The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1925-07-09
WlLLMAR TOURNEY
OFFICIALS PROTEST
CLAIM THE HERALD's "cuEAp
SPORT" APPLICATION DOES
THEM INJUSTICE
TRY TO JUSTIFY ACTS
MAIN CHARGE OF STOpv oE
GOLF TOURNAMENT NOT
DENIED

In us Issue of June 25th the Her.
aid took occasion to criticize the Wi
mar Golf Club for what we believed
10 nave been shabby treatment ac-
corded the visitors who took part in
the District Golf tourney on the
Green Lake Golf Course June 10. 20
and list with representatives of sew
eraI golf clubs participating.
The Herald article called atten-
tlon to the fact when 16 me n were
lett for the preliminary finals-no-
tlce was posted stating that only
eight would play off. The result
was several of the best players at the
tournament were eliminated, one of
whom was Walter Moynihan of this
city, who was ninth man on the list
of eligibles.
1t is generally taken for granted
that contestants are satisfied to get
inside the 16 limit in playing on their
first flights at a tournament, and no
doubt this was the case at the Will,
lmar tournament. Participants ex-
! pecting Is men would enter, to be in
formed after the number had been
reduced to 16, that only eight would
be allowed to participate, would ma
| turally be "sore."
Thursday of last week the Herald
received letter signed by the presi-
dent and secretary of the Willmar
tournament protesting that the head
lines, "Willmar Golfers Are Appar-
emily Cheap Sports" is unjust. Per-
haps the Herald headlines took in too.
much territory; likely only the COM
mittee in charge of the tournament
were at fault. e.,
In justice to Walter Moynihan, the,
Herald has not heard a word of pro-
test from him. Our informant was
well known Sank Centre citizen at
the tournament, but not "a partici-
pant. He informs the Herald that
golfers from other towns were very
sore over the proceedings. The Her.
aid article was not in defense of Moy-
milan but was protest against poor
| craftsmanship.
The letter received by the Herald
admits everything the Herald article
charge except the "Cheap Sport
angle. The Herald publishes the ex-
PLANTATION offered by the president
and secretary of the tournament
herewith:
editor of Sank Centre Herald,
"Sauk Centre, Minnesota,
"Dear Sir:
"The item in your issue of June
25th, 1925, entitled, "Willmar Golf
ers Apparently Are Very Cheap
Sports," has been called to our at
tention. Just who Furnished YOU
with the information inspiring said
| item we do not know, but a state
ment of the facts may lead you to the
belief that your article was both I'M
| called for and unjust and savored
very much of the so-called cheap
craftsmanship, which you so deplore.
GAS officers of the Central Min
nesota Golf Association, we had,
prior to the tournament, provided
cups and prizes for the champion
ship and eight flights, besides prizes
for the championship consolation
flight. The number of entrants was
very small. When the drawing for
the match play took place we start
| ed to arrange flights of sixteen play
ers in each flight, but the total num-
Der of players was so small that, <on
that basis there would only be three
flights of sixteen players in each
flight and one or two players left
over.
"This would have meant that the
prizes for the last five flights would
have been left on our hands with no
one to win them. The secretary of
the association, one of the signers Of
this letter, suggested that it would
be better to split the flights in half,
with only eight players in each flight,
so as to give chance to twice az
many players to win something and
so as to dispose of the prizes we had
provided, and this suggestion was act
ed upon. 1t was done in entire good
faith and to the end that the large
number of prizes provided for contes-
tants might be won by those who had
come here and entered the tourna-
ment. It never occurred to us that
anyone would be disgruntled or dis
satisfied because they were not in
the championship flight and we never
gave any thought as to who might be
affected.
when this change was made there
were representatives from half a
dozen different clubs who were pres,
ent and no one objected. The flights
We're posted on the bulletin board,
players were advised Immediately as
to who their opponents were and as
to the time they were to start play
the following morning and no OBJ
lection or complaint was made to
anyone to any officer of the associa-
ton at that time, nor at any time
since and no officer of the associa-
ton knew of any dissatisfaction on
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