Evening star., 1931-06-24
Grid Tilt Listed for On Good VIII Marks Deal
Who's Who at Inverness
by GRANTLAND RICE,

, in golf through the stretch of an open.
The bunkerS reach out farther and they
lock deeper. The greens suddenly turn
to ice and the cups look to be the size
of thimble. There is a deep yearning
to. steer, the ball away from trouble
rather than hit it in the old free way.
Every star in golf has suffered from
this ailment. That final target is q
terrific mark to shoot at, especially
when the contestant realizes he can
afford to make no more mistakes. Ten
sion is the curse of the golf swing, and
tension crowds in down the stretch
through the accumulation Of three days
pressure.
Mac Smiths best chance will come
when he throws aside his 20-year am
bition to win and makes up his mind
merely to play four rounds of golf and
let fate and nature have their way.
But that isn't as easy to do as 1t might
seem. In tact, 1t is almost an impos-
sible plan. Yet it would give him the
best chance he has ever had-just to
turn that free, smooth swing loose and
let IT work as 1t can work under normal
conditions.
Walter Hagen.
THERE is more golf history and golf
Il tradition packed around Walter
Hagen than any other professional
golfer the United States ever developed.
Hagen was a contender at Brookline in
1913 when he was 20 years old He won
his first crown in 1914 at Midlothian,
beating Chick Evans in a thrilling
dash down the stretch. He won his
second open crown at Braeburn in
1919, coming strokes away to tie Mike
Brady and win the play-off.
That ended Hagen'S march in United
States opens. But 1t was only the be-
ginning Of a career. For later he won
four British opens and he than won
the p. @. A. match play title five years
in row.
Walter Hagen has carried along the
finest competitive temperament that
golf has ever known. Competitive tenn
permanent in golf means . mixture of
determination, concentration and the
ability to keep relaxed in rough going.
Hagen finished ffty-flfth at Deal in
the 1921 British open. He posted his
last card with a smile and merely said,
I'm be back" It sounded like a Joke
A week later he won the French open
from almost the same field. And after
that he dominated British golf for the
better part Of five years.
Some time ago he faced Archie Comp
ston in q 50, 500 challenge match. Comp
ston, playing miracle golf, crushed the
Haig by 18 and IT, a murderous mar
gin. 1t was the beating that would
have crushed the spirit of most COM
petitors. A week later, as buoyant and
as light-hearted as ever, Hagen won
the British open.
AS determined as he is in competi-
tion. few have taken life or golf less
seriously. He has been a golf philcs-
opher with all OF this. Here are a few
examples:
Don't kid yourself into trying a
shot you can't make, especially from
trouble.
"In the rOugh-that's where
ought to be after that shot,"
II expect to make at least seven
mistakes a round. 1 always do. Why
worry when / make them?"
ITS all right to cheat the wind,
but don't cheat yourself"
Never mind thA brides. Just
save all the strokes you can"
This is Hagen's nineteenth campaign.
He is still great golfer, one who will
be among the big gallery cards at In
vernesS. They have counted him out
before. Being keen for the dramatic
side, he sees his big chance to make
the has klltnes again and stalk in front
OF the parade In the recent Western
open he played 70 holes in 4 under
even as. That Is no golf game gone
to seed. He is hitting the ball as well
as ever.
And any one who relishes a hard
fight as Hagen does must be given his
chance. If his old putting touch comes
back he won't be far away. 1t would
be great comeback after waiting since
1919 to see the home tide turn.
(Copyright, 1881, by North American News
paper Alliance, Inc.)