Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-11

TTNHE amateur golf championship Of the
l. West, which is now being played, is In
teresting in more ways than one. In the
first place. there Is the presence of so many
eastern and southern players, somewhat Of
a novelty in an association championship
event. Then there is the appearance OF
Francis Ouimet whom the United states
Golf Association has branded as profess
sional The third element Of interest Is the
first tryout Of the new stymie rule.
There are only five golfers in the state
of Georgia who are eligible to play in the
national amateur championship ana lour
of them are youngsters well under the
twenty -one-y year mark. and the hfth Is the
father of one Of these boys. And all hNe
of them qualified for the championship
1t was reported, but not confirmed, that
an effort would be made to prevent the anna
teurs both from the East, West and South'
from competing in the western champion
ship If Ouimet were allowed TO play put
the fact that the field was large one ana
unusually representative shows there Is
nothing to the story. But it Is certain
that the United States Golf Association OF
details frown upon the whole tournament
and Chick Evans. holder of the amateur ana
omen title, and himself winner Of the west
ern amateur on more than one OCCASION
thought it wisdom to stay out
Western Body Strong
But there Is nothing in common between
the western association and the national
organization. Neither has any connection
one with the other. AS a matter OF fact'
the western has as many, II not more
members than the national body but IN no
sense is it a subsidiary body, and the ma
tional association has no more influence
with IL than with the various tennis bodies.
The u S. C. A. has the right to say VINO
shall play in the tournaments under It's
Jurisdiction, but 1t has nothing to say
about the rules and regulations governing
| a championship held under the auspices OF
the western golfers.
No one believes for a moment that the
| L. s. G. A. would be so foolish as to at
| tempt to discipline the amateurs who
| played in the same tournament with Oui-
| met That would provoke one of the
greatest wars In the history Of American
! golf, and the national body has enough
| trouble on its hands already without
going out of the way to find others.
The sympathy Of the American golfers
| goes with Ouimet, and most Of them will
be delighted If he wins the western cham
pionshp. Ever since that memorable day
| at Brookline when, playing against two OF
| the greatest masters Of golf in the world
| the youngster of nineteen made both Of
| them crack and won for the first time the
| open championship Of this country he has
been the golf idol.
Ouimet the Same
Most golfers see no difference between tht
Ouimet of those days when he was low.
| priced clerk in a sporting goods store and
| the Ouimet of today, who is the senior mem
| her of firm which sells sporting goods
| Had Ouimet desired to trade upon his golf
| ing reputation, he would be much better on
| financially today than he is. 1t is a known
fact that he turned down number OF offers
which would have brought him in a lot OF
money, and from the day that he wa'
barred from amateur competition he ha'
| conducted himself in a very sportsmanlik'
way. Most Of us believe him to be simon
nure amateur, and no action on the part o
the national body is going to change ou
minds
Perhaps the westerners have not alto
gether solved the stymie question, but the!
| bava taken a step forward. Most golfer
are perfectly willing TO play stymies pro
vided they lay them themselves, but on
| and all object to the other fellow doing II
Al any event the new plan by which IN
man whose ball is nearest the hole and VIII
| t,,y,ias the other player plays his ball frs
viii have a tryout, and II II does not wor
ont well, there is plenty Of chance to try
| in some other FORM
Chicago Well Represented
The announcement made during the ope
| championship that the national amateu
had been called of gave the westerners
splendid opening, and the field now playin
for the championship is one of the bes
ever seen on a course 1t is likely tina
the next western champion will come fror
the Chicago district, as II has an over
whelming number of men who have quail
hed. and numbered among them are som
on the finest players in the country. Ye
there is a possibility that Ouimet. Anderso
or some OF the southern aggregation ma
he triumphant. In any event. II will prov
10 be one Of the most interesting champion