Evening star., 1938-12-11
Goodness in Clutch
Makes Leo Great
Links Threat
Fighting Heart Of D. c.
Pro Tells in Three Bio
Battles of Yeor
Bx WALTER McCALLUM.

BY WALTER McCALLUM.
Leo Walper, the Middle Atlantic
Professional Golfers Association
champion, who is going to pick up
some of the coin around the winter
links circuit this year and already
has gotten away to good start by
finishing third at Augusta, is good
golfer. but his greatest asset is his
temperament.
Larruping Leo, the husky hill-billy
from Shepherdstown, w. Va, has a
choice assortment of golf shots, all
picked up over the last five years,
but the little item that shoves Leo
up in the forefront of the trouping
pro cavalcade Is disposition that
refuses to be ruffled by any of the
breaks of the game.
You could set off a bomb under
his nose when he concentrates on a
10-foot putt and he would stroke that
ball right down the groove.
In way he is the Hagen of pro
golf in this sector. Walter was that
way, too, a gent who refused to be
annoyed by any circumstance or set
OF conditions that would upset the
nerves OF the normal pro. Like Wal
ter, the Walper man has his hot"
rounds, such as he had in the OPEN
ing round of the recent Augusta
tourney over the narrow fairways at
Forest Hills.
Walper Cold in "Clutches."
Any one who has seen Leo scram-
BILE around golf course in par or
better. hitting the ball off line and
making miraculous recovery shots
for pars and brides, knows he has
q lot on the ball.
In the pinches I wouldn't want a
nervier guy going for few dollars
than Leo Walper. He has that price
less attribute of all champions; of
producing his best stuff in the tight
spots. There probably are dozens
of golf pros in the land who have
more mechanical ability than Wal
per, but few have his cold nerve
in what the boys call the clutches" !"
and his ability to concentrate and
bear down Twice this year he has
demonstrated that faculty.
Down at Old Point Comfort, Va,
In April the boys were showing him
around during his defense of his
Middle Atlantic P. G. A. champion
ship. Hot on his heels were Bobby
Cruickshank and Benny Loving, a
tough pair to thrust aside in any
links company. 1t was the last
round of the tourney and it looked
as If Leo had cracked. He went to
the eighth tee of the last round two
over par, tied with Loving. in a
spot where anything might happen.
Leo Goes to Town."
Then he opened up. He birdied
the eighth hole, and then from the
rough at the right of the ninth
fairvay he whacked terrific spoon
second to the green of this par-5
hole and canned the putt for an
eagle to get out in "a.
He birdied the tenth and the
championship was all over-barring
an absolute blow-up by Walper. He
refused to blow, and coming to the
seventy-flrst hole needed only two
prosaic pars to win. He got 'em.
Down to Richmond in october
Travelled a jubilant Washington pro
team of four, needing only half a
point in a set-to with a Virginia
quartet to win a side bet of $4,000.
One by one they fell. Witty Cox was
licked by Bobby Cruickshank
George Diffenbaugh fell before AL
Houghton. Cliff Spencer bowed to
Chandler Harper, the Old Dominion
champ. That left only Walper scrap
ping 1t out with stylish little Erie
Ball of Charlottesville, and Leo was
! down with to go.
He knew that everything depended
on him, 50 he stuck a niblick shot
II feet from the pin at the fifteenth
and canned the birdie to square
the match. Erie, little upset,
missed 3-footer for a half on the
next green and Leo was l up. They
hAlved the seventeenth.
Sinks 22-footer for Win.
The last hole at the James River
course of the Country Club of Vir-
ginia is an easy par and tough
birdie 4. Neither man reached the
green In two shots. Leo left him
self q tricky little pitch, which he
knocked up % feet short. When
Erie stuck chip shot stone-dead
for . conceded 4 it looked as If he
would tie up the match
But they overlooked the scrapping
heart Of Leo Walker. Carefully siz-
ing up the 22-footer that meant
victory, he thumped that ball into
the cup without a quiver.
Leo may not win a flock of tourna-
ments over the winter circuit between
now and early April. He may not
even win one Of the big ones. But
he'll make expenses. Maybe it's
the independence OF the fellow, and
that II don't care" attitude he has.
At that it is justified.
Leo won't starve, no matter what
happens. They won't have to put
on any benefits for him. His folks
own big chunk of land up there in
the West Virginia hills, and Leo
still can cut corn and milk COWS,
even If the puts refuse to drop.