Evening star., 1939-10-31
BY WALTER McCALLUM.

The postman of North Berwick
isn't as good as he was back in the
days when the lusty young Scots
man that was Freddie Mcleod could
play rings around most of the anna
teurs in Scotland. But he still is
good enough to hold his own in any
but the young company Of men who
are winning major tournaments to-
day.
I sat with Freddie not long ago
and heard from his own lips one of
the better golf yarns I've run across
in considerably more than a quar-
ter century of kicking around locker
rooms and hearing the walls of los
ers and the exultation of victors
launching with Bob Barnett and Dr.
Paul Stewart and Freddie, it seemed
that Freddie, who doesn't usually
talk about himself, would do so at
this time. Say, Fred" said, they
tell me you used to carry the mail
at North Berwick. I've heard stories
that you were good mail carrier
but that sometimes it interfered
with your golf Is that true?"
Freddie sorta gulped. Where did
you hear rhat?" he said. Sure 1
was mail carrier, and a good one
But must admit sometimes it did
cut into my golf. You see was just
a kid around II or 18 years old in
those days, full of ambition and a
pretty good player. I thought I
was, anyhow
How about the time you won
your first tournament" Doc Stewart
cut in.
1t sort of shook Freddie up. He
wasn't ready for that one But
Scotsman can take a wallcp and
like it. At least Freddie always
could There never has been
gamer guy under pressure than this
same Mcleod. Age may have duAed
the bright spirit of his goI game,
but he never quits in the pinches.
Fred Is Shocked.
yeah" he said. Doc, you kinda
hit me with that one I didn't know
any one knew it." We all settled
back in our chairs. Yeah, they
had me that time
You see," he said. Il wanted
very much to play in tournament
at Killspillie. 1t was about 8
miles away from North Berwick. l
was an amateur at that lilne-just
boy delivering mail in the towns
around that neighborhood. I loved
golf and played as mucn of it as
I could. But still I had a jop. and
l kept to that job. When they told
me about that tournament at Kills
pillie, I went to my postmistress and
said: I'D like to play in golf
tournament She couldn't see it.
We Scots are that way. Work first.
AS much as l pleaded the NOR, she
was against it. Finally l figured
out way.
so I picked up my sack of mail
and got on my bicycle. Setting out
just as if was to deliver the mail I
rode to where. had hidden my cluos
in thicket, picked them uD, and
rode with them 8 miles to Kills
pillie. was lucky enough to tie
for the medal, and I rode back furi-
ously and delivered the mail. I
don't think any one noticed the Off
ference, because 1 always played
fast. I made the round in about an
hour and half.
But the playof was set for two
days later. l went to my boss.
I'd like to play in a golf tourna-
ment,' I said.
mo she said
but I have to-
She still said no.
Mcleod Carries the Mail.
We'll. there wasn't much to do.
I had tied and every one expected
me to play off the tie. So hid my
clubs in a thicket again, picked
them up on my bicycle again and
rode to Killspillie. Yeah. won the
playoff. 1t was my first victory. 1t
was around 1900, and still have
the medal. I think. A couple of
years later I came to America.
where I'd heard Scottish golf pros
were doing all right"
You don't have to inquire whether
Freddie has done all right since.
The little North Berwick man with
the grizzled face has been one of
the big successes among imported
golf professionals. And if it hap
pens that he isn't a National Open
champion today it simply is because
Freddie Is 81 years old. You don't
win championships-National Opens.
at least-when you are past 40. And
Freddie is considerably past that
age
But think that of all the like
able Scotsmen I ever have known
Freddie Mcleod is about tops. Can
vo11 ronoe ope for yor,p1e u,bo