Show I r Of I i iC C O CE I u J JACK TACK ACK KRAMER the tennis star I was talking about the difference between golf goll and I tennis We had just asked him if there was any chance that he would follow in Ellsworth Ellsworth Ells Ells- worth Vines' Vines path and later take up golf goll for a living I Not the sU slightest chance ever the astute Kramer said It may be ber r tough to make a living out of tennis u But its it's far tar tougher in golf For example example ex ex- ample in a tennis match If yon you can ean canK K beat an opponent in straight sets or in three sets out of 01 four tour yon you usually t I can keep on beating J. J Kramer him Not always i but usually Its It's n nothing thIng like that in golf oll You can beat beata I I Ia a star one day and next day some unknown will knock your brains out In tennis we knew knew pretty well who should reach the semi-finals semi and the final round at Forest Hills We figured at least that most of the leaders would be hanging around But at Pebble Beach they were scattering scattering scattering scat scat- the dust of beaten stars all along the Pacific Just about the time this golf goll championship really got under way Frank Stranahan was out Bud Ward was out Smiley Quick was out Ted Bishop defending defending defending defend defend- ing champion was out most of ot those picked to win were packing I their clubs and heading somewhere else Fellows who had lost In the first round at Baltusrol a year ago now were decorating their wigwams wig wig- wigwams with scalps of leading stars wig wig-I Tennis al also o has its upsets I II suggested I Upsets Are the Rule I II I know that Kramer said But ButI I only here and there Only occasionally occasion occasion- ally Golf Golt is nothing but one upset after another Look at the last P. P G. G A. A tournament Most of the star golfers were out by the second round I like golf as a game but not as asa asa asa a way of making a living Its It's too tough Ellie Vines has played a long number of brilliant rounds But he rarely wins a big money ment And Vines has practiced thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of hours at golf Dont forget I put put in that tennis is played over a few square yards of space A round of golf golt covers covers covers cov cov- ers over five miles and some acres A tennis court is perfectly massaged A golf golt course is full of trees bunkers traps matted rough ponds lakes maybe part of ot an ocean hills ravines bushes and jungle Irv Cobb told me once that he got so deep into the woods on some western course that he was attacked by two pumas Also there are few cuppy lies in tennis No bunker heel prints in the sand That may have something to do with it Kramer said All I know knowis is that I dont don't want any part of pro golf even golf even if I was 15 strokes better than my 85 There is another angle that Kramer might have figured on The tension in golf oll is about four times tb the tension in tennis tennis tennis-or or any other sport There is only one cure cire or relief for tension that every other sport carries This is action move action move ment Golf Golt has no such relief Too Tough for Many ItIs It much easier to keep your eye on a moving fast-moving baseball or a fast- fast moving tennis ball than it is to keep a fixed orb on a small white ball that doesn't even flinch until you hit it or move It Any football player will tell that his tightest tension Is just before the first kickoff After one or two body collisions this tension tension tension ten ten- sion Is gone Nothing like that happens happens happens hap hap- pens in in golf Golf Golt dem demands greater mental control control control con con- than any other game By mental mental mental men men- tal control we dont don't mean cultural intelligence which has nothing to todo todo todo do with sport Psychology always plays a far bigger bigger bigger big big- ger part in golf than in any other game g In almost every other game you are arc playing against ag some op op- In golf olf you are playing al almost almost almost al- al most entirely by yourself No one can Interfere physically with anything anything any any- thing you do You can only beat yourself Your main opponent is yourself yourself not not the other tell fellow ow Golf Golt demands no speed no brawn no quick mental reflexes under fire There are no split seconds of mental action in golf goll as there are in baseball baseball base base- ball football tennis polo and all games of physical action Knute Rockne Rockne- who played most games well gave ave up golf olf Its too tou tough b for me me Knute said Fred Stone was vas one of the greatest greatest great great- est natural athletes I ever saw saw saw- acrobat boxer boker a star performer In Inmost Inmost inmost most sports Fred learned how to ski In two hours Rex Beach told me once yet once yet Stone tried and quit golf It was a different game g And those who have played other games so well hate to be duffers and dubs in a game that looks so easy and md simple Sammy Byrd and Ellsworth Vines are the only two men I know who save lave starred at other games games base base base- aall and tennis plus tennis plus golf golL Byrd was wasi wasa i a better golfer goller than he was a ball ballplayer ballplayer player but he be turned first to base base- gall all |