Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-17

the western amateur title. He is the first
easterner TO capture the blue ribbon of the
West and he is the first professional to win
| an amateur title. The fact that he won the
western amateur title Is just as much a
shock to the United States Golf Associa.
tion as IL Jim Barnes or any other profes.
! sional had wrested It from the amateurs OF
the West
No more curious situation in golf was
ever before seen in this or any other coun-
try. Shortly after he was put under the
ban of professionalism by the United States
Golf Association that body notified the va
rious clubs in the Massachusetts district
through its representative that his entry
should not be accepted but Ouimet took the
matter in his own hands and declined to
place the clubs in an embarra sslng position
and remained out of the tournaments, al.
though most of the clubs were willing and
anxious to have him play.
Oumet Has Always Played Fairly
Ouimet played the game fairly and took
the position that as long as he was barred
from amateur competition he would do
nothing to which the national body could
take the slightest exception. Later on at
the big annual meeting of the U. S G. A.
Ouimets case was thrown out after II was
shown that he had agreed to the action
taken by the L. S. G. A. declaring him to be
n professional and stating that he was sat
lstied with the national bodys stand Still
later, Ouimet and his business partner, Jack
sullivan, a golfer of prominence, appeared
before the executive committee of the U.
$ g. A., but neither was able to get the
body to change its mind.
Then came the action Of the Western Golf
Association in which it declared that Ouimet
and others who had been barred by the ma
tional association were amateurs. Ouimet
was asked to play in the western champion
hp ba gitn n "a
nutshell
But how under the sun can a man be
an amateur in one section of the country
and professional in the other? II the
national championship were to be played
this fall we would have the rather peculiar
situation of seeing the western amateur
champion barred because of professionalism.
Yet 1t Is apparent that none of those who
played in the western championship re-
garded him as a professional, and the only
players of any prominence who kept out
OF the championship were Chick Evans and
Bob Gardner Evans has been playing in
matches for the benefit of the Red Cross
and probably thought II unwise to oppose
the wishes Of the national association, while
Gardner did not play because he has en-
listed in the navy. Evans has gone on
record that he is perfectly willing to meet
the winner of the western championship at
any time, the proceeds of the gallery to 20
to the Red Cross, so that il is apparent that |
lie has mo objection to playing the former |
national amateur and open champion.
Will Play as Amateur Next Week
When the professionals got up the big |
matches for the benefit of the Red Cross |
Jerome d, Travers, who has been the ma |
tional amateur champion four times and |
the open champion once, was asked to Sc
leet a list of amateur players, and the first |
men he selected were Evans and Ouimet |
And no one thinks for a moment that the |
U. S. G. A. will suggest to any of the other |
amateurs on TraVerss team that they are |
ieopardzng their amateur status by play
ing on the same team with Ouimet
But this sort of thing cannot go on for
ever One OF these days there will have to
be showdown between the United States
Golf Association and the Western Golf AS
ISOLATION II the L. s. c.. A. is to remain
he national organization II cannot have the
Western Golf Association legislate and /
change the golf situation at will II the
Western Association can do t. what is 10
prevent the Golf Association OF Philadel-
1hia or the Metropolitan or the Massachu-
'etts or New Jersey or the Southern Asso-
Nations from framing their own rules? The
Western Association says that the National
association is so only in name and not in
act; that II has only 400 members. or less
han the Western, and that it is tied hand
Ind foot by the rules committee OF the
Royal and Ancient Golf Club, of st. An
lrew's.
Well, there is a lot OF truth in what the
claim, but unfortunately no one
an make the U. S. G. A. see IT, II the war.
md that is what 1t is, keeps up. one or the
ther is going to emerge triumphant, which
will 1t be, the Western or the U. S. q. A.?
Westerners Change Stymie Rule
No one thought that the stymie rules n,
he Western Association would work ont
he chief objection to the original rule was