Salt Lake Telegram | 1942-02-20 | Page 23 | Putting Gives Edge, Say Golf Leaders

Putting Gives Edge Say Golf Leaders By MORTIMER KREEGER NEW ORLEANS Feb 20 ff Chick Chick Harbert one of g golf's leading youngsters this season and Jimmy Demaret who ranked at at the top two years ago agreed today that a putting streak really makes the difference as they teed off in the New Orleans open tournament Two seasons ago when Demaret came here to win the local event he said My putter is so hot Im I'm afraid to go to sleep at night for fear Ill I'll lose it it That was in the midst of his spectacular campaign of ot six vIctories victories victories vic vIc- tories in nine major events events- on the winter swing a swing a record no other golfer has ever equalled This season the best hes he's done isa single third place Im hitting the ball b better than I ever did before he said but two years ago I averaged 28 or 30 putts a round and now Im I'm takIng taking taking tak tak- ing 32 or 34 Harbert was just another good amateur when Jimmy was at the top Last year he was called a coming golfer Now he has arrived has won two events on the winter circuit and is fresh from beating veteran Ben Hogan In a playoff for the Texas open championship The biggest reason he explained explained explained ex ex- is that my putting has improved per cent I used to miss two putts of ot three feet or orless orless orless less every round Clip two strokes off your average and it makes a abig abig abig big difference Harbert suddenly stepped up into the class of consistent money winners at Harlingen Texas when he changed his style after studyIng studying studying study study- ing the putting of ot Horton Smith and Leonard Dodson and borrowed Tony Penna's putter which he has used ever since He scored his first major victory victory victory vic vic- tory in the next meet the Beaumont Beaumont Beaumont Beau Beau- mont Texas open But how can Ben Hogan stay up near the top so long