Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-02
FOURTH OF GAME
IN FRED'S OPINION
Successful Run-Up and Putt
Save From 2 to 8 Strokes
a Round, He Thinks.
BY WALTER r. McCALLUM.

UST how important is the
chip shot in this matter of
~ scoring on any golf course?
Fred Mcleod thinks it
amounts to about Is per cent of
the game, and that, taken to-
gether, the successful chip and
putt will result in the saving of
anywhere from two to eight
strokes in the course of a round
of golf.
Fred Mcleod himself is a master of
the chip shot, and it does not matter
bunkerS are all alike to the little mas
ter from Columbia, for he plays the
chip shot from sand almost as well as
he plays it from a bed of grass
We asked Fred Mcleod, who has
played In more major championships
than any professional golfer about
washington. about the play of the
first-class amateurs to the green on a
hard para hole-a hole of around 430
yards for example. How many of 100
good amateur golfers will put their Sec
ond shots on the green under normal
conditions?" We asked the Columbia
mentor, who has seen them all come
and go over the last two decades and
u one Of the keenest analysts and golf
students.
Short Shot Is Decisive.
Freddy pondered a while and an
eWered: Il think, under normal con-
oltlons, where the tee shot don't run up
10 500 yards and the second shot is q
1arly long iron shot, that out of 100
eood amateurs not so per cent of them
would be on the green with the second
shot. That would leave around 40 per
cent either chipping from the fairway
IN front OF the green, from a bunker at
the side or in front or chipping from
rough on either side or at the back.
ana that spot is just where nerve con-
troll and skill, brought about by constant
practice, is just where the leaders do
their winning. The man who hasn't his
nerves under control or who does not
nave the chip shot under control is
going TO lose that hole and a stroke to
shot well in control"
we've watched Jones on many of his
ROUNDS where the Atlanta marvel was
missing the greens with his second
shot, and we asked Freddy about how
Bobby scored under such circumstances.
That Is where Bobby burns 'em up"
Mcleod replied. Bobby is human. lust
like any other golfer, and he misses
the green with his medium irons as
often as any golfer of first rank. But
he burns 'en up from around the edges
OF the green's. He is the greatest chip
per and putter of short puts in. the
game today. That is where he scores
and where he takes up the slack in his
game, where the other boys fail. Cou-
pied with his unusual ability to chip
is Jones skill in holing the puts from
feet down. where so many Of the boys
miss and lose the stroke that Jones
picks up"
Evans a Poor Putter.
We asked Freddy about Chick Evans, the
old master of the irons, who many believe
would still be the kingpin amateur of
the world had he been given Jones
putting ability. Chick would miss the
green fewer times than Bobby" Freddy
said, "but he couldn't come anywhere
near Bobby on the green. Even in his
best days Chick would miss as MANY
or 8 footers as he would hole And
those same or 8 footers would beat
him In a match against Bobby. Even
where Jones missed the green with his
would lay that chip stone dead"
Chick used to be gracious enough to
play an occasional round with us, out In
Chicago, where the affable Evans grew
up, and We can truthfully say that the
play Of Jones up to the putting greens,
Gay In ana day out, is not as good
today, when he is at his peak, as was
that Of Evans back in the decade from
1910 to 1920, when the Chicago master
was at his best. Chick could chip and
chip well, but after the chip he forgot
what to do with the ball. From an
equal distance off the putting green
Chick might put his chip inside that of
Jones, but Jones would hole the putt
and Chick would be apt to forget what
he came there for.
So, If what Freddy Mcleod says about
chipping is the unvarnished truth, it
might pay the members of the 90 and
over brigade to learn how to chip and
putt. Particularly when it is considered
that their more skillful brethren who
are consistently below 76 need the chip
and putt to score as they do. And right
on that point. we asked Freddy what Is
the main difference between the men
who go over 80 and those who usually
slide under that mark 1T hinges on
the chip and putt" Freddy said. The
man who is scoring well is chipping and
holing the putt. The man who is not
scoring is not taking rs and IS. He is
not chipping and putting That is where
the scoring is done, from spot rs yards
from the hole and down"