Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-22
DESIRED Coin, TIME
AND TO AID OTHERS
Emperor Follows Lead Of
Several Who Quit at
Height Of Fame,
BY cRANTLAND RICE.

"A n ANY factors are involved in
MI the competitive retirement
Of Bobby Jones.
There IL little question
that he had definitely made up his
mind after Merton and the big
cleanup TO drop out of champion
chip golf for 1891, and possibly for
all time. AS much as he liked the
thrill Of competition he felt that
he could no longer AFFORD TO give
up the time to get ready for q
championship test against those
who were ready to so the route.
The pressure had grown too heavy
for any one who had another PROBES
sion to follow for . living. When
Warner Bros. handed him the propo-
sition Of making series q instruc-
tive golf reels there were three main
ideas that predominated.
Three Good Reasons.
1. Tha financial side that was en-
tirely too important to be dieregarded.
2. The fact that he could see no
Wide gap between writing instructive
articles, accepted Is the gospel Of the
correct WING. ana making series Of
Instructive talking pictures, where ne
merely brought the written WORD TO lie.
8. The feeling that it would be pleas
ant work and something he would Ike
to do for the great army OF golfers
STRUGGLING TO improve their play
Naturally, the first consideration was
the most Important. Yet don't Pc
lieve Bobby Jones would have consids
cred the financial side unless he had
first decided to retire. I say this,
knowing that only two or three years
ago he refused to even consider offers
that would have Melted him over $780,
900 q year. His only answer was, mot
Interested" and that ended the debate.
Having concluded his time ct compete
tive play, he figured the situation was
entirely different.
It Is no easy matter TO quit being
the best In the world at anything
voluntarily. There are 90 few who are
the best-at anything. Yet Bobby
Jones never took the matter Of being
the worlds best golfer on the serious
side. TO him It was t1nimportant COM
pared 70 = profession he could toncW
through life.
Omit at the Heights.
He knew that he could not be Q sue
cesSful lawyer and o champion golfer
AZ the same tigne-nOt for long, At
least. The pressure Of championship
play has affected others the same way.
Some years ago Robert Maxwell Of
Marvellous Braes won the British
amateur championship and retired from
all tournament play. He saw no fun
In being followed by 9 stampeding
crowd Of 1900 enthusiasts through 2
Cecil Leitch, British woman champion,
did the same thing. In more recent
years Mis- Joyce Wethered, the greatest
woman golfer of all time, rated BY
many with the finest all-afoufd swing
In golf, followed the same course. She
gave Up al competitive play ct the
height OF her Tame.
Bobby jones has BEEN keen for the
thrill Of champ 0nship golf, but he has
always hated the accompanying ana
necessary fanfare Of crowds. pafAdes
and such: Of being public property on
and OF the course.
OF late years he has known that by
winning open championships he has
cost many professionals from $20, 900 to
$4,000 year, and at 80 holes there
has been no real competition In anna
teur championships for the last four
years. As Tommy Armour remarked
against the field"
The big tournaments WI naiss him,
and it VIII be . long time before an
other such combination Of skill, poise,
grace and personal magnetism catches
the fancy Of hurrying crowds. But the
old game viii move along, for there are
too many stars left to kill on any gen.
eral interest in competitive play, and
the scramble now, both in the open
and the amateur, win be more Of an
open fight.