Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-01
GREAT HIT THRILLS
INDIAN SPRING PRO
Harry's Morton Hall Feat
Most Pleasing of Four,
Golfer Recalls.
BY WALTER n. MccALLUM.

and Britain in figures close to par
for more than a quarter of cen
fury. The big hitter of Indian
Spring, who still trusts in wooden
shafted clubs to propel the ball the
big distances he knocks 'en from
the tee, and alludes to steel shafts
as tin" affairs, Is undecided as to
just where his greatest vicarious
thrill came over the years he has
watched other men play golf, but
he has not the slightest doubt as
to where he got the greatest kick
himself out Of a contest In which
he was participating.
Hunter has seen Bobby Jones play
many, many times. He has watched
the modern wizard of the game 60
through all his tricks, has seem him
win championships, and has seen him
play that monotonously perfect game
that Jones plays 90 often. He has
watched Hagen, whom he terms the
greatest match player who ever lived,
perform the miracles Of personality
and shotmAking that Hagen used TO
be able to do.
He watched Hagen win that famous
40.hole match from Leo Diegel at
Olympia Fields four and a half years
ago, when the Haig was 4 down and S to
60, and dormie 2 down, and laid bets
That he would beat Leo at that point,
which he ultimately did on the fourth
extra hole. But Hunters greatest Vi
cArious thrill, he Gays, came from O
eleot which he saw the old master Of
the game, Harry Vardon, pull OF ct
the sixteenth hole Of the Morton Hall
course, near Edinburgh, in 1907.
Sc. Andrews II Pleases.
"You know, there are various stages
Hunter says. THE things which mn
pressed me as o youth would think
commonplace today, and the thrills
got out Of breaking 90 back IN the days
Of the old gutta ball would turn
10 disgust today II couldn't 20 far be-
low 90 with the present ball.
IL recall when / competed In school
matches for the University Of Edin-
hurgh, getting . thrill out of scoring
well, 70, think 1t was-and beating
Q sturdy opponent. Such . game would
not be 30 good today. But It was good
then, under the conditions. recall
=
the course record over the old course at
et. Andrews by holing a putt for a II,
which ! had to do to beat an opponent
Who hung on to the final putt and
scored o ~ himself.
"I never will forget the kick I got
cut Of watching Hagen come from be-
hind IN many Of the matches I have
seen him play, and particularly that
match In the p. O.. A. championship
ct Olympia Fields in 1925, where he
beat Diegel. I've been in many tough
matches myself, but still think my
greatest single thrill came from q shot
/ saw Harry vArdon play away back
In 1907, when he was the acknowledged
master Of shotmaking and the worlds
model golfer, as Jones Is today.
Harry, you know, never was great
putter. But he was the finest shot
maker ever have seen. He could give
the modern boys cards and spades for
shotmaking and beat them at their
own game. He could make that ball
talk 70 him, cut them up into wind
70 stop the flight, play Q long hook
down the wind for run. stop 1t at will
or make it do all the things he wanted
It 10 DO. I never have seen his equal
Is q sheer maker Of golf shots. He can
make them t1day, but the procession
has gone past the old master. He still
plays his shots with the old wizardry,
but the fire Is gone.
Dead 70 the Pin.
Back in 1907 he came to the six
teenth hole at Morton Hall, difficult
course, near Edinburgh, where the sec
ond shot was completely blind, with a
water hazard behind the green and
blnkers around It. was an impress
Gionable youngster, anxious to learn
and watching the master with mouth
eRape to see him perform his miracles.
The green lay beyond high hill which
ahlit OF the view, and Harry had not
played the course before. The match
was tight, and Harry had to make this
iso-yard shot to q blind green. He sent
his caddie ahead of him to mark the
line and tell him how far beyond the
hill the pin was The caddie stood on
top Of the hill and yelled back, It's So
yards beyond me, Harry
look again Vardon replied. Are
you sure about that distance?'
yes" the elderly caddie yelled back
"Jlst IS yards, Harry"
Then" continued Hunter. Harry
played that shot with a mashie. 1--WE
didn't have spades in those days. and
the rnasllie was not a No. 5 iron either
n was lust o plain K1AShie.) The ball
carried dead on line with the pin, hit
ok feet past, and from where I was
standing on top Of the hill, saw 1t bite
into the green, come back as II on q
string and end q foot from the hole.
That shot won the match and I still
think II was the greatest shot ever
have seen, under the conditions"
Hunter got great thrill out OF that
II at ST. Andrews and he got consider.
able kick out Of watching Hagen beat
Dieeel with a flock Of subpar golf at
OlmpiA Fields. His greatest personal
thrill, however. came in match at the
Calgary Country Club back in 1920 In
the seIni-final Of the Alberta champion
ship, which he had won four times.
Greatest Thrill in Calgary.
He was playing against st. Andrews
man named John Black, a little chap
Who could walk under Hunters great
arm, but who knocked the ball almost
aS far as Hunter. Not the John Black
who tied with Bobby Jones for second
place in the 1922 United States open
but an amateur.
When we came TO the sixteenth
hole" Hunter said, BLACK had me
down with to 60, and 1t looked as II
was licked. was lucky enough tc
f;lish 3, 3, and square the match. So
AVA we went to the extra holes. The
first hole was q long one Of 485 yards
which could not be reached in be-
cause It was uphill all the way. We
both got on the green In and botf
holed puts for birdie Is, although
Johns hands were shaking so he coulC
hardly hold his putter, and mine vert
not so steady.
Il thought I had him when I knocked
In my putt, but he holed his, too. A.
the second hole, I46 yards, Knocked
my ball over the green, but managed u
scramble out 0 half by laying pitch
shot two feet from the hole. The thirC
was 400 yards and I put together two
good shots TO reach the green, while
John badly hooked his second. Agar
I thought / had him, but he played q
shot from the rough with such skill