Evening star., 1933-04-17
Golf Tourney Collapses Laid
To Strain, Jones Pointing Out
That Pace Settlers Seldom Win

| sudden collapses are caused by the IN
! reference of fear and anxiety, numbers
of instances can be cited in which
players, apparently out Of the running
and 50 relieved of the strain and the
overwhelming responsibility, have gone
back to playing free and easy golf and
won championships.
1t is a fact that the winner Of an
important championship rarely starts
out in the lead, holding it straight
through to the finish without once be-
ing overhauled. Time after time 1t has
happened that the ultimate winner has
begun his last round two, three or four
strokes behind the leader, and often
playing early and almost unattended
has posted a low finishing round and
total score which the others could shoot
at in vain.
I0NE of the most striking examples
~ of the effect of the sudden relief
which can come with disaster was
furnished by AL Espinosa in the same
Winged Foot championship where had
one of my shocks. AL and finished
with the same 72-hole total, but we
compiled it in vastly different ways.
AS I have said, started the last
round with lead, and the two sevens
which hit me on the eighth and If
teenth holes were never enough to put
me so far down that could be counted
out. They just kept me in hot water.
But AL started with a deficit to make
up, and his play for 10 holes, though
not good enough to make up much
ground, was yet sufficiently good to keep
him up at the front where he could feel
the pressure. Then the thing blew up
all at once and he took an eight on the
eleventh hole.
OF course, everybody. including AL,
knew that was the finishing touch. He
was the first Of the leaders to come
around, so he had no idea that the rest
of us would have as much trouble as we
did. Already a few strokes behind, he
had dropped four more on one hole,
and so, with only few holes left, he
was definitely out.
And so he would have been if he had
played par golf on the remaining holes.
But the eight which would have come
close to paralyzing him If he had held
lead OF two or three strokes. was q
relief for him In his actual position.
With no thought now of winning, he
started out to play golf, to hit the ball
freely and in the old accustomed way.
Four fours and two threes, two under
par over six really tough nnlShlng noles,
and he had a score which landed him
in tie for the championship.
NNE newspaper writer said that this
~ tournament was a contest to see
who could throw away the cham
pionship the greatest number of times.
1t did look that way. but every cham
pionship Is like that to some extent.
Over the long stretch, after the race
has really settled down, the burden con-
tinually shifts from one man to another.
The early leader falters under the
strain; one behind, who has had no lead
to protect and nothing to worry about,
forges to the 'front.' the strain gets him
and another takes his place. Troubles
may come early, or late, or in the mid
ole, but they all have them sooner or
later.
(Copyriaht. 1889
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