The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-04-11
5 | ALKING
1T OVER
WITH JOE WILLIAMS
WITH JOE WILLIAMS

NEW YORK, April IA team
~ Of American professional golf
ers sailed for England late Wednes-
dav TO play a team of British pro-
fessionaI golfers in defense OF the
international trophy known as the
Ryder cup. The team has several
things TO recommend it. One OF
which is it's straight forWardness,
So far as I have been able to learn
neither Walter Hagen, the captain,
nor any of his men has announced
that the expedition was arranged
for the purpose Of creating good
will. developing international amity,
and furthering the world peace.
On the contrary Hagen has
openly confessed an enthusiastic
desire to kick the pants off those
fellows again" Plainly, so far as
nc is concerned. this adventure is
TO be nothing more nor less than
an attempt to prove that the
American pitch shot is superior
to the British roll up.
SOMEHOW THE PROFESSIONALS
sEFM TO GET ALONG BETTER ON The
OTHER SIDE THAN TIE AMATEURS.
POSSIBLY THE FRbNKNESS OF THEIR
ATTITUDE HAS MUCH TO DO WITH IT.
you NEVER HEAR THEM PRATTLE
ABOUT GOOD WILL OR OTHER FORMS
on DIPLOMATIC HOOEY.
OFF hand I have no recollection
~ of anv international profess
s!onal competition that ended in an
embarrassing row. To be sure there
haven't been as many professional
events as amateur, but there have
been several.
On the other hand it is extra
ordinary when an important
amateur meet involving COM
petitors from several nations does
not produce an OdOrOuS kettle of
ecIs. The Olympic games, for in
stance. Heads have actually been
cracked in controversies arising
from them.
WHERE The AMATEURS ARE CON-
CERNED THERE ARE MANY ANGLES TO
BE CONSIDERED. AND A SURPRISING
LIZ BIG PERCENTAGE OF THESE TOUCH
UPON AND APPERTAIN TO FINANCES.
Il
HERE again the invading pro-
j L fesSional team stands out in a
manner quite worthy of the atten-
ton of all who are interested in
trying to establish the elusive guam
tity which separates a professional
from an amateur.
1t costs $4,000 to send the pro-
fcsSional abroad, and more than
hrcc-fOurths of this sum was
made up by the players them
selves as the result of exhibition
matches. The rest came in the
form If incidental subscriptions.
The u. S. G. A., I think, donated
$4,000. and there we're other SINH
lar coin clinkingS.
THUS THE PROFESSIONALS ARE
PRACTICALLY PAYING THEIR OWN
WAY TO ENGLAND AND BACK WHICH
Is MORE THAN THE AMATEURS DO.
SINCE THEIR EXPENSES ARE PROVIDED
BY THE GOLF BODY. 7 DON'T KNOW
WHAT THIS MAKES THE PROFESSIONAL
GOLFERS PERHAPS IT MAKES THEM
UPER-ANfATEURS.
THIS Is Just another phase Of
L the bewildering amateur-pro-
feSsional problem. I confess the
deeper I get into it the more con-
fused I become, and the harder it
is for me to accept without reserVa-
tons the doctrine that an amateur
is just simply swell and that a pro-
fessional is Just something else.
or course professional golf is
different from other professional
sports. And i'll a sense so is
amateur golf different from other
amateur sports. The officials and
the individuals seem to do things
little bit more sanely and less
SelfiShJy in golf than in the other
sports where the line separating
the saIaricd player from the I'M
Salaried PLAYER is definitely