Evening star., 1942-01-20
Great Shot Displays
More Heart Than
Head in Crises
Som Still One of Best
Linksmen Of All Time,
Despite Failures
By GRANTLAND RICE,

Speclal correspondent OF Inc Ster.
DEL MAR, Calf, Jan. 20 CNA
N.AD.-The headlines of sport have
contributed few more interesting
characters than Samuel jackson
Snead, the sweet swinger of Vir-
einia Snead makes the headlines
when he wins. Too often he makes
even bigger headlines when he loses
by the way he loses.
What is the inside story on
Sammy Snead. the ex-hillbilly from
Virginia? 1t was In Bing Crosby's
tournament at Del Mar, only a few
years ago, that the lean and hungry
unknown first leaped to fame with a
brilliant victory over a brilliant field.
He has been around. the front ever
since.
In the first place, Snead probably
Is the finest swinger of a golf club
that ever lived-and I'm barring
neither Harry Vardon nor Bobby
Jones For example, he can get in
credible distance with less. effort
and he caA combine both distance
and direction with greater ease than
any one else in golf.
Gallery Likes His Swing.
Even those in the galleries who are
none too golf wise would rather
watch his swing than look at any
one else. They sense the artistry
before them, even if they can't ex-
plain details.
In addition to his f1awless swing
don't let any one ever tell you that
Snead lacks courage. In fact, his
weakness is overboldnesS.
How can one explain his on the
last hole in the United States Open
at Philadelphia nearly three years
ago? His on the last hole of the
recent Los Angeles Open. when he
needed 6 shots to reach the cup
from just off the green?
In each instance it was bad judg-
ment. but not lack of heart. At
Philadelphia, after a ragged tee
shot. he overgambled on using a
brassie from a heavy lie in place
of playing it safe with an iron. In
the $4,000 l.. A. Open. Is yards
from the pin, he gambled on a
difficult short pitch up bank to
get his birdie. in place of playing
for sure par and a triple tie.
And he continued the reckless
gamble until he got an 8 for the
hole.
Poor at Concentration.
II was a case of more heart than
head. He can only think in terms
Of brides. He'll go all out, take
any chance. whatever the stake
Strangely enough in. each case he
had a sure 282 only to finish at
2S5-his two CANDLES costing him
six strokes on two vital holes.
Sammy Snead's main weakness is
poor or uncertain concentra ton. He
will have a mental lapse here, an
other there. and suddenly what
should have been a IS turns into a
10 or a 70.
If Snead had the concentrating
ability and the grim determination
Of Ben Hogan or Byron Nelson. I
don't believe he'd ever lose tourna-
ment. Take the Snead-Hogan fin
1sh IN the L. A. Open. Snead needed
. to win on the 500-vard final
hole with the green set on a
plateau.
hn 60,
long brassie travelled 27O yards. leav-
ing him almost hole high in the
rough with the bank to carry. He
had tough gamble left to get his 4
His pitch hit just at the top-and
rolled back. 1t required four at
tempts to get the ball on the carpet
Great Money Player.
Hogan. with his face set in granite
came to this same hole with birdie
4 needed for a tie. His tee shot
Travelled at least 300 yards. His sec
ond, with a No. 2 iron, stopped 4(
feet beyond the pin. He got his 4
where Sammy had needed an 8.
Yet no one can say that Snead
isn't good money player. The lear
Virginian set the all-time money
winning mark some two years age
above $4,000 He was the second
leading money winner last year. He
will be up around the front this
season.
Sam Snead still is one of the
greatest golfers of all time. one OF
the most colorful the game ever has
known