Imperial Valley press., 1931-07-14
SPORTS PARADE
OFFERS VARIETY
in TODAY'S NEWS
BY HENRY McLEMORE
United Press Staff CorrespOnden

NEW YORK, July IA. Up)-When
Walter Hagen of Detroit, and Percy
Alliss, the Englishman from Berlin,
tee off in their 36-hole play-off for
the Canadian open golf champion
ship at Toronto today, most of the
wise money will go riding down the
fairways and up to the green's on
the shots from the man from De-
troit.
The boys won't be backing Wal
ter on any hunch, or because he is
the better player For probably he
isn't. They'll be backing him be-
cause he is the finest money play
er the game has ever seen, the one
man in the business who hits his
peak when the going is toughest
I The Haig isn't much when play
ing for haircut money, but dangle
a few thousand dollars before his
eyes and he becomes the calmest,
most unruffled, and most calculat-
ing golf machine in this or other
worlds.
Today he'll be shooting for more
than the prize money, the man
hasn't won major title since 1929.
Walter is accustomed to titles, lots
of 'em. Since he quit .stuffing
snakes and birds in a Rochester,
N. Y, taxidermist shop to take up
golf, first as caddy and then as
a full-fledged pro, Hagen has won
the British open four times, the
| national open twice, the P. G.. A.
title five times, the western open
four times, the metropolitan open
twice, and half hundred or more
lesser honors.
His most notable victory-the
British open in 1924. Upon learn
ing he was no better than 10 to l
shot in the betting, Walter advised
his friends to wager and wager
heavily. They took his advice but
never collected. The bookie left for
somewhere in hurry with all the
money.
His most notable shot: One
made when he found his ball hug
ging a board fence. too close to al
low a full swing Undaunted,
Hagen chose wooden club,
smacked the ball squarely into the
fence, and caromed it to the green
some 160 yards away.
Most notable example of his tact:
Asked, after winning the British
open, why English players never
won their own tournament, he re-
] piled: British pros are too lazy to
practice"
That's the kind of a player Alliss
must beat today. Maybe the quiet,
dignified Englishman has enough
on the ball to turn the trick. He
proved himself to be a gamester
when he sank that l2-foot putt over
drenched green Saturday for a
birdie three and tie. And remem-
ber, this putt would have been use
less had he not spun the last nine
in 80, four under par, to overcome
three stroke lead by Hagen.
The gallery won't have any great
trouble distinguishing between the
two men. They look like anything
but brothers. Hagen is stocky,
clustering, coal black hair sleeked
down like a gigolo's, and with a
complexion resembling nothing so
much as Sitting Bulls. Alliss is re-
served, rather thin, and pale of face,
when compared to Walters Indian
tan.
William Tatem Tilden, like Ten
nySon'S brook, "Op Man River"
lara Agha, and Fanny Ward, ap-
parently is going on forever. Fair,
not fat, but nearing 40-an age
when most businessmen are getting
that tired feeling and take their
exercise at the Follies-Tilden is
playing some of the best tennis of
his life.
Our office statician informs us
that Big Bill now has won every
major title save the northeast ST.
IBERIA clay court doubles (an invi-
tation affair and the women's
singles.
Things we can't understand de-
partment: Why six American
league clubs refused Waite Hoyt
when the singing mortician was
waived by the Detroit Tigers. Waite
has pitched twice for the Philadel-
phia Athletics and won twice. Un-
less our arithmetic is up to some
tom-foolery, two out of two is al
most perfect.
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