The Washington times., 1930-11-22
JONESSH0ULD
DRAFT NEW
GOLFCODE
BY NAN OREHLY

Bobby Jones, as an amateur or
a professional (take your choice).
knows more about gof than any
living human. No one who has
ever seen him hit shot will dis
pute that fact.
Any man who, before he reaches
the score-and-ten mark in life's
Journey, has won 13 major crowns
in America and Great Britain,
must know all there is to know
about the game he plays so we'll.
So why doesn't the United States
Golf Association put him to work?
That the governing body holds
Bob in high esteem is no secret.
They should. The presidenteiect.
Herbert H. Ramsey, has gone on
record to the effect that there is
no earthly reason why Bob's name
should not remain on the official
ticket for 1881. which will be
voted on by the delegates to tbs
annual meeting in January.
Ramsay particularly points
out that the Emperor's knowl-
edge of golf conditions make
him a very valuable asset to
the association. All Of which
is true, very true.
In fact, Bob's fund of intonna'
ton is so great that he has been
signed to make IL one-reel talkieS
on golf. and for several years he
has been raking in the shekels
for syndicated articles. So why
shouldn't the U. S. g. A., at To-
days executive session at the Bit
more request Jones to utilize his
knowledge to the extent OF draft
ing a new amateur code? ..
The amateur rule needs revision
so badly, it's a crime. Jones
knows the bad spots and the good
ones, and the U. S. G. A. could
delegate him to name a COM
mittee of five to give the matter
plenty of consideration.
To be sure. it's a bit unusual
for a commercial" golfer (for
want of better classification tor
Bob) to sit in the seats OF the
mighty with the powers-tnat-be.
passing judgment on the gol1lng
of his more unfortunate brethren
who haven't his great gifts, but
! if the U. S. G. A. elects him 2s a
means of showing him honor,
that's up to the officials.
| They might go a bit further
and add Walter Hagen, to keep
peace in the professional family.
and between Jones and Hagen, a
real bona fide amateur rule could
be outlined, a workable code
which could not be misconstrued
if an official took a. dislike to
golfer because he didn't balance
his tea cup properly.
At present, Jones, Won
Elm and Goodman are men
without a go1fing country.
At the annual meeting of
the Professional Golfers As
sociatiOn, in Chicago, the sug.
gestiOn for a business-goifer
class Of membership was re-
jected.
| IL OOIICS dII0 q COl11ll1IUS0
worked out an amateur rule,
some disposition could be made
of those golfers who are no
longer amateurs and yet cannot
be classed as professionals.
The P. G. A. is justified in
closing its membership to work
ing" pros; there is no reason why
a non-amateur should be called
professional.
Put Bobby Jones to work: be-
tween his law brain and his golf
brain. he should be able to draft
an iron-clad amateur code.
The failure of number Of
outstanding golf stars to qualify
in the sectional tests for the
P. G. A. championship last year
did some good. At the P. G.. A.
meeting. it was agreed to in
crease the number of qualifiers
from 81 to 100, so that another
year will surely see Walter Ha-
gen, Bobby Cruickshank, Willie
MacFarlane. ct al, in the field. :
1t is a bit tough on Tommy
Armour, as P. G. A. Champion,
not to be permitted to play in
the international match for the
Ryder Cup at Scioto, June 26 and
81, but the rule says only home
breds and Tommy is a Scot.