The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-02-14

Eaa az ~ years OF American
c.u..y,.. golf. "
0ran''and rice This committee
includes Linde Fowler, Boston, ex-
perience SO years; Kerr N. Petrie,
New York, experience "a years; 0.
B. Keller, Atlanta, experience "a
years along the paths Of the San
cient game"
The committee will offer its sug-
gestions to more than 200 writer's
and column conductors who go In
for golf--golf writer's covering the
bunkered landscape Of the country
and their votes shall be decisive. !.
It was the original idea Of this
committee to start things rolling by
naming four men who certainly be-
long at the top-Walter Hagen, Bob
by Jones, Francis Ouimet and Gene
Sarazen, to put them alphabetically.
They are, considering every angle,
without any question, the four top
men Of American golf.
Jones and Hagen alone won 10
national champi0nships-U. 8. Open
and Amateur and British Open and
Amateur. Francis Ouimet by beat
ing Vardon and Ray in the U. 8.
Open back In 1913 made American
youth golf conscious, removing golf
from the social and financial pages
to the sporting page. Gene Sarazen
has won the British and U. 8. Opens
more than once, the P.G.A., and
after 20 campaigns came back last
June to tie Lawson Little for the
U. s. Open at Cleveland.
All four were great golfers, great
sportsmen, great fellows, and
packed with personal color. be-
lieve the vast majority OF the golf
writer's will support this selection or
this nomination.
The Long Parade
The idea was to make eligible all
golfers who had lived or held club
positions in the United States. This,
Of course, would leave out such stars
as Harry Vardon, Harold Hilton and
Ted Ray. They were welcome in
vaders, but not U. S. golfers.
In addition to the homebreds and
the homeborn it would leave such
eligible entries as Willie Anderson,
Alec Smith, Macdonald Smith, Tom
my Armour, Long Jim Barnes, Bob
by Cruickshank and others who have
given most of their golfing time to
America.
In addition to these others there
are other big names left-Jack Nc
Dermott, who tied for the Open in
1910 and then won In 1911 and 1912,
the first homebred to roll back for
eign born domination; Jerry Trav-
ers, whowon four U. S. Amateurs and
one U. S. Open; Chick Evans, the
first to win the U. S. Amateur and
U. S. Open in one year-1916; Wal
ter j. Travis, who, starting golf at
SO, was the first American player
to win the British Amateur-in 1904;
Lawson Little. a strong entry, cur
rent U. S. Open champion and win
ner of both U, S. and British Anna
teurs two years in a row.
If Jones, Hagen, Sarazen and
Ouimet are named as the first four
las I believe they will be-the'
scramble for the next place should
be wide Open--McDermott; Evans;
Travers; Alec and Mac Smith;
Willie Anderson, winner Of four U. s.
Opens, three in a row; Armour;
Barnes; Travis Little; Sweetser;
Goodman; Robert A. Gardner; and
then the new crop coming On-Nel-
SON, Hogan, Snead, Guldahl and 9th
ers. There is more than enough tai
ent in sight.
The committee, with the aid of
Freddy Corcoran, tournament direc-
tor Of the PEA, viii be ready to
make the first nominations by April
and so open the main door to the
Hall Of Fame. Hs
Ladies' and Location
The next two problems concern
the ladies of golf and the location
of the Hall of Fame.
There also will be Hall Of Fame
for the women stars to be c0nsid-
cred separately. Such golfers as
fA1CA6 0tAEA1uS, OCAAAA0 OUAACssp 1sAaAE
ON Hollins, Helen Hicks, and Patty
Berg should be near the top.
There has been q keen rush to
establish headquarters for this hall.
Savannah, Ga, claiming the first
golf club in 1911, is already in with
its request. So is st. Andrews,
claiming the first golf course and
golf club combined.
Atlanta wants it in behalf Of Bob
by Jones, Boston In behalf Of Fran
els Ouimet, Rochester in behalf Of
Walter Hagen.
Lowell Thomas, the weI-known
sports commentator, sponsored in q
golf way by Gene Sarazen, would
like to build a special hall at his
place in New York and make this
q golfing shrine.
Tom Walsh, president of the
PEA, asks me to delay any such
selection, which is welcome news to
your committee. It might even be
better to shift the Hall from place
to place.