Evening star., 1931-06-22
YANKS AND BRITISH
BATTLE THIS WEEK
U. S. Has Strongest Lineup
1t Ever Has Assembled for
Classic Series.
BY FRANCIS J. POWERS.

- OLUMBUS, Ohio, June o.
Now come the Ryder Cup
~ matches, between profess
Sional. teams representing
the United States and Great Brit
ain, to entertain the golf1ng pub
lie Of America. The Scioto Coun-
try Club of this city, Friday and
Saturday, will be the scene Of
the third biennial international
matches, which rapidly are grow
Ing in favor on both sides of the
Atlantic.
The Ryder Cup matches will be
played next Friday and Saturday and
will be divided into singles and two-ball
toursomeS, both of which will be over
the long, 36-hole route. The United
States and Britain each has scored a
victory in the matches. the Americans
winning decisively at Worcester, Mass,
in 1927, while the British won a one
sided victory at Moortown two years
ago.
AS a preliminary to the matches. 1s
American home-bred professionals will
compete at II holes of medal play Mon
day and Tuesday to fill two vacancies
and two alternate positions on the home
team. Capt. Walter Hagen and the P.
G. A. Selection Committee last Winter
nominated Gene Sarazen Johnny Far
rell, Leo. Diegel, Horton Smith and Al
ESpinosa for regular positions with the
Haig on the team. To fill the vacancies
such players as Joe TurneSa, Densmore
Shute, Olin Dutra, Ed Dudley, Craig
Y1k,
Golden, Charlie Hilgendorf and four
others will compete in the elimination
tests.
u. s. Strongest Team.
From this group the United States
should be able to present the strongest
team ever entered in the Ryder Cup
matches. The American squad are very
confident Of victory, and because the
British have voluntarily elected to play
the balloon ball, it is not believed they
they will put up very strong fight
against the native sharpShooters.
But Gene Sarazen, who just has re-
turned from the British open, where he
saw all Of the invading squad in action,
sounds word of warning to his COM
patriots.
I'VE may have our hands full in beat
ing the British" sGid Gene "They
Ryder Cup team and If weather condi-
tions are similar to those under which
the western open was played in Day.
ton, you will see the British shooting
some fine golf The Britons have been
practicing with our ball since late last
Winter and it will be no mystery to
them. We were confident in 1929 at
Moortown and took good beating. The
same thing could happen at Columbus"
lAn Oh h. as.. =
Gc1ng at Scioto. Abe Mitchell and
George Duncan, two of their standbys,
are well known in the United States, and
Archie Compston and Ernest and
Charles Whitcombe are famous Wher-
ever golf is played. Arthur Havers, an
other of the invading team, is the only
Briton to win the British open cham
pionship since 1920 and he is playing
f1ne golf once more.
Crack Match Players.
Mitchell, Compston and the two
Whitoombes are particularly strong
match players and they are the ones
the American players fear most. Dun
can is given to brilliant rounds and
should he hit one of his scoring sprees
at Scioto there are few players who can
match his pace.
The Scioto course is very long and
well trapped. II is made the more haZ-
ardous by the presence of the same
fearful rough that made the 1926
United States open a nightmare to so
many players. The course will test the
power and skill of both teams and
should produce some splendid golf.
Columbus has turned the city over
to golf for the week. An international
dinner which will be graced by many
political celebrities as well as famous
golfers. will inaugurate the matches and
several other golf events have been ar
ranged. Robert T. Jones, the retired
monarch of golf, will be among the
spectators. Another probable bystander
will be Henry Cotton, the fine young
British player, who refused a position
on the British team However, there
still is belief that Cotton may settle
his difficulties with the British P. G. A.
and be in the lineup of his country
when the matches start.