The New York herald., 1921-12-17
81 TO QUALIFY IN
PRO- GOLF TOURNEY
P. G. A. Doubles Number of
Players in First Round of
Championship.
WEST SURE OF TOURNEY
Secretary Will Ask British to
Hold Their Open Meet a
Month Earlier.
by KERR N. PETRIE.

by KERR N. PETRIE.
Radical changes in tho fabric OF the
organization as well as in the method Of
playing the annual championship tourna-
ment has been decided upon by the Pro-
fessional Golfers Association of America
after a session which had occupied the
last two days and has brought officials
in from many points west. such as
Cleveland. Pittsburgh and Columbus,
Ohio, also from Worcester. Mass. 1t
was quite apparent from the criticism
levelled the last few months that an en-
tirely different plan would be put in
operation for the next championship
than that which had the first thirty-two
in the national event at Washington
qualifying for the match play stages.
The scheme was voted at the meeting 8
held at Toledo in 1919 during the U. S.
G. A. open championship and it has met
with very strong condemnation. Now
it has been decided to revert once again
to the sectional qualifying plan, but In
stead of only thirty-two becoming eligi-
BILE for the match play the next p. G. A.
championship will see sixty-four players
in the fray.
TO enable this large field to compete
the first two rounds Of the tournament
win be at eighteen holes, after which the
meeting will proceed in thrty-six hole
matches as heretofore. In previous years
IL has been customary to give every one
OF the thirty-two qualifiers money
prize. How twice the number is to be
cared for has not been announced, but
perhaps this seemingly difficult problem
will allow of a simple solution. The pro-
fessionals seem to think that as matters
now stand very substantial element of
luck enters into the qualifying. This Is
because in some of the sections there
are more star players than places, while
IN other sections. despite the fact that
an endeavor has been made to strike
fair balance for all parts Of the country.
Il is possible that an inferior lot may
find places in the thirty-two.
New Sections Arc Formed.
BY way of arriving at a better work.
ing basis II has been decided to SUBJ
divide the territory covered by the asso-
cation still further. Originally there
were about ten or a dozen sections In
the P. G.. A. Now there are twice that
many This is how the new arrange
ment has been made:
northern and western New York State.
eastern Pennsylvania, western Pennsyl-
vania. Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Min
nesota, Iowa. Illinois, Indiana. Tennes-
see with Kentucky. Kansas with Me-
braska and Oklahoma, Wyoming with
Colorado and Utah. Texas with New
Mexico and Arizona, Georgia with
south and North Carolina, Louisiana
with Alabama and Mississippi. Missouri.
Arkansas. Pacific Northwest. Montana
with North and South Dakota, northern
California and southern California
Eastern Pennsylvania, 1t should be
noted, embraces Delaware. Maryland
and Virginia, while with western Penn
sylvania goes West Virginia. Hero
after the p. @. A. will derive its
strength rom these subsidiary bodies. in
the organization Of which. Il was re-
ported. great progress already has
been made.
Another very important matter taken
I'D at the meeting was that relative to
the date for the British open champion
ship. For the last two years the Amer
lean professional has bulked largely in
the British open, and as there is every
reason to believe that such will con-
tinue TO be the case the American
p. G. A. secretary has been instructed
TO write to tho secretary OF the British
Professional Golfers Association asking
having the British open title tournament
played month earlier.
Last year the British eveent was de-
cided In June. An early June date or
date late in May. which is not too early
for British championship. the Ameri-
onn open still could be staged in June.
As matters stand now 1t is impossible
10 schedule the American open cham
pionship earlier than July unless the
.v,1-a o. ra fo hn ant
ticipatipg in their own tourney. And
July, IL IS felt Is much too advanced a
date for n championship in the United
States. especially when, as this year.
the meeting is to be decided In the
Middle West.
May Pick Course for Western.
The p. G. A. has been unofficialIy ap-
preached in regard to the selection Of
r. course for the Western open champion
chip. Yesterday the officials expressed
the mselves as willing TO cooperate in this
matter II the Western Golf Association
and all other elements interested are
agreeable that they should take a hand.
Among those at the meeting were
George Sargent, Scioto, Columbus. Ohio,
the =. G.. A. president: George Mclean,
Grassy Sprain. vice-presidents Willie
Ogg. Worcester. Mass: w. III. Way.
Cleveland: Jack Hobens, Huntingdon
Valley, Philadelphia Jack Mackie, In
wood Fred Brand. Allegheny Country
Club. Pittsburgh.
Where tho next championship will be
held has not been determined, but 1t Is
almost certainty that 1t will not be
assigned 10 the Metropolitan district. as
II was this year. or even to the East
Last year 1t was held at F1ossmoor, Chi
cngo. without arousing anything like the
1t was felt then that tho East would be
good enough for the tournament here
after but that opinion Notwithstanding
the chances are that 1929 will see the