The Washington times., 1930-08-08
RUNS
FOR NEXT
6 WEEKS
BY JUNO KINERK

4
a tournament for the two-man
team championship that will ex.
tend for the next six weeks until
the championship is decided. The
prize for the winning team is a
leg on the Barry-Pate trophy,
while a suitable prize also goes
to the runners-up.
The tournament is to be con
Quoted under special rules. In
the first place each match is to
be best-ball contest at 18 holes
with full handicap allowance.
However, there are certain re-
strictions as to partners and in
awards of liberal handicaps.
No team can be made up un-
less the handicap Of each player
is within 10 strokes of his part
ner's. However, the handicaps
may be reduced for this event
only, % strokes being the maxi.
mum allowance. Thus player A
with a handicap of 13 can not
select as his partner a man hav.
ing a greater handicap than, %
unless the latter voluntarily re.
duces his allowance for this
event only down to % strokes.
For every three strokes diff
ference between rival teams,
the team having the more
liberal handicap will draw a
spot Of one hole. The max.
imum allowance of this spot
is six holes, however. A
major fraction Of two strokes
is to count as three for the
purpose of this handicap.
Is the Happy Warrior of the
Fairway, Walter Hagen, slipping
1t begins to look like it. His
failure to qualify for the P. G. A.
has suggested to many writers
that the word finis be written TO
the career of the man who mas
won more extra-hole and play-off
matches in major competition
than any other.
It has been on the finish
rounds and holes, even, that the
"Haig" has weakened. Where
once he was supreme in his fight
ing, thrilling comebacks in the
face of almost certain defeat to
rally to glorious victories Hagen
has failed Hagen. He no longer
does it. Well, tempuS fugits, 50
maybe the fire and ambition
have burned into ashes the iron
will and consummate skill of the
once irresistible Black Knight Of
the links.
If Hagen is slipping out Of
the picture altogether the no
longer holds any major golf
title) then it may be said
that time has cut him down.
Or, perhaps, he is fed up
with it all. He has reigned
as king so long that now
they are telling tales of how
the king died at Interla-
chen and at Cherry Valley.
But Hagen has been read out
of the picture before only to
come back to greater triumphs
than ever. And if that old urge
to reach the heights starts flam.
ing again in his breast he's still
man enough to shoot for a lot Of
folks money. It's a long, tor
tuous journey up that comeback
trail, but Sir Walter will do it If
he wants to. It's all mental with
him.
In his prime Hagen would
have qualified at Cherry Valley
blindfolded. Now it is another
story. But we don't believe it's
the end-not yet, anyhow.
At Cherry Valley Hagen
had 149, three strokes too
many to qualify. He was
seven strokes over par. Play
ers only four strokes above
par did qualify, though, and
therein lies fact that has
brought no consolation to
two of the Mid-Atlantic pro
fessiOnal fraternity.
When the pros shot their
qualifying play at Indian Spring
it required exactly par and nc
more to earn the two places avail.
able from this district. Ralph
Beach, who was six under for his
two rounds, and A. B. Thorn
who was all even, won the two
places here, but if four strokes
would have done the business as
it did in the metropolitan sector
then two other high-class chaps
from this section, George Diffen
baugh and Warner Mather, would
be going up to the wars at Fresh
Meadow next month, too.
In measure this is quite 9
+ tribute to the caliber of the gol1
played in this section. And it il
to be hoped that tn two local
representatives can maintain that
brilliant pace next month wher
the title play comes off.
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