"Why don't you try Ben Hogan?" the member asked.   He said he would call him--he was a good friend--and put in a word for me. Hogan was in the vicinity preparing for the Masters, as he did annnually at the Seminole Golf Club north of Palm Beach.   I thanked the member, and a few days later, on his say-so, I called Hogan. I explained somewhat haltingly that I wanted to write an article about commpeting against great professionals. Perhaps a match could be arranged.   I can remember his voice in reply--polite and easy. It took me awhile to realize that he was turning me down.

He said, yes, our mutual friend had described the notion to him. He said he had no ojection to playing a friendly match, perhaps along with the friend who had put us in touch. A good player a former Harvard captain, did I know that? Yes, I said. But Hogan  went on, if I intended to write about playing against him in a competiton , well, that was another matter. The conditions would have to be those of a tournament.  .