Evening star., 1928-05-09
BY WALTER r. MccALLuM.

STELLAR field which include5
" at least half dozen OF the
II leading amateur golf stars OF
the citv Il scheduled to start
today and tomorrow over the
splendid rolling course Of the Town and
Country Club in the annual invitation
tourney of the club, won last year by
Miller B. STEVENSON.
Considerably more than half the field
Is scheduled 10 qualify today, with only
handful OF players listed 10 play their
medal round tomorrow Eotwithstand
ing the relatively small entry list, con-
siderahly smaller than last year. the
field has been split into two sections,
with part qualifying today and the re-
mainder scheduled to play the medal
round tomorrow.
DR.. Melville b. Fischer chairman Of
the golf committee, has been hard at
| work for many weeks past getting the
course in top-notch condition for the
event. We visited the course yoSter-
| day. and although we did not play Il,
we can say that we have never seen the
| amply trapped and very difficult
4 course of the Town and Country Club
h better shape.
STEVENSON will be unable to compete
| this year in the tourney he won last
year, having been forced TO be out of
the city during the period of the event
| A. L. Houghton. runner-up to SteVin-
| son. is one Of the prominent entrants
scheduled to start this afternoon. He
| Is paired with Harry G. Pitt, another
graduate from the public links, who Is
now registered from the Manor Club.
Other well known golfers who arc
| listed to play their medal round today
are Frank x. Rocsch. Washington Golf
and Country Club title holder, Leo #.
| Pass. who holds the Bannockburn Coli
Club championship: Harry F. Krauss of
! Bannockburn, and H. H. Newton, long
hitting Congressional star.
| Among the starters tomorrow will be
Earl McAleer, southpaw king. from In
dian Spring. playing with Page Hufty.
the Congressional champion. who won
the District Junior championship at
Town and Country last September; II.
u. Nicholson Washington star and
Howard NordlinCer, former champion OF
Town and Country Club.
Match play rounds in the scheduled
four sixteens will start early FRIDAY
morning. with the seni-final and final
rounds carded for Saturday.
For many wears we have been Won
Cering Why the scores made in medal
than In tho match play rounds which
follow the qualifying rounFs' in golf
tournaments, and we have finally come
to the conclusion so well stated by Bob
Jones that instead of playing against
opponents. either in medal or match
piay we played against Old Man Par,
how much better We should do.
We we'll remember watching Jones,
with the finest game of golf in the
world losing In the amateur cham
pionship over a stretch OF years TO men
who didn't begin 10 have the shots
and game he has and had. Until final-
ly he discovered the secret back In 1924
| at the Merton Cricket Club, where he
won his first amateur title. IL was there,
In September of that year. two davs
before he beat George Won Elm for the
title. that he elucidated the thought
that has been his guiding spirit since
that time. and has brought him half
dozen ma ior titles.
play the golf course and not your
opponent. Never mind what he does.
Go on and play your own shots as per-
fectlv as possible. After all. the golf
course Is your real opponent. and not
the human who happens 10 be matched
against you" Bob gave out these words
OF sound philosophy during flaming
bee In the Merton locker room one eve-
ming after he had won. And he has
gone on doing Just that thing ever since
We wonder how many men In quail
flying round. coming 10 two-shot hole
like the NTH at Chevy Chase, have a
definite idea where the tee shot should
be placed to open un the hole for rea-