The New York herald., 1921-02-02
GOLF PROS AWAIT
SIGN FROM CLUBS
Expert Wants to Know if He
Can Play on American Team
if Selected.
by KERR N. PETRIE.

AS within a few weeks the Profes-
sional Golfers Association of America
will be selecting the team which 1t is to
send abroad to compete in the British
open championship. 1t behooves the clubs
to consider this matter so that the pro-
fessionals will know exactly how to pro-
ceed in case they are called to join the
big army of invasion. Some time ago
the =. c. A. issued a preliminary list of
thirty players from which II intends TO
make the final choice. 1t is planned to
send as many as twenty players to ST.
Andrews II enough money can be raised,
but ten or a dozen will go in any event.
The preliminary list OF thirty should
serve as a guide to the clubs, and every
organization which has the name of its
instructor included in that array should
Immediately take the question under
consideration and so notify its profess
sional whether or not 1t intends to give
him the necessary leave of absence in
the event of his being called to join the
colors.
1t does not seem possible that any
club which should have its own pro-
fessional picked to go abroad in rep
resentative team Of ten American golfers
could fail to feel that a signal honor
had been conferred upon 1t. Neverthe-
less, 1t has been whispered that even
here in the metropolitan district there
are club members who have shown a
tendency to throw cold water upon the
idea of their instructor being allowed
to absent himself for the length of time
X will require to compete in the British
open. When first the project was
broached 1t was felt that whatever OBJ
jections came would be from the players
themselves. as the pros would then be
asked to give up from a month to six
weeks of their time at very busy and
lucrative period of their season.
Investigation proves, however that en-
thusiasm for the proposed trip is ram
pant among the pros, especially the
younger and less experienced in a tour
nament way. These feel that to be sent
abroad to represent their country at the
British open championship would be n
very real honor, a badge of distinction
In fact, which, even should they fall to
qualify at st. Andrews, still would give
them certain prestige which Their less
fortunate fellows could not possibly en-
JOY.
Most clubs would rather have their
professional around than away playing
in n tournament. In this particular in
stance, however, II Is somewhat diff
something to the club, especially if the
professional should happen to do well
abroad In any event 1t would be to the
advantage of all concerned II at the
earliest possible moment the club off,
cials give this question their deep con-
sideration. 1t was with the idea of keep
ing the clubs abreast of the times that
the p. G.. A. issued its list OF possibili-
ties. When the association is asked to
put the team in the field there will be
no time for the professionals picked to
refer the matter to their clubs.
Being already identified as the New
England section OF the p. c.. A. the
action OF the professionals of that sec
tion in forming a New England Golf AS
ISOLATION has rather surprised many
of the salaried club wielders of the met
ropolitan district. BY all accounts the
new organization Is in n fair way to
flourish. 1t Is not thought here that its
formation Is In any way a slap at the
p. G.. A., while on the other hand there
seems good reason for believing that be-
fore long 1t may tend to benefit the
parent association. One authority cal
culates that there must be close to $50
professionals In the New England section.
notwithstanding this large number prob
ably not more than forty Of them are
members of the Il. G.. A.