Imperial Valley press., 1938-10-25
Cotton Toughest
In Own Back Yard
So He'll Stay There
Bv HENRY McLEMORE

NEW YORK. Oct. 25. (UP) -
Henry Cotton. the man in the In
verness cape" has no idea of COM
ing to this country and playing
Sammy Snead a 72-hole golf match
for the championship OF the world" :"
He may talk terms and transport
alton, and he may even pack his
bag. but he never will get here.
Henry is too smart for that. The
winner of the British open cham
pionship in 1884 and again in 1887
is the outstanding sports figure in
England. To his countrymen he
is the greatest golfer in the world.
They consider him unbeatable, and
this belief is rapidly making him
a wealthy man.
Lessons from Cotton cost more
than they do from any other pro-
fessional in the world. He is such
a gate attraction that promoters
willingly pay him fat guarantees
to enter tournaments. Royalties
from the clubs bearing his name
alone bring him an income that
enables him to live in luxury and
travel-check for check-With the
smart, fast and rich Mayfair set.
Cotton is a familiar figure at first
nights, the smartest clubs, the gay
est resorts. Behind a chauffeur he
rides in car as long and as sleek
as the highest earls and his clothes
are cut by the most fashionable
of Saville row tailors. His Boots
are from the bench, and he lives
in a world apart from his fellow
golf professionals.
The most that he could gain from
a match on this side with Sammy
Snead would be $4,000 or there
abouts Such sum would never
make up for the loss of prestige
he would suffer if he were beaten,
because his fame (and the money
it brings him) is not confined to
England. To Scotland, to Wales,
to Australia, to South Africa
to all the dominions-Cot is
the king of golf. A defeat would
greatly lessen the respect in which
he is held.
The chances are that he would
be beaten by Sammy Snead the
west Virginia boy who come "rollin'
down the mountain to become
Americas No l sWinger of a club.
Not necessarily because Snead is
the better golfer, but because the
match would be played in this
country, and golf history proves
that the home player has a tremen-
dous advantage Cottons game is
geared to English courses. He is
4 master of the pitch and run, a
shot that is relatively unimportant
on this side of the Atlantic. He
IS accustomed to wind, rain, and
cold. English fairways are unlike
ours, and the same is true of the
green's. He would be at a tremend-
ous disadvantage, just as Snead
would be in a match against I'm
Verness cloak" Henry on the other
side.
How Henry and Sammy would
fare in a battle on neutral course
is something that perhaps will
never be known. Snead would be
certain to be betting favorite in
5uch a match, however. His super
latiye distance, his keen touch
around the greens, would give him
the edge Cotton's biggest asset,
outside of his great long iron play,
would be his golfing temperament.
His fairWay conduct upsets most
Of his opponents. Cold, naughty,
Cotton never speaks TO an oppo-
1ent He completely disregards his
foe from start to finish. He has
even been known to refuse to wait
Tor the presentation ceremonies
after tournament which he has
won, merely waving to the officials
and assembled spectators as he
stepped into his motor and was
driven aWav