Evening star., 1938-04-18
JONES TOP GOLFER
MACKENZIE HOLDS
Hagen Is Rated Next Best
Seen by Retiring Pro Over
15-Year Span.
BY WALTER McCALLUM.

The finest golfer he saw in is years
Of campaigning over the links world
as one of the top amateur golfers Of
the United States and one Of the
better professionals, is Robert r.
Jones, Jr. On the day of his re-
linquishment Of professional golf, Ro-
land Mackenzie, thrice a member
Of Walker Cup teams, medalist
and semi-finalist In the national anna
teur championship decade ago and
one of the famed golfers Of the land,
holds that Jones stands at the top
Of any group of golfers he could
name from his personal observation.
And Roland either has played with
or has seen the best.
Today Roland was back in the ranks
OF civilian employment, disassociated
almost entirely from golf. Witty Cox
succeeded him as pro at Congressional
Pick Group of Four Greats.
I asked Roland the fiat question:
"Who is the finest golfer you ever
have seen?" 1t was tough one, for
he Immediately went into a huddle,
thought for a long time, and came
up with this counter question: How
do you mean, the finest scorer the
best SHOEMAKER or the finest all-around
player?"
I told him I didn't want to dis
tinguish between details of skill. but
that wanted his opinion on the finest
golfer
The great golfers I have seen
fall into group of four" said Roland.
I'D rank that group as Bobby Jones,
Walter Hagen, Tommy Armour and
Harry Cooper. not necessarily in that
order rate Cooper as the finest
player in the game today. But when
you consider all angles of scoring,
the championship records and general
proven skill over a period Of years, I
pick Bobby without any question.
Bob usually played in only two
tournaments year-the national
open and the national amateur. In
some years the two British champion
ships. Yet he won l3 major cham
pionships in an eight-year stretch.
Starting with 1923 he won the
open championship (and that's the
| toughest of them alb four times and
the amateur championship five times.
He also won the British open cham
pionship three times and the British
amateur title once No other golfer
| in my experience has anywhere near
that winning record.
And it's remarkable when you con-
slider that Bob played only in the
jor tournaments and didn't have
the experience and toughening process
of playing in lot of little ones.
Ranks Hagen Second.
If you'll look at the record you'll
notice that Hagen. great as he was,
never Won a major championship in
which Jones competed. But in their
day they were the tops, those two,
with Sarazen and Tommy Armour
running neck and neck for the next
spot Gene was a great golfer-still
is-but I can't rank him among the
four great of my observation.
II never saw Harry Vardon. Wish
I had, for the oldtimers all agree that
Harry was the finest golfer they ever
saw. But of all the golfers I ever
looked at Bobby Jones would get my
money. He was the tops and I'll
string along until some one better
comes along"
Nor was there any doubt in the
mind of Benny Loving as to the finest
golfer he ever saw. I asked Benny
the same question, and he didn't hesi-
tate. Bobby Jones. without any
question: said Benny. With Hagen
next, and not so far away at that.
Bob had everything. tee shots. iron
play and putting. Walter was the
finest trouble player I ever have seen.
He might wander from the fairway,
| and he wasn't as straight as a lot Of
EN-, but you could look for Walter
to come up with spectacular shot
any time. And how that guy could
putt. But Bob was the top"