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TUEN and DOVE HEAD FIRST FOR HOME PLATE,SLAPPING THE PLATE WITH MY HAND AS I SLID BY AND WAS CALLED SAFE.I THINK THIS WAS THE ONLY RUN EITHER TEAM HAD MADE IN THIS GAME.AS-I RAN TO THE PLAYERS' BENCH,DUSTING MY SUIT OFF, I NOTICED COACH GADDY'S EYES WERE WIDE OPEN.
THE ONLY LETTER I EVER MADE WAS IN GOLF.THIS WAS THE GAME I LOVED BEST,THEN CAME BASEBALL AND TENNIS.BUT IN GOLF ONE IS AN INDIVIDUAL AGAINST ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL,AND NO 02? ELSE CAN HELP YOU AND THEREFORE ONE CAN GET THE FULL CREDIT AND GLORY FOR DEFEATING AN OPPONENT. WHEN ONE SINKS A 30-^0 FOOT PUTT FOR AN EAGLE OR CHIPS ONE INTO THE CUP FROM A TRAP OR ANY OTHER SHOT,ONE FEELS THE THRILL OVER ONE'S ENTIRE EODY.
I PROVED TO MYSELF ONCE THAT IT WAS NOT THE CLUBS BUT TEE (PERSON USING THE CLUBS WHO MADE A GOOD GOLFER.I CUT A LIMB FROM A TRE>j AND SHAPED IT INTO AS CLOSE A N0> WOOD AS POSSIBLE,USING- A POCKET KNIFE. WITH ONLY THIS ONE CLUB I PLAYED HOLE NUMBERS 15,16,17 AND 18 ON THE BILOXI GOIF COURSE.I PARKED THE 15 TH ,l6 TH AND 18 TH.A^D WAS ONE INCH FROM THE CUP ON THE 17TH HOLE FOR A BIRDIE 2.
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM A FRIEND,FRANK FLORENCE AND A SUGGESTION OF A CHANGE IN GRIP BY JACK DARAY,THE FRO AT TEE BILOXI CLUB,MY GAME BECAME VERY STABLE,AND I GAINED ENOUGH CONFIDENCE IN MY GOLF GAME TO ESTABLISH MYSELF ON THE BILOXI HIC-H SCHOOL TEAM AS NO.3 MAN.BOB DARAY WAS NO.1,DON GORMLEY WAS NO.2, GENE TUTTLE WAS NO.k KAN.I ESPECIALLY ENJOYED THIS BECAUSE WE GOT FREE GOLF BALLS,MEALS,CADDIES,AND TRANSPORTATION WHENEVER WE PLAYED AGAINST OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS.
AT MERIDIAN,MISS.,I MET GENE VINSON,WHO WAS STATE OPEN AND STATE AMATEUR CHAMPION.I GOT MY BIGEST THRILL IN GOLF WHEN I SANK A PUTT WHICH WAS REALLY ONE IN A MILLION.THE GREEN WAS A TWO-LEVEL ONE WITH TEE CUP A LITTLE OVER A FOOT FROM THE TOP LEVEL OF THE GREEN.TO TOP THIS,I WAS ABOUT TEN FEET AWAY ON ABOUT A TWENTY DEGREE ANGLE.I TAPPED THE BALL TO THE EDGE OF THE DROP OFF,WHERE IT HESITATED FOR A MOMENT, THEN IT ROLLED DOWN AND INTO THE CUP FOR A BIRDIE.AS THE BALL DROPPED INTO THE CUP,I GOT A TREMENDOUS OVATION FROM THE NEXT TEE,WHERE GENE VINSON, COACH GADDY AND THE REST CF THE FOURSOME HAD BEEN WATCHING. I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED IF THERE WERE ANY BETS ON WHETHER I WOULD SINK IT OR NOT,I WAS PROUD TO SHAKE HANDS WITH GENE VINSON,AS WILLIS HAD OFTEN TALKED ABOUT GENE.BY THE WAY,YEARS LATER A NEIGHBOR OF MINE IN SOUTH PLAINFIELD WAS TELLING ME ABOUT AN EXCITING INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED TO HIM WHEN EE WAS IN MERIDIAN,MISS,FOR A?CONVENTION.THEY WERE IN THE LIVING ROOM OF THIS GENTLEMAN'S HOUSE WHEN THE CARETAKER CAME INTO THE ROOM WITH A LION CUB CHEWING ON HIS ARM.EVERYONE SCURRIED FOR COVER OR ONTO TABLES.THE WHOLE THING BEHIND THE STORY WAS THE NAME HE KEPT MENTIONING. FINALLY I ASKED HIM," DID YOU SAY THE NAME WAS GENE VINSON?"
WHEN THIS TEAM FROM MERIDIAN CAME TO PLAY US,I WAS KICKED OFF TEE TEAM,NOT BECAUSE I WAS A PROFESSIONAL AS THEY CLAIMED,BUT FOR OTHER REASONS.MY BUDDY,ALTON BELLANDE.WHO TOOK MY PLACE,SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISQUALIFIED ALSO,AS HE AND I HAD CADDIED TOGETHER MANY TIMES.IT ALSO COULD NOT HAVE BEEN BECAUSE I WAS BEHIND IN MY DUES BECAUSE MY CADDY-MASTER, MR .COWAIT,OFFERED TO PAY IT BUT THEY REFUSED TO ACCEPT IT.WELL, SINCE THEY CLASSED ME AS A PROFESSIONAL,I THOUGHT IT TIME TO SHOW THEM I WAS A REAL PROFESSIONAL.I TALKED ALTON BELLANDE INTO LETTING ME BE HIS CADDY.HE COULDN'T HAVE PICKED A WORSE CADDY,BUT AS A PROFESSIONAL MAYBE I HELPED HIM A LITTLE.
WHEN WE MOVED TO CHURCH STREET(NOW HAISE),WE WERE ONLY A BLOCK FROM GORENFLO SCHOOL AND TWO BLOCKS FROM ST.JOHN'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.MI FATHER WAS A FIRST CLASS CARPENTER AND A GOOD HOUSE BUILDER. THE REASON HE WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL AS A BUILDER,WAS THAT EE BELIVED IN BUILDING A HOUSE PROPERLY.AS A RESULT EE WAS UNDERBID BY OTHERS AND LOST THE CONTRACTS.
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