Evening star., 1934-12-12
NINE OUT Of TEN
PERFORM ATL0SS
Requires at Least $1,000
for -"Big Shots"
Grab Most Coin.
~HE greatest gamblers among

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the professional sporting gen.
try in any phase of sport are
the pros who make the va
rious big golf tournaments on the
Winter swing through California and
the South.
With no appearance money guar
anted them, paying their own expenses
in a game where competition for the
money prizes is at its height during
the Winter tour, fully 80 per cent of
the men who make the tour DO SO
at a financial loss.
Although nearly 100000 has been
put up in cash for tournaments start
ing in California next week and run
ming through the Southwest and into
Florida, Georgia and North Carolina
in the Spring, most of the lads who
start hopefully out on the tour will
get nothing but the crumbs from the
table of gold that Is spread before
them.
The major part of the dough will
60 to the veteran campaigners like
Runyan. Horton Smith, Craig Wood,
Ky Laffoon, Tommy Armour, Gene
Sarazen, Joe Kirkwood, Harry Cooper,
OIn Dutra and the other topliners.
Is Costly Venture.
"HE man. who starts out on the
Winter tour cannot depend on
winning prize money to pay his
IIa CT ~ with OF cf
$500 in his jeans and be prepared
to spend all of this without getting
anything back but a small return.
This figure is what Bob Harlow, P. G..
A. tournament manager, estimates as
the minimum cost for the swing
through the Winter schedule.
And who gets the dough-" we
asked rotund Robert. well, you'll
find the big shots getting most of it,"
he said
But what of the little fellow?" we
asked him. What of the guy who
hasn't reputation"
He is the greatest gambler in any
sport" Harlow answered. "The finest
sportsman in any game. Usually he
hasn't anything but an assistants job
at some club and he saves up few
hundred dollars during the Summer
to make the Winter tour. He hasn't
more than gambling chance to get
in the small end of the dough- but he
goes along just the same, trying to
wind up in the money. He is guar
anteed nothing, he pays his own ex-
penses, and he usually winds up
sleeping in an automobile, with some
pal caddying for him. But out OF
these lads come our future champions.
They are the real gamblers of any
sport"
Experience Is Helpful.
TTARLOW should know better than
any one, for it is to him the
lads come when they are broke;
he runs the show and promotes the
tournaments, and he does the ad-
vance billing and press-agent work.
He has been in the game SO many
years that running golf tournaments
is an old story to him. And he still
insists that the young pro who goes
on the Winter tour gets more than
a sight of the country. HE may be
losing money" Harlow says, "but he
is piling up experience. And expert
ence pays dividends in this game.
Some day this same kid who may
have slept in your automobile last
night may win the national open
championship"
What about the boys playing in
the Biltmore tournament at Miami
this week?" we asked Bob.
THAT $12,5 500 looks good to most of
the boys" rotund Robert answered.
"They will get to Miami any way they
can, thumbing ride If they have to,
anything to play in that tournament.
Remember Johnny Revolta couple
Of years ago, how he had to borrow
his entry fee and then he went on
to win second money. All the lads
think of that when they start in
golf tournament. They all want to
do a Revolta. Miami is a hot-bed
Of professionals in the Winter. I
guess there must be 100 pros around
that town in February. Most Of 'em
are living from hand to mouth, but
they are in the South where they
can play golf and hit a tournament
once in a while"