Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-10

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didn't miss a ride! 1t was dur
ing their stay that Bob and I
became acquainted in a way few
persons with a gap of twenty
odd years between them ever do.
objectionable TransgressiOn.
All of Bob's friends-his dad.
O. B. Keller, his faithful
Boswell, and myself among
others-had admonished Bob
concerning his temper. But it
took the British Open of 1921
to expose it to Jones in a manner
he never forgot. He had COM
mitted the objectionable trans
erosion of picking up his ball,
and thought of it ranked him
throughout the next nine years
years. incidentally, when the
Bobby Jones department re-
manned at a magnificent stand
ard.
If temper had been Bob's
major flaw, minor one con-
cerned diet. His appetite be-
tween morning and afternoon
rounds was voracious. A fighter,
football player. even a baseball
star-with the eternal excep-
ton of Babe Ruth-goes light on
the chow going into battle. I'd
remarked as much to Bob.
Nevertheless, he continued to
cover the noon menu pretty we'll
including the pie q la mode.
During those on-trial years lead
ing into the Open in 1923 at the
Inwood course on Long Island,
he was beaten off in the final
rounds more often than not.
And Jones was becoming a bit
fatalistic about these defeats.
Fate. HE'LL" I replied when
he mentioned the subject follow
ing his humping at the ter
rifically hot hands of Jess Sweet
ser in the 1922 Amateur at
Brookline. You eat like ditch
digger at noon and then wonder
why you don't quite have that
extra feel in the afternoon.
Many a hearty lunch has cost
thousands of golfers a good
round later on where even
death was the result"
Convinced by Keller.
However. I think it was Bob's
closest confident, o. B. Keeler,
who convinced Jones that
drastic switch in his noon meal
might mean more than a hot,
putter. From 1923-the year he
won the Open for his first major
title-until the end. eight years
later, Jones stuck to a lunch of
crackers and milk. During that
span, in which time he picked
up IL major titles, it was strictly
a case of Jones against the field.
Jones could piddle away
strokes when he was leading. So
did Hagen. But the ability to
come through under pressure,
when the blue chips are down,
is the sternest trademark of the
champion.
A perfect example of Jones
DIGGING it as a front runner &C.
Cured in the spring of 1880 at
the Southeastern Open at Au-
gusta. I was following him along
with Ty Cobb. It was the last
round and Jones. having scores
OF u, 70. SO, was leading the
field in relaxed lope.
AS Jones reached the 10th tee
his nearest foe. Horton Smith.
had just finished. The grape
vine came back that Bob was
ID strokes in front with
Hagen. Sarazen and the other
limelighters of the day finish
ing nowhere.
Bob lay down for a few min
utes to take a rest. Looking at
him. Cobb was indignant.
But, Ty. with pars from here
on in I'm 18 strokes ahead"
Jones said.
Then win by 18 strokesi"
snapped Cobb.
Jones finished carelessly with
five strokes over par for the
three holes-for II. He still
finished Is shots ahead of run
nerup Smith, an all-time mar
gin for big tournament. Cobb
was disguised.
Must Play by Feel"
The day before that 1880
Amateur at Merton. I played a
round with Bob. He was in fine
mental form. Walking down the
7th or 9Th fairway, Bob became
expansive.
Granny" he said. 1--WE sur
fered at this game a lot of years.
Among other things, I've dis
covered q man must play golf
by feel the hardest thing
in the world to describe-but
the easiest thing in the world