Evening star., 1939-09-23
Straight OF the Tee
BY WALTER McCALLUM.
So golf is an old mans game?

You've heard, of course, of the
fellow who answers that he's getting
a little hefty around the waistline
to your question as to why he doesn't
take up golf. "Oh, I'm not old
enough for that yet. They tell me
that's an old mans game. I'm not
that age yet"
Golf may be an old mans game,
in the sense that 1t is the only game
that can be played vigorously and
with considerable skill when white
begins to creep in around the
temples and when the muscles be-
gin to lose that youthful snap. But
as for championship golf, leave it
to the kids. It's strictly young
mans game as far as championships
are concerned.
Latest youngster in a lengthy line
Of youthful District champions is
tall, big-handed Ralph Bogert of
Indian Spring and Army Navy, the
19-year-old kid who won't graduate
from Wilson High School until next
year. Ralph won the title in i'm
pressive fashion at Burning Tree
yesterday. winding up three days of
fine golf by licking 20-year-old
Billy Shea, 3 and 2, In the final.
Ralph also won the medal last
Wednesday with "a. Yesterday he
played 16 holes Of that tough golf
course in l over par to subjugate
Shea, himself the 1897 District
champ.
Kids Have the Stuff.
Not so many years ago you used
to listen on the "raddio" to q Ger
tain gent who wore q brown derby
and who used to beseech you to
"look at the record" AL Smith had
something there. The record shows
that not since 1885, when Roger
Peacock, the reigning champ of
that year, was practically ready for
the wheel chair at the doddering
old age of %, has the championship
been won by a fellow who has
reached voting age. Bobby Brownell,
the 1886 champ, was II when he
won. Shea was 18 in 1887. John
Burke was 20 last year when he
won. And the present champ is 10.
So let's forget that old stuff about
golf being an old mans game. It's
like sour wine. 1t becomes vinegar
after a while. Golf today is young
mans game, and it always will be-
Young Bogart, who showed signs
or promise last year, has become
quite golfer this year. As early as
last spring he began to show i'm
provement. As I've remarked before,
kids develop quickly in golf. If they
are going to go anywhere they show
it within three or four years. Last
year few people knew there was a
Ralph Bogart knocking a golf ball
around the local divot orchards.
Today the kid Is the District champ.
That's the way boys develop in the
game. And good champion he Is.
Ralph has that priceless attribute
all champions have: the ability to
take It and dish 1t out under fire.
A boy with plenty of height and lev
erage, plus ample power, he also is q
good putter. He had to be to win in
such good tourney as that District
championship.
Bogart In Hot Streak.
Only two weeks ago he shot a 68
to win the medal in the Indian
Spring championship. He followed it
up with a ST in his first match.
He won the medal and the District
championship in one tournament.
You can't ask much more than that.
The kid really was in the groove.
Billy Shea didn't play particularly
well, but Ralph outplayed him.
There wasn't any doubt Of that.
When Ralph won the 10th hole in
that final with an eagle 3, after
sticking his second shot 3 feet from
the pin, and also won the 11th
with a par 3, there wasn't much
doubt about where the District |
championship was going.
Billy fought back valiantly, win
ming the 18th with . bird. but he
lost his last chance at the 18th,
where he overplayed the green and