Omaha daily bee., 1911-08-06
MOVEMENT FOR GOLF CHANGE
Different Conditions to Govern Next
National Amateur Championship.
ENTRANTS ARE TO BE RESTRICTED
Executive Committee of United states
Golf Association would Also
shorten Tournament 10
Five Days.

NEW YORK. Aug. b.-ThrouSh the en-
ergy of a member of the executive com
mittee of the United states Golf assoc. a.
ton an effort is being made to bring about
different conditions to govern the mex,
national amateur championship tournament
to be held at Apawamis in September. This
committeeman favors restricting entran,s
to those handicapped at six or less at their
home clubs, and ne would like to see the
tournament limited to five instead Of six
days.
In doing this two more match rounds
would have to consist of eighteen holes,
In this country the idea has grown year
after year that all championship rounds
should go the double route. 1t is pointe
out. however, that only the final round
p in the British championship is continued
20 thirty-six holes.
There has been considerable correspond
ence on the subject of late. many of tho
leading amateurs Of the country being
communicated with by Robert c. Watson,
secretary Of the United Golf association.
At the office 1t was stated that the mat
ter was under consideration, but nothing
positive had as yet been decided upon.
Following is the communication that a will
known amateur recently received from the
secretary's office:
Dear Sir A suggestion has been made
by a member of the executive committee
OF the United States Golf association to
change the method of playing the amateur
championship at Apawamis this year
Before any action is taken the executive
committee has decided to write to all the
leading golfers in the country to get their
opinions Of the matter. inclose copy
OF the letter as submitted to the commit
tee. The present method of playing the
championship is as follows: .
L,l. raada al Nlln els
four players TO qualify; Tuesdoy morning
eighteen holes, medal play, thirty-two
players having the best scores for thirty
six holes shall qualify for the champion
ship; Tuesday afternoon, eighteen-hole
match play round; wednesday. thirty-six-
hole match play roundi Thursday, thirty
six-hoe match play round; Friday, thirty
six holes match play, and Saturday tnlr-
ty-slx-hole final round.
Then comes the suggested change, which
appears in letter to the executive COLL
niittee, as follows:
II think six days of golf in our amateur
championship is entirely too strenuous, and
that il makes the championship test OF
endurance rather than of skill. Elabora-
ton on this subject is unnecessary, be-
cause 1t is so perfectly patent the quanty
of golf in the last days OF the slx-day
tournament is very much inferior to that
at the beginning of the week This Is
true not only here, but in the Brush eham-
plonshtp as well. There, as you Know,
they have only five days, yet, notwith-
standing the champion, Harold Hilton, was
at the very top of his game this year, he
was so tired the last day that he was ten
strokes Off the game ne playeu carrier "a
the week. >,
There is another consideration: II we
begin the play on Monday II necessltates
members of the committee being in attend
ance too long, and they are away from
their homes several days longer than they
should be. We will agree that the cham
pionship should be pleasurable and not
laborious, either to the committee OF 10
the players. ...,, ,,..,,..oa
many times, and that the present plan IL
the result of much careful thought
my mind however, the reasons for chang
ing the existing arrangements are much
stronger than those for retaining IT,
II have no fixed opinion as TO the plan
that each member of the committee give
the matter very careful consideration, ana
that we make Il the subject of a vote either
by mail or at a meeting to be held In New
York at an early day. / suggest the foi-
lowing plan for consideration:
Commence the play on Tuesday morn
ing; limit the entrants to those VINO nave
handicap of not more than SIX strokes
at their respective clubs; eighteen holes on
Tuesday, medal play, the lowest Sixty
four scores to continue at thirty-six holes'
medal play on Wednesday, the lowest SIX
teen scores in the fifty-four holes quail"
fying rounds to qualify for match play;
one eighteen-hole match play round Thurs
day morning; one eighteen-hole match play
round Thursday afternoon, and one thirty
six-hole match play round Friday and the
final thirty-siX holes on saturday.
''It must be remembered that all the
rounds except the final in the British anna
teur are at eighteen holes, and the Two
eighteen-hole match rounds suggested VIII
shorten the contest.
ut may be that some of you have better
suggestions to make, and make this sug-
gestion only as something to work from,
being convinced that we should not nave
more than five days play instead OF SIX