New-York tribune., 1913-07-14
MAY CUT FIELD Of
OPEN GOLF TOURNEY
United States Association
Thinks of CurtaiIing Entry
List at BrookIine.
PLANS QUALIFYING ROUNn
Water Hazard a Knotty Problem
That Will Probably Call for
Adjudication with Parent
Body at st. Andrews.

in the event Of the entry for the ~.
national open golf championship ar Pr
line assuming unwieldy proportions :, :.
probable that the executive comm,,,oa =
the United States Golf Association n,s
take some action with a view To cp,,an
ing the size of the field.
If possible the association want. .
avoid repetition of the congestion az
unnaturally early starting times wb,os
prevailed at Buffalo last summer sbou,1
the coming open have 10 be extended ;.
three or more days. It would be ess,,v
possible this year, for the reason tha, -.
present dates-September II and ls-f,u
on Wednesday and Thursday
The way most fancied by officials of n,
United States Golf Association who Az
cussed the question is TO hold a nIaIitv,,.
or elimination round. say, OF eighties
holes, but unlike the plan abroad which
calls for all entrants TO participate. n.
suggested preliminary round here wopS
be only for players Of doubtful calihrs
IL has become practice for professio,.
ais all over the country 10 attend the n..
tional open. They meet old cronies a.,
make sort Of holiday out OF the AZ.
fair and usually finish nearer the ian
end than the prize list. When they return
TO their home greens and explanations ar.
in order, they give that old timeworn az.
,cuse that covers a multitude OF sins
they could ma put"
While offhand IL might seem a ,Ick.
lish problem TO discriminate and s,,
who were and VINO were not doub,ful a.
trants. the committee might find a way
through recourse to the records. which
show what the players have done Yea,
after year. II would be an ideal way q,
eliminating the dead wood. Furthernor.
the fact that there would be an eighteen.
hole elimination round might have the ef.
feet Of keeping away many Of the "pross
OF moderate ability
Robert c. Watson, president of ,,o
United States Golf Association. is AN.
thority for the statement that il will nor
be long before the home organization will
have 10 thrash out a question with the
Royal and Ancient Club Of ST. Andrews
He had reference 10 the conditions aris.
ing from ball landing in a water hazard
Rule q covers the situation as follows
Il. II a ball lie or be lost in a recog.
nized water hazard (whether the ball lie
in water or not or in casual water in
hazard, the player may drop a ball under
penalty Of one stroke in match play or
stroke competition, either (a) behind the
hazard. keeping the spot at which the
ball crossed the margin OF the hazard
between himself and the hole, or (b) in
the hazard, keeping the spot az which
the ball entered the water between him.
self and the hole"
This rule works well enough when The
water hazard crosses the course at right
angles, but il IS a different proposition
when the trouble runs parallel 10 ,he
fairway For example. when a player
slices a drive into a parallel water hazard
81 may he impossible for him 10 live up
10 the strict wording of the rule. that is,
keeping the spot at which the ball
crossed the margin of the hazard be-
tween himself and the hole" There are
water hazards so situated that II this
were done the player might have 10 90
back several hundred yards The United
States Golf Association president has re-
ceived more than one letter on this sub
ject from players who have recently
found themselves in such dilemma as
described.