The Washington times., 1929-07-11

Most critics, and the majority of.
the golfing public. for that matter,
chortle over the defeat and supposed
chagrinl of us professionals. The
newspaper writer's have their merry
innings, and-welf. 1t seems to me
that it requires the experienced poise
of a Walter Hagen to weather the
more or less polite chorus of jeersi
Before the open, a newspaper ear
toonlst pictured me in the role Of
eclipsing .Jones--a flight OF artistic
imagination indeed, for this year at
least!
OF course, that sport picture
was drawn without my instiga-
tiOn or other knowledge. To
those who know their golf and
have a sense Of hunOr, that
eclipse cartoon was classified at
glance as an amusing bit Of
comic art.
But some took that cartoon Sc
riously. SO much so that reports we're
sent from the Winged Foot that
Jones himself had seen that amusing
eclipse drawing and that it steeled
his determination to explode its fal.
lacy. Which he did, OF course, by
tying for first with 294. while that
cartoons hero, your correspondent,
Jagged in tenth with rather ordi-
nary 302
Technically, | came in eighth in
that open. but there were two ties
ahead OF me, so was really in tenth
place-with little to cheer or weep
over, for that matter. Advance pub
licity had grouped me with the favor
ties through no effort of mine. In
deed, | sincerely figured would be
fortunate could l come within the
opens first six. The publicity did /
not mislead me, but 1t did arouse
great expectations elsewhere.
And so some critics are inclined to |
be more disappointed than / am over
my open scores. They stress alleged |
'over-golfing, weaknesses In play |
that ! mean to correct. and conclude |
that Smith is still a student of the !
game. Quite true, that latter point. |
l never thought otherwise, ''Phe.
nom" publicity never fooled this Mis-. |
sourian for a moment.
While ordinary, to be sure,
that 3O2 at Winged Foot really
pleased me, considering recent
reVerSals Of form which were
painfully evident In my practice
rounds ut MamarOneek. A trjfIe
mere steadineSS and could have
broken 800, which was my only
practical hope at the start Of the
three days play there.
Over the course which foiled such |
real masters as Walter Hagen and |
Johnnie Farrell and which at times |
few stumbling blocks /
for even Bobby Jones, | would be
to the fates themselves I
were to moan over that S02 score.
Nor do / favor that over golfed''
alibi presented by well meaning par. +
ties who keep saying: You've been
playing >too much, Horton"
True, since returning with the I
Ryder Cup team from abroad, Ha.
gen and | played II exhibitions be.
tween June 10 and Is in various
cities. But for 'one of my age.
physique, temperament. and love Of
he game that should not be "over.
solfing."
AAS 1Vlu AaCb - That dH ROIeES
set "Off" their characteristic game
1T times and so-for no special rea.
son--T seemed to be a bit ''off'' dur
ng most Of the open.
Next t0 the splendid showing OF
Jones, which was expected by ex.
perts and public alike, my keen.
est memories Of the fine sport Mt
Winged Foot are regrets over the
sad slips 0f Farrell and Hagen the
ill-fated clOse-tO-VietOry threats Of
Shute, SaraGen and Armour, and
an unfOrgettable impression Of
the fine sportsmanship Of Al Es.,
pirOas 50 game in defeat when