New-York tribune., 1912-02-19
NEWS FOR THE GOLFERS
Egan Has New Plan for Runninu
Amateur Championship.
BELIEVES CHANGE NEEDED
Tournament Should Be Open to
All to Give the Dark Horse
a Chance.

H Chandler Egan has come forward WITH
new set of suggestions for running on
the national amateur golf Championship
tournament. Some years ago Egan and
Leighton Calkins devised the system calm,
for single eighteen-hole match round on
the afternoon of the second day whils
this present arrangement is regarded as the
best yet devised, it is not entirely salts
factory. M
Egan, who was amateur title holder ia
1914 and 1905, believes a change more nee.
essary than ever row that the United
States Golf Association has decided upon A
national rating with view to freezing out
the poorer players. incidentally Egan sees
in the new handicap list, now in course ot
preparation a means Of sowing the proc
lem. AS ne says. TO be a real championships
the play should necessarily be open 70 an
players, members Of clubs belonging to the
United States Golf Association.
He is also OF the opinion that il would 10
unfair to a number of ambitious golfers TO
limit the championship to only those with
handicaps of six or less He also calls at.
tention to the possibility of dark horses'
being kept out. In a letter TO Crafts W.
Higgins, the former champion presents his
ideas as follows:
LET there be determined some number Of
players, say a hundred, that can play
thirty-six holes of medal play In one day
without unduly crowding daylight and play
ing conditions. On Saturday before the
tournament proper let all entrants whose
handicaps are above four strokes play a
preliminary elimination round Of thirty-sx
holes, the best fifty scores among these 10
continue In Mondays regular qualifying
round Let us presume, for example, that
there are fifty players who are rated at
four strokes or less in the national list
These men should be allowed TO play IN
the qualifying round without having to go
through the elimination play. These iftY
added to the fifty who survive the ellmins-
ton contest would complete the loo players
eligible for Mondays round, provided that
all of the fifty low handicap men enter.
These 100 players SO determined could cas-
iIy finish thirty-six holes Of medal play on
Monday. 1t should be understood that the
number fifty is used in a purely hypothet-
ical sense.
Then, Monday. qualifying round, thirty
six holes medal play, best thirty-two scores
10 qualify for match play rounds. Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and satur'
day. through the final, thirty-six holes
match play The advantages Of the above
system are follows:
81. There is no crowding OF play on Mon
day. as you have 100 players or less.
"2. The eighteenth hole round of match play
IS eliminated. and all good golfers prefer
the longer route in an important tourna'
ment.
20. Every amateur in the United states
Golf Association has fair chance to win
the championship.
"a natural advantage appears in the ad-
dition OF Saturdays elimination play. This
affects the officials rather than the players
who should be on hand by Saturday. any
way. while the officials often find. " dlm-
cult to leave their business for such q long
time. II would be my further suggespon
that the preliminary elimination contest 0.
Saturday be managed either by the local
officials Of the United States Golf Assoo'
alton or by the local club officials under In
structions from the United States Golt As
ISOLATION, as this would avoid the necessl'y
az the association officials who live In othsr
cities being on hand until Monday.
There has always been strong popaaf
demand from the players that, In order %
counteract sudden streaks of good or oaa
luck there be thirty-six-hole qualifying
round. that thirty-two men shall qualify ip'
match play, and that as many as possl".
OF the match play rounds, preferably all e'
them. be at thirty-slx holes. II is na'uraE
impossible to shorten the time OF the toH'
nament and retain the match play teatuff'
without violating some one or more OF wv
above mentioned preferences. Should tes,
become imperative TO shorten the time o.
the championship II would seem TO me u''
seventy-two holes of medal play would %
tho fairest test Of golfing ability under the
circumstances"