Omaha daily bee., 1910-10-02
TOO MANY ENTRIES IN GOLF
Eligibility Rules for the Champion
ship Event Need Revising.
CANNOT GET AROUND IN A DAY
leighton Collins Discusses the ImDOs-
sibIe situation Now Existing and
Suggests a Campaign of
Education.

NEW YORK, Oct. 1.-Golfers who neither
attended or followed the progress of the
recent national championship tournament
at Broookline, Mass, now realize the all
too apparent need for a change so far as
eligibility conditions go. Heretofore all
that has been required Of a person to make
him eligible to compete in the blue ribbon
event OF the year has been for him TO be
a member of some club belonging to the
United States Golf association. The result
this year was the unprecedented entry,
which all but demoralized the officials.
In other words. after being showed under
with the hitherto unheard OF mass Of 2OS
starters, committeeman admit that the time
for action has arrived; in fact. is impera-
tive. When IL becomes impossible to get
the field around before dark on the first
day, a certain element of luck, not TO say
injustice, creeps in.
Take, for Instance, the case OF Robert A.
Gardner, the title holder. Here was
player, because Of unusually late start
unable to finish his first eighteen hole
round the same day, being compelled to
piece II out from where he left off early
the following morning. II so happened that
the conditions were not bad the next morn
ing. so hat Gardner got in the first sixty
four. What chance would he or any of
Ine Otner DEBATED ones nave STOOD II q Vlo-
lent storm had sprung up in the Interim
One trouble with the amateur champion
ship seems to be the burning desire on the
part of SO many of the players Of average
merit 10 get in the game" They never
have more than an outside chance TO win
ordinary invitation or open tournaments,
where good players are in the minority,
consequently what possible use are they
when arrayed against the cream of the
land7
Views of Leighton Collins.
Leighton Calkins, the man who did so
much toward the revision of the United
States Golf association constitution last
winter, has expressed himself as follows:
Since the amateur championship held at
Brookline have been asked by several
persons whether, in my judgment, a ma
tional handicap committee could undertake
the rating Of all players who are members
of United States Golf Association clubs
so as TO produce list from which candl-
dates for the principal event of the year
could be chosen, limiting entries, for ex-
ample to players rated at six or lower.
Frankly, do not think the work could
be done properly, or. rather, thoroughly
and II not II would better not be under
taken at all. There are many reasons why
the work would fail, and It will suffice tc
name a few. In the first place. the nationa
committee would be fortunate IL 1t got re.
turns from so per cent of the clubs That
would mean, in the National association
at least sixty clubs out of 800 that would
either not be heard from at all or from
which the returns would be 80 inadequat,
as to be absolutely valueless. I have served
for six years on the handicap committe,
of the Metropolitan Golf association, and 4
would amaze the average golfer to know
the difficulties which are encountered II
getting proper returns out of an associa
ton of sixty clubs.
I'm the second place, the larger the as
soctation-that is, the greater the numbe
of clubs making returns-the greater chanc
of error and OF inequitable rating. For afte
all is said and done. good handicap return
never can be had from a club which ha
not good Handicapped. All systems breaI
down If the work is done by incompetent
or careless officials. In addition to thes
reasons are many others equally weighty
such as the matter OF expense. amount o
labor involved, etc, It would be a hercul
can task and would occupy an amount o
time and work out OF all proportion to tn
very best results which could possible
be accomplished.
AhUCP DOWhs
"on the other hand. something must b
done to keep the size of the field in tn
amateur championship within reasonabl
bounds The present playing condition
are the best we have ever had-probabl
much the best that can be devised for
tournament which is to be run off in 81
days. Not only are all the match-p la
rounds except one at thirty-six holes, thu
assuring real test of merit for the SIX
teen-class players who remain to battle 10
the title, but the first day is entrel
given up to a single eightecn-hole media
play round, in order TO accommodate a
large field as possible. This is nc
strictly qualifying round. II is rather
preliminary, or elimination, round, afte
which all but thirty-four players drop GU
What these sixty-four players can do
an eighteen-hole medal play round Q
Tuesday morning really determines Ii
thirty-two players to qualify although III
scores on both days are added togethe
Now in theory this idea of an elimint
ton round on Monday is perfect. 1t brol
down this year for the first time OWN
TO an unprecedented entry list of more tha
200 players. There were more than /
pairs which can hardly be started o
much better than on a five-minute heat
way. We always work for a four-minu
Roadway, but seldom live up to 1t. A fiv
minute Roadway means 500 minutes, or b.
tween eight and nine hours separating Il
first pair and the last in starting fro
the first tee. II the first pair is sent o
at o'clock, the last pair will get off abor
$3.50, and If there has been no hitch Il
last pair will get in some time after
At Brookline, as we know, darkness a
tually prevented several players from III
ishins
What shall the remedy be? 1t is pc
fectly apparent that field of more ths
$50 or 100 players is absurd in an amate
championship. There are no sideshows
the blue ribbon event OF the year, no sc
ond or third sixteens, no beaten Fights
handicap events. Players OF only avera
ability have no real place in such an ever
Such players ought to have enough golfil
public spirit, not to say. modesty, to ST.
at home during the second week OF SepteI
Der unless they care enough about {
game to look on once in a while and S
how IL really Is played
Campaign of Education Needed.
MY suggestion, in a word. would
first to try the effect of a campaign
education. Make IL an unDopular thing 4