Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-11
NICHOLSON BEATS
ROESCH AT 18TH
3 Years Practice Wins Title
at Washington Club
for Golf Student.
BY WALTER r.. McCALLUM.

THREE years of campaigning
under a program of steady
practice and constant improve
Il ment stretch behind Henry D.
Nicholson today as he contem-
plates the road of progress which has
won him his first golf championship
For Nicholson today is the champion
golfer of the Washington Golf and
Country Club, victor over Frank K.
Roesch, the defending titleholder in a
final battle that went 80 holes.
Out in the caddie house at the Wash
ington club Brick" Wood, the assistant
professional and caddie master, has a
satisfied grin as he contemplates the
result of his prediction of last Spring.
For Wood is the original Nicholson
booster. Last Spring, when Mich" was
barely breaking 80 and not so often at
that, Wood predicted that Nicholson
would practice steadily this year and
come along so fast that he would win
the club championship.
And that Is exactly what happened.
Three years ago Nicholson won the
qualifying round Of the Middle Atlantic
Golf Association championship when it
was held over the Washington course
with q fine 70. But he did little else
in the interim. Last Spring, he went
to live at the Washington club, and
7,
practice tee, swinging his clubs, putting
and pitching and otherwise bolstering
up an already strong game with the
confidence that comes with the knowl-
edge of how to make shots in the same
groove time after time.
Along came Midsummer and Nichol-
son found the fast fairways to his
liking. He romped around the course
one day in 81.
Two weeks ago he entered the club
championship and, going through the
first three rounds without much trou-
BILE, found himself opposed to Roesch,
who had won the club title for the
previous three years. Roesch Is sea-
Soned campaigner, even though
youngster himself. They played 80 holes
yesterday before Nicholson struck an
iron shot on the g-een to win the COM
bat. At the end Of the morning round,
in which both shot 76s, Nicholson was
2 UP. They had six brides between
that round, but at the twenty-seventh
Roesch, battling hard to retain his title.
had squared the match. And RoeSch
won the twelfth, only to have Nicholson
again square at the thirteenth. From
that point they halved every hole to
the thirty-sixth.
At the thirty-seventh both drove to
the right, careful not to go out Of
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Nicholson pitched up short, while
Roesch pitched over on the far edge Of
the green. Nicholson Clipped up 10
feet short and missed the putt, and
then Roesch did what for him is an
unusual thing. With the championship
Ringing on q putt Of three feet, he
missed 1t. Frank Roesch is noted as
one of the best putters at Washing
ton or any other club. But they all
miss them occasionally, and Frank
missed with the championship Ringing
on It,
The thirty-eighth, which is the Sec
ond hole of the course, is an iron shot
Of about 165 yards from the back tee.
Here Nicholson put his ball on the
green. and Roesch. playing boldly for
the pin, had a slight hook on his shot,
which ended in sand trap. He could
not get out close enough to hole his
putt. and Nicholson played carefully to
the holeside for the 8, which won him
the hole and championship.
Charles F. Moore won the Birney
Cup, O handicap event. defeating DR..
G. r. Huffman by and in the final.
The 1917 handicap fight had been
won previously by B. L. Smoker. Prizes
were presented last night at tourna-
ment dinner held at the clubhouse.
which was attended by members Of the
board Of governors and the club golf
committee