Evening star., 1933-03-03
The Larger Golf Cup.

the dufYer or the star who expects
to have the deep pleasure Of put
ting in the general direction Of an
s-inch golf cup, or 6-inch cup, or
any other cup larger than the present
Az inches, is merely peering at a WILL
o'-the-wisp in q midnight swamp.
But that doesn't alter the fact that
Gene Sarazen has an interesting angle
to offer in this respect.
So many golfers had asked me about
Sarazen'S idea that I called at Coral
Gables to see him on the way North
and get his slant.
Unless the double champion Of the
United States and Great Britain Is a
rare actor, he was deadly in earnest
about the whole thing, with no lean
ing towards any mere ballyhoo to keep
the Sarazen name in print.
Sarazen's Idea.
..TN the first place." Sarazen said II
i have never expected to get any
thing like an 8-inch cup.
"But I do think that larger cup Is
needed to build up better all-around
balance for the game OF golf. As things
are now, putting, which Is too often
matter of luck or one days touch and
timing, plays far too large part IN any
18-hole round.
"IIl give you q few examples. A
golfer steps up and hits q fine drive
down the fairway. Then he plays q
great iron shot to within g.. or 8
feet Of the cup-just far enough away
to miss most of the puts from this
range, unless he happens to be In the
midst of o putting streak. His op-
ponent barely struggles on the green
In 2-and gets half. Or his opponent
isn't ON the green in 2, but chips up
and sinks the putt for q half.
Now the finest shot in golf Is the
long iron to the pin, and one Of the
finest Is the pitch up near the cup.
With the smaller cup these shots are
not often rewarded. They are met by
puts which rim the cup-which futter
on the edge-which just miss-and
there is q stroke wasted.
.sVIIHAT do you hear after any open
w championship or any big money
tournament? You never hear
the pros or the star amateurs COM
planning about their tee shots or their
iron play-rarely, at least. You hear
them kicking about the puts that just
failed to drop. They'd kick anyway
Maybe. Perhaps they would. But with
5h-inch cup they would at least
have chance to hole those and
8 footers, and their kicks would not
be justified.
Few golf courses now have the
money to keep their green's in perfect
condition. As it Is, even dne putt
from or 6 feet may slip OF line
through the fault Of the green-not
much-just enough to slip over the
rim Of the cup and fail to drop. Most
Of our tournaments now are decided
on the putting green's, not by the play
from tee to green where the true ART
of the golf swing comes into play
Now there is q greater element Of luck
In putting than In anything else. Or
some days everything seems to drop
On other days, even with good put.
ting stroke, the ball will wobble al
around the cup and not drop. It viii
hit the cup and pop out. It Will hang
on the lip"
Involving the Millions.
'sVIJHAT about the rank and 1lc-
w the average golfer-the million!
who make up the game"
asked. After all, there are only two OF
three thousand pros and star amateurs.
"A slightly larger cup will mean ever
more to them" Sarazen continued. 81
don't know how many Of my pupils
especially women, get discouraged
around the putting green and soor
begin to lose interest. There Is nothing
that breaks up your game more than
few three putt green's. When any ont
has come $50 yards or more in two shots
there Is nothing more discouraging thar
to take three more from 20 or 80 feet
After q few three-putt green's you will
see the entire swing begin to break up
to crumble.
1T is my contention that with the
present 4H-inch cup the game Is all
out Of proportion. There isn't the re-
ward one should have for playing the
other strokes well. The element Of luck
Is entirely too great. II only an inch
In diameter was added to the present
cup there would at least be far better
iron play. At least that Is my argu-
ment, and you'd be surprised to know
how many feel that way about it from
the Pacific to the Atlantic.
1.-THE idea Is that q man or woman
may have q good putting stroke ant
yet not have the luck to have many ol
the close ones drop ON uncertain
greens-greens which vary with every
known type Of graSs-grcens where
there isn't the necessary cash at hant
to keep them in the right shape.
know It would add lot to the reward
Of skill for the star-and to the greater
pleasure Of the game for the average
player"
"At the same time" I suggested, "you
realize there isn't one chance In 9
thousand that the present size Of the
cup will be changed?"
Probably not right away earaser
said, .Hllt It win come tn time when