Evening star., 1938-01-18
OS ANGELES. Jan. 18.-Dor
Bulge, Johnny Goodman ant

Ralph Guldahl face problems
- as different as black and white
AS mountain and seas hill and
plain.
Bulge. defending his tennis crown
is almost certain to repeat. Tennis is
that sort of game II you are def
nitely better than your opponent one
day. you are nearly always definitely
better In a championship.
Golf is something else. There are
only two or three men, as a rule, good
enough to win q tennis title. There
may be IS or more good enough to win
at golf. where form shifts 50 quickly
from day to day. from week to week.
Leads Without Winning Title.
THROUGH 1887 Bulge swept the
field. The redhead was the stand
out. On the other hand. Harry Cooper
was the golfer who turned in the low
est average score for the year in more
than 20 big tournaments. He was the
games best SHOEMAKER and most con-
sistent player. Yet Cooper failed to
win a national title. Some one else
was trine hotter on the big day. Gull
dahl was better at Oakland Hills.
In 1896. at Baltusrol. Cooper had set
q new record. He was q certain win
ner.
And then, ut the last turn.
Tony Manero picked up =
putting blade that was smok-
ing hot and Light Horse Harry
had TO wait another year.
1t has been the same year after
year. Cooper and Mac Smith, two of
the worlds greatest golfers. two OF
the games biggest tournament win
ners, haven't yet been able to win a
national crown.
Unless Don Bulge breaks a leg or
arm he should win again. His closest
rival. Baron Gottfried Won Cramm,
isn't quite good enough to take his
measure. Bulge should be even bet
ter this season, because he Is still
young, and experience still counts.
There are younger stars coming on
Bobby Riggs. for one-but they haven't
come quite far enough.
Goodman in Tougher Spot.
Johnny GOODMAN is in a much
rougher spot. The Omaha entry
definitely has been the games out
standing amateur since Bobby Jones
and Lawson Little left the picture.
He has been one Of the few amateurs
to win both the United States ANA
teur and the United States Open. He
was the most consistent amateur in
1886 and 1887. But he has a swarm
of young stars around him, any one
Of whom might catch him on q given
day. Such golfers as Ray Billows,
Freddy Haas. Harry Givan, Marvin
Ward. Charley Yates. Roger Kelly,
to name only few. Any one of these
might slip by Goodman in an l8-hole
test. 1t would be q harder Job over
the longer march at 36 holes.
Goodman Isn't rs long as
some Of the others. Bit he has
sound. compact swinE-he is
straiShter-a fine clipper and
putter.
He has an ideal tournament dispo-
sition-cool, confident, unfluttery,
usually at his best in the hotter
spots, where he uses his head and
rarely makes any serious mental mis-
take. He Is hard man to beat for
this lone reason-he rarely beats
himself-which 80 many do in golf.
Big Ralph Guldahl is in an even
rougher spot. Surrounded by more
than q hundred crack professionals,
the job Of winning. the open Is one
OF the hardest in all sport. You can
look them over-sammy snead, Harry
Cooper, Horton Smith. Byron Nell
son, Johnny Revolta, Henry Picard,
Paul Runyan, Jimmy Hines, Jimmy
Thomson, Lawson Little, Denny
Shute. Dick Metz, Ed Dudley, Gene
Sara1en-on and on-with younger
stars bulsing in-improving year by
year.
GuldahTs Game Rounded.
"TN nAE TIT L. . Nn> q H. q round uolfAr