The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-12-09
Shy Shute Accomplished More Than Many Fine Golfers Who
 Had Flares for Public Acclaim
By HARRY CRIMSON NEA Sports Editor

If there was an overall prize for the least colorful golfer among those who developed to greatness in this country the palm would have to be awarded to Herman Densmore Shute.
 There was no more engaging per- sonality in golf, but on the course the shy taciturnity of this son of an English-born professional reg istered zero with galleries.
 Denny Shute began his career as an amateur in West Virginia. Hav- ing finished high school he was shipped off to a college in Ohio and while there competed twice in the U. s. Amateur.
 Firing of college life, young Shute chucked it to become a pro- fessional and few are the Ameri- can-bred hired hands who can point to a better competive record in the last 20 years.
 Shute hit powerfully long ball for one of such sparse frame. but it was with the irons he excelled Given course where length was a feature, he immediately became one of the toughest to beat. He played long iron as ac- curately as many professionals play a mashie-niblick.
 Freshmen don't always have luck in the British Open, but when the totals were added at the end of 72 holes at St. Andrews in 1883, a pair of freshmen, Shute and Craig Wood, were tied for first. Shute won the playoff.
 Shute continued to win tourna- ment plums of lesser magnitude, such as the Los Angeles and Mi ami -Biltmore Opens, and three years after his British triumph he annexed the P. G. A. at Pine hurst. When he defended the hon. or successfully the following year even his severest critics agreed he belonged. He was a whiz at match play.
 There was a three-way playoff for the U. s. Open title at the Philadelphia Country Clubs Spring Mill course in 1889. Shute was one of the principals, but for all the attention he received he might have been one of the gallery. Byron Nel- son, the eventual winner, and Craig Wood captivated the crowd.
 STRIKE AND OPERATIONS From this point on Shutes luck took a turn for the worse. He had been travelling early that spring and had not received his P. G. A. dues notice. Hence, although he wa sexempt from sectional qualify ing for the P. G. A. Championship, officilas would not honor his entry because his dues were unpaid.
 The touring professionals rallied behind Shute at Pomonok, refused to tee off in the championship un- less Shute was permitted to play. The round was held up two hours before Shute was gvien the green light, but not without causing a rift in P. G. A. official ranks which never healed etirely.
 Shortly after that Shute injured a wrist and it was gravely feared that he was through. A delicate piece of surgery, in which a silver of shin bone was grafted to his wrist, restored Shutes effectiveness and he arrived at Hershey for an- other whack at the P. G. A. title in 1940.
 At the conclusion of IS of the 36 holes of qualifying, Shute was stricken with acute appendicitis and hustled to a hospital for an opera tion.
 Denny hasn't been prominent in | tournaments since. It isn't likely the wars end will again find him the same old Shute, but for all his retiring nature and shyness he ac- complished more than many players who had flares for publicity.