Detroit evening times., 1946-01-01
FAIR ~
ENOUGH
BY Westbrook
Pe9ier


COMEBODY by the name
~ Byron Nelson appears -
believe that he made a rather
distinguished record as golfer
in the season OF l945.
Those sports reporters
Let US not be too hard upon
them for they write but TO en-
tertain and glamorize and wor-
ship heroes of their own crea"
ton.
The truth is, OF course, as be-
tween us of the intellectual ilk
in the privacy OF our circle. that
this Nelson has only just APP
proximated the best score oi a
magnificent but ScandalouSly
modest amateur by name here
superScribed
THE name, my peers. IS
Il Pegler.
Oh yes, but yes, a golfer OF
the utmost splendor al times
whose aggregate refinement
over a course of let Us say %
years. in all casual career, has
equaled at least and on lnfor-
nation and belief has excelled
Mr.. Nelson's minimum OF 90.
There was an occasion years
ago at the Pelham Country
Club where at that hole with
the big dog leg. Gene Sarazen
in his youth flouted convention
and local superstition TO shoot
his drive high and far over the
trees to the green 10 win The
hole from Jock Hutchinson, the
home professional, in the Ma
tional Open.
The occasion Of which ] speak
was not the incident Of the
SaraZan shot 10 the green.
Pegler's master stroke oc-
Cured a few years later few
holes beyond.
PegieF,-up TO then VI
about eight over even mines bt
Of a sudden, he rose 10 an enN
nence which the sports writer's,
Of whom then was aspiring TO
be one. sometimes called the
heights"
Pegier was IS yards from the
green with a 3 for 10 Could
the boy keep out of those traps,
those woods, those garbage
trucks on the road 10 the New
Rochelle incinerator hard by7
Could he even hit the damn
thing?
SURVEYING these perpleXi-
~ ties, our hero shut his eyes,
not. as a sports writer might
have said. in prayer. but in
stupid abandon. hauled of with
an iron which he has always
called a thing. reared back
and sOcked il.
The rest is posterity's treasure.
II sailed TO the green, straight
and true and sweet. dumped-
nicely ? yards from the cup.
jumped, ran ioyously and dropped
for an even s!
Robert Bender. God rest A
brave and heartcnlng soul.
rushed up TO congratulate an
opponent who. by this lncom-
parable feat of nerve and fight
ing spirit, had won from him a
hole on which he always granted
a handicap of par times twe
How did YOU do u 90 He dc.
sired to know II that vas not
restricted information. Just
how did you hold your hands:
In what position were your feet:
Did you chop or swing throughY
And were your ears closer to-
gether than, normally, YOU
hold them"
Does Gimbcl tell Macy? Does
Montgomery Ward tell Sears
Roebuck? Did Sarazen tel.
Hagen?
Pegler gave him some no.N|
commital reply and then went
forward and Robert never knew
the secret of the miracle shot
Of the Pelham Country Club.
VHERE was that No. 2 iron
Il shot on that course az Clear
water, Fla, about 1927.
Tommy Armour was there
that year and he. poor, amiabls
but rather patronizlng wight.
had been encouraged 10 fancy
himself as a rather far man
with the hoe.
Pegler was $50 yards away
here and miraculously tufted on
a brush of dry grass
He was shooting for an eight
and feeling rather puny after a
night OF stone crab and song
and Cuban grog at an annual
rejoicing of the baseball set.
Pegler, ccording 10 his
method and style, again blinked,
raised his forefoot. pulled up
his head and jerked with his
down-swing like a man hacking
snakes with machetc
No. nol Don't anticipate me!
Peglers shot didn't run ioy-
ously into the little cup but II
did tremble and halt on the
very lip so that even Pegler. on
his next essay. couldn't fail 10
drop it.
Egad, men Had this Nelson
made such a stroke in a great
tournament, the anthologies
would be full Of il. But Pegler