Evening star., 1941-09-07
Biz Tee Shot Sets Up
Hole for Bird, Agree
Barnett, Hogan
But It's NuIIified When
Player Is Errutio on
Green, Is Answer
BY WALTER MvCALLUM.

Which is the most potent weapon
in the scoring armament of the top
golfer, the driver or the putter?
Bob Barnett, Chevy Chase pro,
never forgetS. Some Is years ago
we were discussing with Bob and
Monro Hunter, the longest hitter
who ever held down pro berth
here. the real reason for low scoring.
Monro, still located in Washington
but out of competitive golf, said the
putter is the real scoring weapon.
"You cannot score well unless you
bowl in a few long puts" he said.
Barnett took the opposite tack.
"The driver is the key to the whole
thing" said Bob. Unless you hit
your tee shot in a spot which opens
up the hole for the next one, you
don't get in position to putt for
birdie, and frequently for par"
Bob Jones then was the top man
of the golf pack, welding an unerr-
ing driver and potent putter with
equal ease. Along came Lawson
Little, guy with the punch of a
Joe Louis and an equally deft touch
on the greens. Now comes Benny
Hogan, 1873 pounds of golf dyna-
mite, winning big tournaments by
big margins, driving the ball q
mile and putting a la Jones.
Ben and Bob Agree.
"You get a good tee shot, 1t sets
up the iron shot. which in turn
sets up that putt" says Betting
Ben.
See what Hogan says?" quoted
Bob. Didn't I tell you, around IS
years ago? That tee shot is the
big number in low scoring?"
The argument probably started
away back when the first Gale
donian shepherd tWosome stepped
out on a Scottish hillside, and when
one of them cuffed a 4O-footer into
the shallow hole that was the cup
of those days. Lucky stiff" said
the gent who had bunted out the
good tee shot. Lucky, h." said
the good putter That's skill. More
than that muscle job you just did
with your driver. Learn to putt,
big boy, and you might lick me
some day"
No one, of course, is going to win
that argument. To win in good
links circles nowadays you have to
both drive and putt. You have, in
Tommy Armour'S words, Ito finish
the hole" Tommy had his share of
filters on the greens. He knew the
value of finishing the hole with a
good putt. And Tommy probably
was the finest wooden club player
of his generation. He had the repu-
tation of being a master with the
irons, but Tommy himself always
claimed he was a better rifleman
with the big clubs than with the
irons.
Some Contradictions.
Hey, Bob. how about that round
of golf that Ralph Guldahl played
at the Miami Biltmore a few years
back. when he hit three green's in
par figures, and scored a subpar of
68? He couldn't have been driving
very well that day. And how about
that round of "A by Wilfred Cox at
Congressional the other day. when
he hit 16 greens in par figures or
better and putted like a butcher?
And now about yourself, Bob?
Have you ever scored a par SO at
Chevy Chase with 36 puts which is
putting par for any round of 18
holes? I don't think so. But you
could hit half a dozen tee shots in
the high grass, you could blast from
q dozen bunkers, and if you hap
pened to be putting very well you
might equal par.
Around the top circles in pro golf
nowadays if you take more than 81
or 30 puts to the round you are
not going to win much cash. You
can spray your tee shots, if you hit
'em far enough. You can wander
into a lot of strange country. but
If you don't putt you aren't going to
score.
The answer is the balanced game,
which Jones had, and which the top
golfers of today all have They can
drive and they can putt, too. Chick
Evans couldn't putt, which is the only
reason he didn't win half dozen
amateur championships. and pos
sibly that many open tournaments.
But from tee to green he was the
straightest man of his time, and he
was long enough, too.
Barnett is right when he says
big tee shot is a necessity. But
there's always the case of Jimmy
Thomson. For quite a stretch now
Jim has been the longest hitter in
the world. But how many major
CHAMPIONSHIPS has he won? Jimmy