Evening star., 1963-04-23

ALeftist Lobbyist
Speaks His Piece
By MORRIS sIEGEC


A COUPLE OF UNUSUAL things happened Sunday.
In New York. the Nets won double-header This doesn't
happen very often.
In Houston, q lefthanded golfer won title on the
PoA tour This doesn't happen very often either In fact
1t never had happened before.
To better appreciate the significance Of Bob Charles
unprecedented breakhrough the words Of Abie Pearson
were sought I easily the greatest thing In the history
OF sports the little Angel said Not one to minimize
thing even his own size, Pearson claimed that "ts
parable to S-foot-S fellow playing center in the NBA"
PEARsoN's ENTHUSIASM for the coup brought off
0y the touring New zeaander almost was as thick as
brother love- Lii Abie also is efthanded golf player and
he probably Is baseballs best lnksman left or right
handed.
Another eminent lsfthander with the Angels Bo
Belinsky didn't find Charles triumph as significant as
Pearson did.
"charles9 oofP" the prospective Mr.. Mamie Van
Doren asked. Who's he and what's thAt7"
As result Of his one-stroke victory the rest Of
the classy Texas field which embraced such rpounders
Is $4,000 weahier but the National Association of Left
handed Golfers Is even richer.
TITS given recognition" beamed Pearson o card
carrying member for years The OAR couldn't have been
prouder Of any Of Its resolutions than Pearson Of
Charles and the cozy world Of efthanded golf players
FOR YEARS." PEARSON continued "other golfers
have looked upon bunch Of freaks. That's why
lefty golfers are 30 cliquish We gotta be.
They" he added with derisive sneer at the more
conventional brood, "oStracize u.s."
Until Charles mopup at Houston, the proudest boast
Of the NALG the fact that Ben Hogan started
letthander, but converted at tender age. 1t
noted that the conversion apparently did not harm Hogan
game.
yeah" Pearson said, but Hogan once told me that
II he had to do again he would switch back and
become the first lefthander to win the National Open
The biggest complaint against lefty golfers to
come from g. number Of pros who maintain that golf
courses are built for righthanders Whether they
actually built by rghthanders who subconscousy made 1t
tougher for lefthanders is fact not yet recorded but
the belief that eftes have more obstacles than rghtes
PEARSON, WHO WON THE Crosby pro-am two years
ago and who b winner Of number Of other events In
California comedies there might be truth in this
"The dog-leg holes are mostly bent to the left" he
agrees The rghthander hook his shot naturally
We fties have to play fade the dogeg left fade
doesn't 90 n far M hook 30 suppose we do have
slight disadvantage.
.'"Howsver in tournament play we often have an ad-
vantage TO toughen the the last day Of big
tournsent pin placements generally are on the right
side ohe green The rghthanded player has to fade the
ball In but leftes can hook 1t up there"
To hackers this advantage may seem nebulous. Just
getting to the green In any fashion is big trouble
wIFFY cox, THE sometime ambidextrous houseman
at Congressional has few righthandsd thoughts about
Lettu8uueuy H0HerF C0ntfafy 10 BenSra peueI, tne
pro said teaching professionals don't auto
maticay switch youngsters from left to right just to be
switching.
IF kid hits the ball better left than right we leave
him be-" Witty said. Personally, my conscience would
bother me If changed man. He probably would have
blank spot and always wonder II he couldn't have played
better had he not changed"
WHY'S experience In the lefthanded department is
not altogether secondhand He played lefthanded
1t happened as result challenge to high handicap
club player In New York Cox boasted that with one
weeks preparation lefhander he could lick the player
witty stroked it around in IS the only time he ever
played as scuthpaw. Il cheated bit" he said re-
calling the incident.
MY right hand the power hand for q lefty golfer
almost Is as strong my left hand built 1t up dealing
cards"