New Britain herald., 1928-05-10
'SWEETSER GOLF
 PRODUCT 0F EAST
First Had Thoughts Of Becoming
 Baseball Star

New York, May 10 R - Jess Sweetser. former amateur golf champion of the United States and the only native born American who has won the amateur championship Of Great Britain, is a product of eastern golf, In the south and west he was a baseball player.
 Y have played golf since ! was about l. years old" said Sweetser, but never gave much serious at tention to tha game until I came east to live. In Kentucky, where l was born. ' played baseball and at St. Louis, my next residence. l still liked baseball more than golf.
 I'm the east. there is not room for baseball, SO I had to give up thoughts Of becoming a major league star and then had more time for golf, with some running on the side. l thought was quite a sprint CT but pulled a tendon at Yale and could not run any more. The base ball season was too far gone to try 10 do any serious playing there. so then specialized on golf and have maiore1 in that sport ever since"
 Pitcher and Catcher
 What position did you play in hasehall?" Jess was asked.
 Pitcher and catcher"
 It was suggested that the com h'na'1on was a hit unusual Well, Non Soc,' thn golf star explained. my older brother was a pitcher too, and when ] played with his gang, he invoked tho seniority rule and forced me to catch. When he was not in the Eamo. I pitched"
 The specializat ton in golf bore almost immediate results for in l9-o, STeetsnr won the intercol- leglate championship for Yale. He had failed 10 qualify in the national amateur in 1919 but the momentum or his college triumph the next year carried him into the amateur event and 10 the third round, whore h" WAS defeated by Fred Wrieht, In 1921, ho again moved on 10 the third round in the amateur where h" ran into Chick Evans and there after joined the gallery for the rest of tho championship.
 Jess is one month younger than Bobby Jones but he beat the great Atlanta golfer to 3. national title by winning the amateur in 1922. Bobby did not start his string of successes until the following year.
 All the kentuckian had to do was dispose Of Willie Hunter, for mer British amateur champion Jess Gnilford, defending title hold CT, Bobby Jones himself and Chick Evans, who six years before had hold both open and amateur titles at the same time.
 Almost Repeated
 sNeetser came within a hairs breadth of repeating. for in 1923 he went along with Max Marston 10 the 3Sth green in the finals where the fifth stylnie of the match laid him low and gave the title 10 the Philadelphia star.
 His greatest golf1ng triumph was the capture of the British amateur in 1926. Not only did he have 10 defeat RenNick. Ouimet. MacCor- mack, Cave, Scott and Brownlow, but he had 10 fight against in1u- enza and a, sprained knee all the way, and an injured wrist from the $cmi-tnal 10 the end.
 The British amateur cup Ina visited the United States o2 years before in the custody of Walter J.. Travis, but Travis was a. native of Australia. so Sweetser was the first home bred to bring back the cup with him.
 This was a costly triumph for Sweetser. He paid for it with a years absence from the game and some anxious moments for his health. He found the cold. followed by influenza, hard to shake of and he returned home very sick nan.
 III Last Year
 
 As a consequence of his long ill., ness, he played no important golf last year. but by watching his step and spending many months in the south. he is fit again and ready for an ambitious come back campaign this year.
 Jess expects to play on the Wal kcr cup team at Chicago, enter the gold mashic tournament at New port and try to win the amateur title again at Brae Burn.
 "I would like 10 play in the open, too." said the big fellow with the pleasant smile. and it's not my health keeps mo out It's business. I cant spare the time" Jess is q broker and is very busy every day but Sunday from the opening until tho close of the stock exchange.
 Next year l probably will try to qualify in the open when it will be played in the cast"
 Sweetscr today is playing IS good golf as ever. He Is hitting a long hall from the toe and playing his shots to the green as only Jess and few others have learned