at
Walter Hagen, who is stout.
Then talked with Johnny Farrel
on the subject and he said 81 am
irving IT, pat on some weight. :
Well, | have discovered that in golf,
weight is an asset. for il gives Il
good solid foundation to hit against.
Think Of not having TO watch and
diet and keep down!
The next thing noticed was that
Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen Just
keep their hands in their pockets,
out of the rain, until they were
ready to play their shots.
Women tried cotton gloves, but |
think a couple of baggy pockets
would suit them better.
Then both Walter and Bobby had
on sweat shirts. When YOU think
about it. these are far more sensible
than hot ruStly, baggy rain coats.
In cold, rainy weather such as
prevailed during the first day at
Oakmont they use several balls and
change frequently, carrying the ex-
ira ones iii their pockets to keep
them warm and lively.
know that the cold and damp
ness has decided effect on a ten.
his ball but | thought the golf ball
was impcrvious. Apparently not.
Bobby used three on his first round.
Use Wooden Tees
never saw a single PLAYER go to
the sandboX. All of them use the
manufactured wooden tees which
are infinitely easier and more uni
form and won I melt in the rain
While the players ignored the sand
in the boxes, all were obliged To
bow to the sand in the traps.
Bobby Jones tees his ball rather
high, the top half of the ball being
above his driver head, as the club
j. grounded. Hagen tees his lower,
the top quarter just above the driv-
r head. cannot say that Hagen
got more distance. His ball has Il
lower are than Bobby's S but the ul-
innate destination was very much
the same, both splitting the fairway,
or the "prctty' as our English Wis
tors call it.
In playing their wooden clubs on
the fairways, noticed that both
these long hitters get down to earth.
They do not take a divot naturally
| but they take off the grass and
bare the earth under the ball. My
| own failing is either to dig too deep
| with my woods or take them too
| clean, and in either case the shot is
spoiled.
J Neither of these players took
| more than three or four practice
! swings on their rounds and usually
these were on their chip shots. There
is no rule as yet against practice
swings, but the PLAYERS think it
slows up the game and therefore
won't indulge.
Both Bobby Jones and Walter Ha-
gen are ultra-deliberate.
They study every shot. Bobby
usually lines up his putt from be,
hind his ball, while Hagen looks at
it from the hole TO the ball, from
behind the ball to the hole and some,
times from the side. II at any time
| something distracts them, they
walk away from their bah until
| things are settled
Carries Plenty of Clubs
incidentally, Jones carries II
| clubs--four wooden clubs, an extra
driver, "a spoon and brassie. He has