Evening star., 1940-04-06
Play Shot and Forget
|t,IsPhi|osophyof
Popular Texan
Patterns His Come After
Haeen's;; Six Beot Par
In Second Refund
BY BILL BONI,
Associated Press Sports Writer,

Associated Press Sports Writer.
AUGUSTA, Ga, April 6.-The guy
wears green hat that would look
ridiculous on any one else. On him,
it looks fine.
He comes into the locker room
after shooting Is and acts Just as
clipper and cheerful as If he had
just broken all course records.
When he's through playing
round Of golf, he shuns hotel lobbies,
where fellow pros gather to replay
the shots they missed He has a
neat philosophy which reasons that
the moment you've made a shot, it's
time to forget it.
This is Jimmy Demaret. He is
tied with Lloyd Mangrum for the
lead in the Augusta Masters Golf
Tournament. To top it all of. he is
one of the friendliest lads we've run
into in good many years of writing
about athletes, professional or other
wise.
For 36 holes over one of the most
testing courses in the country,
Demaret has shot 139, five strokes
under par. There are lot of other
pros who, in similar position, would
be Tightening up and playing those
next 36 holes in advance, or the
past 36 in retrospect.
Doesn't Show Strain.
Jimmy may be tightening up, but
he isn't showing it.
This 29-year-old kid" out of
Houston, Tex, has the ideal outlook
for the business he's in.
"As long as I've been playing golf,"
he tells you, 1--WE tried to train
myself to the idea of playing one
hole at a time, of playing one shot
at a time. Once in a while slip
out of that. I'll miss a short putt
on one green, and 60 to the next
tee still mad.
What happens? What always
happens? I forget to concentrate on
bringing the clubhead back slowly,
or keeping that left arm straight,
and blooey-I'm in the trees. So,
besides that bad putt, I've lost an
other stroke. 1t doesn't pay. Play
them one at time, either hole or
stroke, and forget them when you've
played them"
A lot of pros may shoot 65s and
yet they'll be out practicing as soon
as the last putt has dropped. Dema-
ret doesn't believe in that. He feels
that practice should be kept in its
place
Follows Hagen's Theory.
His theory of relaxing after COM
petition and concentrating again
when play is resumed has worked
we'll. He is second among money
winners this season and is the only
golfer who has won five tourna-
ments.
Demaret's theory patterns itself
largely on that of Walter Hagen.
just as Jimmy has tried to pattern
his game as much as possible on the
Haig's. He has done this so well
that, as much on his personality as
on his game, he's being hailed as
Walters successor as the most COL
orful guy in the game.
Three native Texans are leading
the select Augusta field. Demaret
shot a par 70 yesterday to 60 with
his previous g. Mangrum slipped
from his sensational opening 64 to
a IS. Byron Nelson, open cham
pion, fired 70 to gain third place.
two strokes back of the leaders with
a 141.
U. S. Amateur Champion Marvin
Ward turned in a sparkling 63 to
tie P. G A. Titleholder Henry Picard
for fourth position at 142. Picard
shot his second straight II. Others
OF the six second-day par breakers
were jug McSpaden, whose II put
him at IA; AL Watrus, whose 70
gave him 145; Amateur Wilford
Wehrle and Gene Sarazen, also
bracketed at 145 with their lis.