Evening star., 1915-11-15
NOVEL GOLF SCHEME
Preferred Groupings of Those
Eligible for National Title.
CALKINs THE SPONSOR
To Eliminate Large Field and Take
Advantage of Players Of
Ability.

NEW YORK, November ia new
method of conducting the national anna
teur golf championship has been de-
vfsad by Leighton Calkins. formerly an
officer in both the United States and
Metropolitan Golf Association and now
! mayor of Plainfield. He is the origi-
nator OF the Calkins system of estimat-
ing par and handicapping players there
on, and he now advocate a change in
the amateur championship which Is de-
signed to eliminate the large field by
| taking advantage of the playing ability
of the golfers as demonstrated in past
| seasons, rather than by the arbitrary
| rating system whfch has been in vogue
during the last few years. And so that
| there may be no discrimination against
| those who have not firmly established
| their golflnS skill he proposes that
| there be a round for this group of
players the Saturday preceding the
playing of the first round of the actual
| tournament.
The entire system is based on a
method of preferred grouping: for in
| stance, one group to include invited
guests and all previous national cham
pions, while another might include all
| association and state champions with
about five groups in all Under the
present system the golfers receive
rating and all of those at five or under
are eligible to compete for the cham
pionship.
Good Players Considered.
| In discussing his system, Mr.. Calkins
says, In part:
| "The problem is how to limit the
field of 1853. 1 have often thought that
players who in previous years have
won their spurs in national events
should not be subjected to sitting
out process along with untried and
| unknown men. Why should players,
for example. who have competed more
| or less regularly for years and have
qualified in the selected thirty-two for
the match play rounds be required to
compete with an unwieldy field in the
elimination round?
| Il suggest, therefore, that the field
be limited to 16s players to play on
Monday, one round stroke play for
siXty-four places Further, that 100
places be reserved for men of tried
and known merit, to be allotted in due
| groups might be designated. For ex-
ample, group l might include all in
vited guests and all previous national
| champions; group ., all association
and state champions: group 3. all play
ers who in 1915 qualified for the match
play rounds; group 4, all players who
so qualified in 1914: group 5, all play
ers who so qualified in 1913, going
back, perhaps. five years Then if the
100 selected places are not all filled
final group might include any player
who has ever qualified excepting the
1903 event at Nassau) for match play
in national championship. l am not
particularly strong for this last group.
but 1t might be considered.
Chance for Youngsters.
Finally. the program would require
all other competitors to play an eight
een-hole stroke play round on the Sat-
urday before for the remaining sixty
eight places. These players would make
up the unknown and untried including,
no doubt, many young, promising play
ers. There would be included also the
regular army of dubs who enter for the
| fun of it and have not a ghost of a
chance of qualifying. There would be
no danger that young players would
not come out on top.
| Thus, by a very simple means the
undeserving would be sifted out and at
the same time the treasury would be
benefited through allowing anybody to
enter who wished to do so. Three hun
dred players could enter, because as
many as 200, if necessary, could floun-
der around Saturday. l would not have
the officials required to manage the
Saturday event: simply provide that
the players start when they wish. with
partners of their own selection, keep
| ing their scorecards and turning them
| in when they finish. Let it be a regu-
lar go-as-you-please affair.
Then begin the real event Monday
with a field of 16S, 64 to qualify for
qualification round Tuesday. This could
be at eighteen holes, as in 1914, or IL
might be at Sc holes, SO as to disregard
the scores Monday. This would mean
two short 1S-hole rounds Wednesday.
only eight players surviving, with go
hole rounds Thursday. Friday and Sat
urday. Or if it should be decided to
have only the finals at SO holes, day
could be saved. In other words, you
could have the go-as-you-piease can
ter Monday, the elimination round
Tuesday, the real 36hole qualifying
round Wednesday and four match-p
rounds Thursday and Friday, with the
finals Saturday.
But whatever the plan for the main
event, why not make use of the expert
ence of previous years in sorting out
the worthy.