Evening star., 1940-04-08
Smile ConceaIs Greal
Competitive Spirit
Of Augusta Victor
Plans to Shoot in All
Journeys on Circuit;
Tops Coin Winners
BY BILL BONI,

Associated PreSS sports writer.
AUGUSTA, Ga, April 8.-Now
that Jimmy Demaret is champion
Of the golf masters, you'd better
start writing him into your book as
q strong favorite-quite possibly the
favorite-for the National Open
title which will be decided at Cleve-
land in June. He may be the
Laughing boy of the links, but you
have to take him dead serious when
the chips are on the line.
His professionals certainly
don't underestimate him. The best
Illustration that comes to mind Of
how highly they regard him was
supplied yesterday by one of the golf
wives. After congratulating Jimmy
on winning the Masters with a 72-
hole score of $50, she said:
Il hope you won't be coming to
Cleveland to play in the tourna-
ment. Couldn't you just be there
as a SPECTATOR"
Laughing boy" is going to be very
busy this summer. From here he
will 60 back to his club in Houston,
but starting in May he'll be hitting
the tournament circuit for all he's
worth.
Fred Corcoran, the P. G.. A. Tour
nament Bureau manager, said
Jimmy will make every tournament
on the wheel. That means that he'll
start with the Goodall Round Robin
the middle of next month at the
Fresh Meadow Country Club near
the New York World Fair Grounds,
and keep going.
Triumph Brings Him S1,5OO.
Demaret's victory brought him
$500. Lloyd Mangrum took Sec
ond money of $500 with a 284, while
Open Champion Byron Nelson's 285
gave him third and $780, Harry
Cooper, Ed Dudley and Willie Cog
gin bracketed at 287, while Craig
Wood, Sam Snead and Henry Picard
wound up with 288s.
Demaret the person is an easy
man to describe. He's colorful, he
has the biggest and readiest grin
this side of the Grand Canyon, and
he has a tremendous flair for max
Ing friends. He can cut loose with
one of those ear-to-ear smiles after
sinking putt, and Immediately
have every one who's seen that smile
on his side.
Demaret the golfer is something
else again. There isn't anything
overwhelmingly spectacular about
any part of his game. He neither
hits tremendous drives, nor is he a
cinch to can any putt from within
a 20-foot radius of the cup.
His secret, We believe, is the
natural ease and grace with which
he hits everything, be it drive, an
approach or putt, or even a recov-
cry out of the weeds. In that re-
spect Demaret is the days nearest
approach to the "old masters
Jones, Hagen, Sarazen. He also is
amazingly accurate.
Likes Testy Augusta Course.
The Augusta National Course is
one of the finest in the world, and as
such it puts premium on accuracy
and placing your shots.
That's the type of course I like" !"
said Jimmy. Il can always do bet
ter on a course where accuracy plays
big part, and well-placed approach
shots pay Off"
Besides being champion of the
Masters. Demaret now also is the
undisputed king of the winter tour
which ended with that tournament.
He is the leader in the Vardon
Trophy race (267 points to 215 for
Ben Hogan and in money winning
($7,652 to Hogan's $6,538). He
started in IL tournaments, won 6
of then and was out of the money
in only 3.
Back of him among the money!
winners, according to Corcoran's
latest figures, come Hogan and then
Open Champion Byron Nelson, third
IN the Masters, s4,513; Craig Wood,
$3,608; Lloyd Mangrum, SO $50; Sam
Snead, $2,906; Lawson Little, S2,817:
Clayton Haefner, $2,7O6: Harold Nc
Spaden, $2,501 Ralph Guldahl,
S2,400, and Paul Runyan, $4,000.
In the Vardon standing, Demaret
with 267 and Hogan with 215. are
followed by Wood, 141; Nelson, 1873,