Walter Hagen, known as,"the Haig," attracted, crowds with his flamboyance. He began caddying at the age of seven and one-half in his native Rochester, New York. At twelve, he was in school one afternoon when he felt the call of the links. He waited until the teacher's back was turned, then jumped out the window and hurried to the golf course. That, in effect, ended his formal education. He caddied for several years, then obtained a succession of jobs in pro shops, eventually becoming a professional golfer, which carried very low status in the 1920s. Pros were, in effect, servants. They gave lessons to golf-club members, made clubs, and did various other chores, but they did not mix with the gentry. Hagen changed all that. Three British Opens made the difference. In one, Hagen was told he had to eat his meals in the pro shop with the other hired hands......
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