Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-07
RYDER CUP CHOICES
CAUSE D|SSENS|ON.
Competitive Test Is Held
Fairer Than Arbitrary
Selection of Team.

~ UTE fuss has been kicked IN
III within the ranks Of The pro-
fessionals by the scheme for
selection Of the Ryder Cup
team players, the aggregation which wiz
represent the professional golfers Of the
United States In team match against
the professionals Of Great Britain next
Summer at the Scioto Country Club Of
Columbus. Ohio. The Ryder Cup
matches. a. every one knows. are held
every two years in alternate countries
and I'LL In the gap between the alternate
walker Cup matches, which are held
each two years In alternate countries
between teams Of amateurs representing
the two great golfing nations. the United
States and Great Britain.
The Ryder Cup matches ere quite
elaborate affairs. They have about them
matches, and, indeed, they mean as
much, for the teams are chosen with
great care. This year the American
team will be composed only Of home
bred pros. which bars such foreign-born
players as Tommy Armour, Macdonald
Smith, Charlie Lacey and Jim Barnes,
but seems to be q fair way to choose d
team to represent the United States.
The fuss comes in the matter Of selec-
ton.
Pros Have Charge.
On this side Of the water tho Profess
sional Golfers Association u IN charge
Of the show and the p. @. A. n doing
the picking OF the team members. A
few days ago the p. O. A. came forth
with the announcement that I'VE menu
bers Of the this years Ryder Cup team
have been chosen and the remaining
three members of the eight-man team
will be picked in q 72-hole tourney 10
be held just prior to the matches next
June. These i've chosen men are Leo
Diegel, John Farrell. Gene sarazen and
Horton Smith. with their captain again
to be none other than walter Hagen.
They must have chosen Hagen on hts
all-time record, for the only thing the
one-time professional king has been
able to do this year was beat Tommy
Armour in the final Of the Michigan
p. @. A. and finish second to him In
the st. Louis open. However, there can
be little kick about the flve men already
picked. Smith and Sarazen and Diegel
are certainties. Farrell has done MOTH
ing with considerable consistency since
he won the National open In 1898, but
he Il . fine golfer, who has always risen
TO his best IN the Ryder Cup matches,
ana deserves his rating Is o certain
member OF the team.
But how about Al Espinosa, Ed Dud.
ley, Johnny Golden, Al Watrous, Joe
Turnesa, Paul Runyan and Tony
Manero? The first 4 are named aa
among the IA men who will compete
In the tests to determine the 3 more
who make the team, and It seems the
p. q. A. has entirely overlooked the
Winter tournaments and those that
come In the Spring prior to the Ryder
Cup matches. It seems quite q journey
to make . few play In q 72-hole grind
for three men to quality. And what Of
the bad boy Of golf--none other than
Bill Mehlhorn2
"Wild BIN" Journeys
wild Bill" has done right wen along
the bunkered fairways over the last two
or three years and Just now u planning
to go to Japan with Bobby Cr.iick-
shank to enlighten the Japanese on how
golf shots should be played. Hagen
told him the pickings are good In Nippon
and he has decided to Winter In the
Orient.
NOW the professionals agree that the
72-hole medal play test Is the best way
OF finding out who Is the best golfer.
That being the case, why do they not
throw out their arbitrary choices and
choose something like the FIRST so homes
breds In the p. q. A. qualifying rounds
OF 1880 to play "a holes, with the first 8
men to make the team? That seems
fatrer than choosing them ut long
distance, for arbitrary choices always
nave been the cause Of dissatisfaction.
and the competitive test Ia always a.
fair for enc as the other. Furthermore.
such q test would have the eject 81
returning a nice little piece Of change
TO the P. @. A. Golfers, for they could
charge an admission fee to see this pre-.
liminary to the Ryder Cup matches, and
every one would profit. II Hagen.
Diegel, Smith, Sarazen and Farrell are
good enough to be chosen for the team
they should be good enough to make
the first eight in such q test. 80