The Sand Wedge
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When Bobby Jones hit a spectacular sand shot
with his new fangled sand wedge, from a down hill side hill lie
to 3 inches on the par 5 16th at Hoylake in the 1930 British Open it was determined
that either the club was illegal or Jones should be burned at the stake as
surely he was a
witch. In January of 1931 the United States Golf Association
rendered its decision and despite the rumblings from many of its members Jones
was spared ( although he did retire from competitive golf ) and the club was banned from USGA play.
Some interesting
little facts don't you think ? But wait let's take a peek under just one more layer
and see what we can see. In 1930 during the Southern Open at Augusta Country Club,
Horton Smith gave a newly designed club called a sand wedge to Bobby Jones. Jones then uses this new club and pulls off a miracle shot that helps him
win the British Open, the 2nd tournament in his quest for the grand slam.
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Well I hope so, because at it turns out there is more. It seems sometime in 1932, the great golf writer and close friend of Bobby Jones, Grantland Rice introduced Babe Zaharias to the game of golf. She was later introduced to Gene Sarazen with whom she ended up doing an exhibition tour. Sarazen among other things gifted Babe a sand wedge along with a few tips on how to use it, some suspect "magic" and all.
You see in April of 1935 Babe Zaharias entered only her 2nd golf tournament, the Texas Women's Golf Championship at River Oaks Country Club in Houston Texas. As fate would have it she played herself into the finals where she was to face 3 time champion Peggy Chandler, who upon hearing of Mrs. Zaharias's entry remarked, "We really don't need any truck driver's daughter in our tournament. " (For the record Babe's father was a highly skilled furniture maker.)
The 36 hole final was vicious and it appeared that Mrs. Chandler had the match well in hand with a 3 hole lead after 26 holes. Babe managed to cut the lead to 1 hole on Mrs. Chandler by the 33rd hole where things would get "interesting" . Babe with the honors stripes her drive 250 yards dead center, into a ditch that crossed the fairway. Then in her attempt to reach the par 5 from this dreadful lie in two with her 3-iron, she blades her approach over the green into a muddy rut. Peggy Chandler in the meantime was on in 3 within tap in distance for am easy birdie four. Mrs. Zaharias now faced with a "no chance" shot, in a do or die situation selects, you guessed it, her sand wedge and knocks it in the hole like it was "guided by remote control" for a match tying eagle 3. "Fans watching from the edge of the green ran forward to witness the impossible inadvertently collided with Babe, knocking her face down into the muddy puddle." As Babe was recovering her composure the now delirious spectators "exploded in ecstatic disbelief ." Babe went on to win the championship on the 36th hole. So now you tell me, how important was this "magical" sand wedge to these larger than life golfing heroes ? |
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A sand wedge trio, Gene Sarazen, Babe Zaharias,
Horton Smith all carrying golf clubs.
The woman is that Sarazen appears to be smitten with is golfing great Joyce
Wethered.
Sand Wedges have come along way since Edwin MacClain's finned beauty, with an endless selection of models and styles.
To learn more about your sand wedge options, continue your search here.......