OCR Text |
Show I SPORT LIGHT Great Golfers Dread Short Putts I By GRANTLAND RICE "ME DRIVE for pleasure," Johnny Farrell once said. "But we putt for money." I wonder won-der how many dollars have been lost by putts, short putts that just slipped by the edge of the tin cup, possibly a half inch out of line? Or . 1 - .... A U . the putts that stopped an inch short? Or the putts that rimmed the cup? A venerable golfer golf-er at the age of 70 would consider himself a poor fish if he missed a two-footer two-footer or even a head. The short one be missed at St. Louis in the Open on the final green the short one he missed again for the Open U Chicago three putts from 10 or 12 feet at Tarn O'Shanter in the big May's money tournament. In the St. Pete Open, I saw Snead almost hit the pin with his second on a 500-yard hole. He- had a 10-footer 10-footer for a 3. He putted two feet over. He missed that one. We have often wondered how a star golfer felt who had hit two great shuts requiring power and skill, control and timing, only to push or stab a two-foot putt and undo all the fine play he had used making shots far more difficult. But putting isn't so much a matter mat-ter of skill at least not always. It is also a matter of nerve control. Strength has nothing to do with it. A veteran of 70 has skill enough to be a fine putter as good as many of the better pros. I've seen a few of those old codgers from 60 and up at work. Some of them can't understand how any one can miss a five-foot putt. The .300 List The .300 hitter, In spite of the lively ball and a slump in pitching, has regained his old place. A .300 hitter today is on the scarcer side. How many would you figure there are now at work in the two leagues? In the two big leagues there are at least 75 players on each side, not counting pitchers, who have been at bat more than 300 times. From this list we discovered dis-covered exactly 11 ball players In each circuit who had reached the .300 mark, or better, with five or six others who had a good chance to make the grade. It might also be noted that five or six are so near the .300 mark they may fall out before Grantland lilce three-looter. tsui consider what has happened to Ben Hogan and to Sammy Snead to Cary Middlecoff and to many, many others high up. I recall a masters tournament tourna-ment Just a few years back. Ben Hogan was playing the final hole. He needed a 4 to tie the leading score. Ben hit a great drive some 260 yards up the course. Taking out a 5 Iron he almost hit the pin, the ball trickling some 12 to 15 feet past the cup. This left him a tricky, downhill putt but easy enough for his 4. lie tapped the ball lightly. He seemed to be heading head-ing for a 3. But the ball ran over the rim of the cup and stopped some 24 inches below. This looked to be simple enough. But as the return putt came to the cup it veered off a half an Inch and Hogan had a 5. He has yet to win the masters. Two months later, in June, Hogan again needed a 4 to tie in the playoff play-off in the U.S. open at Canterbury, Cleveland. Again he hit a magnificent magnifi-cent drive. His iron to the green just slipped by the pin again and stopped 15 feet beyond. Again Ben went for his birdie 3 and again he slipped 24 inches past. And again he missed the short one two short putts under three feet that cost him two major championships in less Jian two months. You can understand why great golfers dread short putts any putt )f any length. Sammy Snead has blown more short putts that cost him heavily than any star I know. Only Sam doesn't wait for the last green. It might happen anywhere any-where along the line. With one of the greatest all-around games golf has ever known, Snead can look back on many a green with a sad shake of his t h j; season ends. Jackie Robinson Is almost certain cer-tain to lead the National. He has been between .300 and .370 the greater part of the year. Country Slaughter and Red Schoendienst of the Cardinals are the next two authentic .300 hitters in the older circuit where they have been nesting between .320 and .330. Marshall, Thompson, Lockman, Musial, Hodges, Kiner and Gordon are over .300, but they can't afford to do any slipping through September. Septem-ber. Musial has been putting on a desperate scramble to reach a much higher mark, but Stan has found the traveling much rougher than it was last year. He has been over 40 points away from his 1948 mark. Why? Who can say? |