The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-06-03
TALKING
IT OVER
By JOE WILLIAMS

NEW YORK, June 3.-The cables
IN announce that Bobby Jones,
the American amateur golfer, was
almost mobbed by jubilant gallery
Of Scots and Britons following his
triumph over Roger Wethered, the
tall home bred, in the finals OF the
native championship at st. An
drews. This was a gesture OF sports
manship on the part Of foreign
gallery and was quite different from
the reception that Mr.. Phil Scott,
the British heavyweight. was &C
coroed in the American prize ring
some months ago.
For some reason Scott failed to strike a
Tremendously popular chord with Amer
lean audiences. Just how much this was
due to the peculiar technique Scott en-
ploys in the prize ring, which consists
largely Of erumpling to the canvas at the
slightest note Of alarm, and how much to
fhe crassness Of American audiences is a
question.
1 hesitate TO believe that there is any
great difference in the human makeup Of
sports audiences wherever you ind them,
and 1 am not disposed to assume that
fair play and craftsmanship are rare
rituals fostered and regulated by geo.
graphical boundaries. In most cases it is
undoubtedly the individual himself that
sets the pitch for the crowds emotions
Through his personality. his skill and
his department in action he either wins
- fEc
DOBBY JONES is the most note
d worthy representative the game
of golf has had in the past twenty
years, not only as an expert inter
prefer of the game itself, but as a
sterling sportsman. At a compare
lively early age he learned to take
the bad breaks with the good and
to take them all in a philosophical
spirit. No one has ever heard Jones
abb a defeat or stress a victory.
For ten years the young Atlanta bar
rister has been constantly in the golhng
spotlight and In all that time 1 never
heard a single word uttered against him
in criticism. He has been equally popu-
lar with pros and amateurs, though there
is no doubt great deal of very enthusi-
astic and Outspoken envy among his
rivals in both fields.
It is not surprising at all to read that
the partisan gallery at St. Andrews lion
lied Jones after he had beaten one Of
its own country men. The fact is 1t is
practically impossible not to think a great
deal of this young man. no matter what
he does to your native color bearers.
Jones has that precious gift of always
being himself.
H xCEPT that Jones has grown
L chunky and there is a sugges-
ton of double chin he hasn't
changed markedly since he first
came to competitive golf as
round-faced, smiling youngster in
his early teens. The first time
saw him play was eleven years ago
in the western amateur. He went to
the semi-final round where he was
eliminated by Chick Evans, then
in his prime, at the seventeenth
green.
-
Jones was in the process of rounding
of and consolidating his game at that
time; he was impatient and impetuous
and when his shots didn't come of pre-
ciseIy right he stormed at himself and
threw his clubs all over the landscape
/ recall riding back to town with him after
the Evans match and talking to him about
his temper, with special reference to
throwing his clubs. "WeII when make
bad shot / don't feel like singing" he
answered by way of justifying his practice
Of finging clubs.
Jones lost none of this boyish frankness
and honesty as he climbed to the top
most peaks of the golf world and this
is Just another reason why he is SO
universally popular. I imagine everybody
was happy to see Jones win the British
amateur-the one major championship
that had managed to elude his grasp. 1t
would have been regrettable if the great
est golfer of the game-probably of all
time-had been denied this satisfaction.
q
A S It is now Jones boasts a rec
IA ord unequaled in the history OF
the sport. No other player since
the birth of golf can point to vic
tories in all four of the major tour
naments of the golf world, the
United States open and amateur and
the British open and amtaeur. Only
one other player has scored in
three of the major tournaments
Harold Hilton, the Britisher, with
victories in both the British anna
teur and open and American anna
teur.
Il
BY winning last week Jones took pos
session Of his tenth major championship,
another record. He has won seven in
America and three across the Atlantic.
This puts him definitely out in front of
the only man who was close to him-the
immortal John Ball of England who won
nine major championships in his time
the British amateur eight times and the
OPEN once