Show Irish Stealing o Scots Scats Thunder By GRANTLAND RICE w WHEN HEN YOU look back over past records in the British golf gol championships It seems odd to see seea a brace of Irishmen acting as thelast the thelast thelast last two defenders of the British amateur In past years Englishmen and Scots from John Ball and Freddie Tait Taft through H Hilton ton z r. r N. N tJ r rT on to the Tolleys T 14 and have b bee been e e n the main M hopes across the Y J stormy storm water haz haz- 1 ard JW 4 But It was James h Bruen of Ireland I who led the pack in w 1946 and now theres there's Sam McCready Mc- Mc Grantland Rice Cready a also 1 s o 0 of Ireland wearing the coronet of 1949 It is something for a first starter in a British amateur to roll back two such men as Frank Stranahan and Willie down the stretch Especially over what might be the toughest course in the world At least we know of no other course or links that Is yards long P par r 7 74 where the normal weather Is driving rains and battering gales Yet McCready in his morning round against shot himself himsel a 70 just about the equal of a 62 on most other tests It would have been pleasant to have had McCready Mc l Cready as a parlay against Stranahan Stranahan Stranahan Stran Stran- ahan and It should have been a nice 10 to 1 or 12 to 1 payoff pay pay- off In the opening betting the final winner was around 40 to 1 First starters rarely ever win one of these big tournaments where experience experience experience ex ex- ex- ex is almost as important as skill To stand 4 up at the midway point to become 1 down late in the stretch and then recover again is tribute enough to McCready's competitive competitive competitive com com- side It was a good thing for International International International In In- golf that an Irishman Irishman Irishman Irish Irish- man won It will steam up the Walker Cup matches at Winged Foot in August where interested galleries would like to get a alook alook alook look at the swing that decapitated decapitated decapitated our two best amateurs In the meanwhile what has happened happened happened hap hap- to Scottish golf goll What has become of the descendants of that ancient shepherd who began knocking knocking knocking knock knock- ing round stones into holes thereby starting a game that in the US U.S. alone has led to some courses and some three million club swingers swing swing- ers It is time the land of the thistle and the bluebell came bounding back II A Champ Moves U Up p Some weeks ago a few noncombatants noncombatants noncombatants noncom- noncom were kidding Bill Dickey about Ted Williams Bill always has contended that Ted Williams was as fine a hitter as he ever saw Ted was under at the time The Prince Regent of Arkansas Arkan Arkan- sas merely grinned I have an idea Bill said that he will be beback beback back up there around the first of at June Nothing can keep back that eye and that pair of working wrists Williams can wait until the ball is almost in the catchers catcher's glove before he swings And if it its it's a half halt inch wide of the plate he wont won't fool with it It seems that in the race for batting batting batting bat bat- ting honors Ted is back where he belongs He has moved from to around the mark He also has his full share of home runs and runs batted in He is the best bet of the year to become a Triple Crowner in the department of the ash At this spot we cant can't see any anyone anyone anyone one leading Williams to the batting wire in September There Is a big difference between between between be be- tween hitting now and hitting hitting hitting hit hit- ting some 20 or 30 years ago Williams was the last big leaguer to hit over some years ago But back in an earlier earlier earlier earl earl- ier decade we had bad Ty Cobb Harry Heilmann Heilman George Rogers Hornsby Bill Terry and others tapping the big mark from year to year A hitter hitter hitter hit hit- ter caused no undue excitement in those lost decades There is another young hitter wh who has moved up from his 1948 form His name is Ralph Kiner The Pirate bomber stopped in the 2601 last season He has been nearly s I points better than that this spring The Kiner Mize Kiner-Mize Mize home run home run race is still something to watch Both hit 51 home runs in 1947 Both hit 40 home runs last season After the Memorial day headers double-headers Kin Kiner Kiner Kiner er had 11 and Mize 10 The kid worked hard bard all winter to be ready for this season season season sea sea- son Bing Crosby said a few days ago He has a n set set of exercises exercises exercises ex ex- ex- ex to develop clop hands wrists and forearms He Be Is a fine boy who wants to learn I believe this will be his best year 1 I hope so for Cor we certainly need needmore needmore needmore more of the same Any way I said you Pirates h have ve looked just as good as Bob Hopes Hope's Indians Which is some help |