The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-03-03
(Reg. U. $. Pat. off, (BY JACK CUDDY

New York, March 3.-(UP)- Nearly every day we read in the newspapers about important sports figures changing their personali- ties. Explosive Larry McPhail has become quiet and refined. Tempera- mental Sammy Snead has lost his tendency to blow up in the tight spots. Gunder Hagg has discard ed the vinegar puss for sunny smile.
 Next week we may hear of simi- lar changes in Pavot or Twilight Tear-reports that can be filed along with those of MacPhail, Snead and Hagg in a cabinet marked "ba- loney".
 Give Larry MacPhail a couple more months as president of the Yankees. Give him time to get his feet on the ground. And you'll see some fireworks. He's leopard that's too old to change his liver spots, If he has any.
 Those tales about Gunder-th the Wunder Hagg being an entirely different fellow from the dour chap who visited these shores in 1943 are mere fairy stories. It is true that when the swift Swede first landed here on his previous trip he was irritable and hard to inter- view. That early attitude result ed from the unfortunate combina- ton of bad handling by Swedish American friends, his inability to understand English, and his at tempts to train in strange surround ings, ater a long sea voyage, for what he then considered the tough est race of his career-againSt little Greg Rice. After he beat Rice and left New York, he melloWed. He again became the same pleas ant Swede that friends in his home land knew at the Gayle fire de- partment.
 The case of Samuel Jackson Snead is mighty interesting because of the service angle. Some writers have credited the Navy with mak- ing a changed man of the eX- hillbilly from Virginia. Slammin' Sam, the golfing man, was given lIlCQACdl dAoClAQi6C 4AOlh OAAS 4NaEJ last fall, after 26 months in ser- vice.
 Since his discharge, Snead has won five tournaments. Now he is trying for his sixth victory of the winter season in the $5,000 Jack Sonville (Fla) open. Yesterday Snead equalled the new record fol the Jacksonville course with a 65. This left Samuel, at the end of the second round, in a threc-way tic for second place with Byron Nel- son and Jug McSpaden. At 134, they were two strokes behind the lead CT, Bob Hamilton oS Evansville. Ind.
 Sammy,s triumphant return to this exacting game, after a long hitch in the navy, is noteworthy indeed. But what excited the golf experts even more than the number of his triumphs was the manner in which he beat Nelson in the Gulf port 1Miss) open on Feb. l9. Snead. notorious for blowing up under last hole pressure. beat Nelson on the 18th hole of a play-off. This vic- tory followed his near blow" on the day before when he needed only a par four on the 18th to win the tourney, but took five and wound up in a tie with Lord Byron. He had clicked off birdies on the 18th. l6th and l7th.
 Despite Snead's victories and his Gulfport about-face, we'll have to wait for Sammy's reactions to pres sure on the final hole in big tour neys later, before believing that the navy wrought miracle in the for- mer barefoot caddy of Hot Springs. We are hard to convince because We happened to witness his grand bIow-up in the 1899 open at the Philadelphia Country Club. when he could have won with five or tied with a six. Instead, the pres- sure got him. and he belted the ball all over the pasture like a raw duffer for an eight. This left Nell son, Craig Wood and Denny Shute to play-off for the title. which Nel- son ultimately won.
 In connection with Snead's navy days 1t must be remembered that Slammin' Sam never was far from 8 golf course during his hitch. This accounts for his surprising form, after returning to civvies. And we doubt that his naval experiences were hectic enough to change him temperamentally.