Victory at Grumley's

Though the Ryder Cup has invariably been won by the golf team playing on home ground, on the eve of the biennial Cup matches in England last week Captain Walter Hagen boldly picked his U. S. professionals to win, was so confident that he ventured to predict the score: 8-to-4. To oppose Great Britain's topflight Golfers Henry Cotton and Alf Padgham in the opening "Scotch foursome" (partners hitting alternate strokes) he thereupon picked not Tony Manero and Ralph Guldahl, U. S. Open champions for 1936 and 1937, but Byron Nelson, 25-year-old one-time Texas railroad clerk, and seasoned Ed Dudley.

Stretching across the fairway at "Grumley's," famed 16th and hoodoo hole of the windy Southporty & Ainsdale course in Lancashire, is a 30-ft. sand bunker faced with black railroad ties. The barrier must be cleared on the second shot or the approach to the green is blind. At Grumley's bunker last week non-playing Captain Hagen's two daring selections came to the test. In the morning round, Nelson & Dudley, trailing at the 16th, rallied to clear the bunker for a birdie 4. They returned to Grumley's in the afternoon 3 up. Golfer Cotton's ball hit the bunker squarely, dropped back into the trap. Nelson & Dudley soared over, birdied again, and won the opening match, 4 & 2.

Gasped British Captain Charles Whitcombe: "I can't believe it!'' Manero & Guldahl promptly captured their foursome 2 & 1 and Gene Sarazen & Denny Shute halved theirs to put the U. S. ahead 2 1/2 points to 1 1/2.

Next day was gusty and rainy for the singles matches. The British professionals hoped that the weather would favor their play but on the watery greens the U. S. golfers, and not they, putted dead to the cup. Opening against Padgham, Ralph Guldahl won four holes in the first nine, ended the match at the 29th. Sam Snead dismayed his opponent by blasting the ball 300 yd. at the eleventh, easily won 5 & 4. Denny Shute finished all even with young Sam King. Manero was defeated by Cotton and Nelson lost to little David Rees. By this time defense of the Ryder Cup fell to Gene Sarazen and again Crumley's proved the crucial point. Coming to the 34th hole 1 up on Percy Alliss, Sarazen proceeded to drive into the deep trap. As Captain Hagen excitedly chewed a cigaret on the sideline, Sarazen heroically lifted his ball safely over the bunker to the green, halved the hole. He halved the next one, too, then drove calmly between the dunes, pitched to the green, holed out in 4 to equal Alliss and clinch the Ryder Cup. Two more U. S. victories brought the final score to 8-to-4.

Said Captain Whitcombe: "This match has been won with a putter--one or two shots on the green against our two and three. ... I don't know how it is, but the Americans seem always able to pull out their best stuff at the right moment." Best stuff had been exhibited by Walter ("The Haig") Hagen, who had correctly predicted the victory, set the stage for it by shrewd generalship in the Scotch foursomes. A veteran of every Ryder Cup match since its inaugural in 1926, Hagen did not play this year because his putting is wobbly. "Whiskey fingers," he explained. Captain Hagen declared last week's victory "the greatest thrill of my golfing career." Sarazen, now a Connecticut squire, announced that it was "probably" his last Cup appearance.

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