Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-12
Thin Line Between Amateur and Professional in Spc

Here again, in this question of what
type OF job an amateur may hold. the
line of denarcation is somewhat hazy
at best.
Tournaments and tournament players
form another puzzling side of this
amateur question. In the United
States the growth Of public interest in
sports that were once on a strictly
amateur basis and the consequent large
increase in the receipts and the num-
Der Of spectators, together with the re-
! the players, has created conditions
that are perplexing. to say the least.
Surely the existence of such tourna-
ments and their added trappings are
contrary TO the spirit Of amateur
sport!
For tournaments mean receipts. trav-
cling expenses. publicity crowds and
the thrill of championship play. The
contestants are classed as amateurs
but are they INDUCING in anything
even remotely associated with the Eng
lish idea Of amateur sport?
My own case Is puzzling. too Ac-
cording 10 the rules governing woman
golfers, ! am an amateur But by fol-
/ lowing any line Of logic, working on
the premise of the pure amateur IL
WOukQ UE EGEy VI Tail a
Because Of this dubious status Of Amer
lean amateur athlehs-and the highly
contradictory rules governing anna
teurisnl--I often find myself wondering
Just what's what.
lust because / am interested in golf
there is no reason for me 10 limit
all Of my associations and activities 10
1 ~ FskE n Ia aEt
thing In life TO me And I believe
| that / can have career like other
| wornen~~and keep IL apart from my
golf so that it cannot possibly be said
| that my experiences is aiding me
/ financially For ! am fully aware that
| there are high minded reformers i'm
/ bued with the painfully earnest desire
/ 10 stampede every prominent amateur
/ into the ranks of the professionals
/ AS an amateur fer. with every In
tention Of remaining III that class
have wondered from time TO time just
+ what Is the sense of all this hair split
ing--whether the day Is not coming
/ when the powers that be" will simply
forget the classification between the
amateur and professional athletes and
/ let II 90 at that.
What. may / ask, ig the fundamental
}
! the amateur of today? II is merely d
question OF caste IN England and moneS
in America The French do not seem
10 bother about it~~and, after all, theS
are the wise ones, for all this endleki
pickering has no relation with sportinf
spirit, with the sense Of fair play oi
the time and attention devoted TO thu
game.
These are the things which should b'
stressed today, the sporting spirit and
TN. sense OF fair play instead o. 0ul
continual wrangiing about "shama
teurs" To my way Of thinking, thes
tar transcend in importance the annoy
ing discussions about amateur and pro
.aSSLonal ~sa0rt Bobby Jonea Is Amer
ica's most popular golfer today, not be
cause he lis an amateur but beeausi
he best reflects this fine sporting spiri
aud sense Of fair play
The amateur is one who plays fOl
the sheer love of the game. AS II
other activities few will outciass th'
field, and SO win devote more anc
more time 70 their game. The competi
tive spirit that brought them 10 the TOT
Will not be satisfied These players be
come tournament players.
They viii go the annual round o
matches year IN and year out, II Il