Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-16
PRACTICE: ROUNDS
TOOK THEIR TOLL
Albanian Used Up Too Much
of His Game Prior to
Tourney Start.
BY FRANCIS J. POWERS.

Much explaining will be done
over the coming Winter for the
defeat of Bobby Jones in the
first round Of the national anna
teur golf championship at Pebble Beach.
The obvious explanation is that in
Johnny Goodman the Georgian met q
golfer who for one round was his supe-
rior. But the golf world knows that
day in and day out Jones could give
Goodman strokes and beat him. So the
explanation must 60 further.
The fact is that Bobby Jones was
beaten by the CalifornianS' unStinted
admiration for his game. From the mo-
ment he arrived In Los Angeles, some
10 days in advance Of the champion
ship, until he was beaten by Goodman
his appearance on a course was the
signal for the immediate gathering OF
golf followers.
Really Exhibitions.
His practice rounds became exhibited
matches, and it was seldom he played
with fewer than 2.000 interested specta-
tors trudging at his heels. And Jones
vas too much of q champion and too
much Of a Snowman to do other than
give his galleries the very best shots he
could make. Consequently he left too
much Of his golf on the fairways Of Los
Angeles courses and Pebble Beach before
the opening guns Of the championship
were hred.
Jones reached the peak of his game
on the Friday preceding the champion
ship. That day he blistered Pebble
Beach with q So, and was in the finest
form Of his life Had the tournament
opened on that day, Jones probably still
- .H~~ 0v,f ali f~
odd game, and its flnesse comes and
goes without warning. Between Friday
and the following Wednesday Jones had
lost the keenneSs of his touch and
played without inspiration.
Perhaps it is true that Jones took
Goodman q bit too lightly. Had he
been thrown against Tolley, Willing or
some other famous star in the opening
round, he unquestionably would have
started under a full head of steam.
But he seemed a bit slack when he
started against the Omaha youngster,
and staked Johnny to a margin he could
not overcome.
Shows He Is Stale.
Evidence of Jones' staleness best was
shown on the thirteenth and fourteenth
holes. On the short thirteenth he stuck
o ball into the back of q sand trap,
from where he had to play an almost
impossible shot from q hanging lie.
Then he proceeded to pop an easy ap-
proach shot on the fourteenth into q
wide trap. Had he played those two
holes with his usual dexterity, he I'M
questionably would have broken even
the wooden.faced Goodman. The gal
lery lnomentarily expected Jones to un-
leash volley Of his incompatible shots
and knock Goodman from the lead after
the first four holes had been played, and
Bobby tried hard. But Steleness had
shackled his skill, particularly on the
green's. where Calamity Jane seemed to
lack power In cupping the ball.
Jones Ii followed by a peculiar run
of luck In his bids for the American
championship. Since 1928 he has won
the national open every third year. and
twice he has won te amateur on sue
cessive years. only to stumble when
faced with the opportunity Of breaking
q S3-year-old record.
Defeat ut Pebble Beach already has
made Jones keen for the coming Of the