Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-26
ROWE, Of STENTON,
IN SHAWNEE GOLF
Is a Star Whose Bad Luck
T. Has Been Much in Evil
dence Lately
SETS H0ME.CLUB RECORD

CTENTON COUNTRY CLUB. be-
~ lieving in the old adage Of fostering
home talent. has as its professional
has had for nine years. it might be said
"a Philadelphian. who gained his golf
knowledge in the early days as caddy.
John Rove is the man. sawed OF
little fellow. with good shoulders and
face tanned almost to the burnt umber
Of Walter Hagen's. lie is n steady
player, consistent, plugging fighter
and he has fair claim to the title Of the
unluckiest golfer in these parts.
Stenton course is n fairly stiff one.
II has plenty of traps for the unwary.
water and bogs in unexpected places.
To go around it in figures that are
shaved well down into the 10s requires
golf Of excellent merit. Just year ago
John Rowe set the links record with a
sparkling -, and golfers. amateur and
professional. have been shooting at 1t
ever since.
a couple Of weeks ago John played
the first seventeen holes in o., and all
the visions of n new record were bloom.
ing in his mind. The eighteenth is n
short hole just a shade over Il hundred
yards. But Rove kicked shot into
II trap. ana though he was out in good
shape. and had an excellent chance to
| crack his record with two short puts.
he declined to play it safe. His long
ty left him as far. away on the other
! side of the hole. He made - That
trerely equaled his record
Bad Luck at Skokie
Of course. Johns failure to break
his own record at Stenton may b.
pointed out as not necessarily bit OF
bad luck. but it merely falls in line
! with the run that has been going his
way lately. Rowe went to Skokie to
play in 'he national open with high
hopes >>the plnudts of the Stenton
clubmen .Inging in his ears.
On the first nine holes he shot a SO !:
right fine golf. you'll admit. On the
tenth he was on the green with a fine
chance of cracking par for that he.
His caddy neglected to remove the stick
and Rowe's long putt struck it-costing
him penalty of two strokes. That was
the break that hurt. \ bit upset by the
incident. John sliced his next tee shot
out of bounds. and another penalty was
marked up against him. ..
score of 80 for the thirty six holes
would have qualified him. Thos bits
of bad luck brought Rowe seven strokes
over the qualifying limit. 1t nearly
broke the Stenton pros heart. for he
was all set to make n big name for
himself in that classic of American
gofdom.
lie worried, and worry kept him from
sleeping. He did not have a good night s
rest in Chicago, and when he came bacl;
to Philadelphia to play in the open here
his nerves were pretty badly upset
Normally capable of shooting in the 7O>
for competitive play, Rowe took an SC
and al s3 for his first two rounds, III,
was shaky. and that was reflected par
ticularly in his putting. On the secont
day he decided to withdraw.
Thirty-siX holes day for a montl
or more, with the strain? of play in th
fastest of company and run Of tougl
luck kept him from making the show
he should have done in that tourna
ment.
lie had about decided 10 stay ava,
from the big invitation event at Shaw
nee. believing that he was over golfe,
and would not rate as well as he should
But his brother Tom, who is actin,
in his stead at Stenton while be is away
persuaded him to go.
Its worth the chance. old boy,
said Tom. Go UP there and forge
what's happened. You'll com
through
So Rowe left on Monday for tn
Shawnee battle. He went up by motto
with George Griffin. who is to play tn
famous $500 match with Tom Norton a
Clearfeld next Saturday.
Shot 76 Tuesday
On Tuesday Rowe played a practic
round over the Shawnee links and sho
20. far eclipsing the best efforts @
Griffin. If John can do that sort q
thing in the big tournament that get
under way tOdey. he Is bound TO finis
up with the leaders.
There has always been the creates
rivalry-friendly but keen-betwee
John and George Peters, the stockl
little Gulph Mills driver. Georg
is eorking golfer and made
fine showing in the Philadelphia opeI
but Rowe has always been able to tril
him at match play. They have con
together, on eight separate occasions
and eight times the Stenton man ha
come out victor.
The last time they met they were a
square at the end Of the eighteenth an
agreed on an extra nine. When Peter
came into the clubhouse with that wiC
grin Of his every one thought that
had at last succeeded in trimming job
Rowe. When they asked him he shoe
his head.
NO, John had me | down, but l
get him yet.
ON Saturday the qualifying rour
for the handsome silver cups offered
winners in the summer tournament
Stcnton swings under way. Eightet
holes of medal play will decide the 81,
teen men to battle in the matches to
staged later.
Three benefit tournaments for Jaf
McDermott. greatest golfer ever deve
oped in Philadelphia, will be stag
within the next few months. Nc. 81
mott, twice national omen chaInpio
became mentally unbalanced sever
years ago. and the golfng sportsine
who never will forget his marvclo,
nlaving. want to do something for hiI
One tournament that Will be play
ar Whitemarsh on September s W
have as entrants Walter Hagen, OPT
"hampion OF Great Britain, and Gel
Sarazen, who holds the same title
this country.